Charleston County Public Library

"Champions of contending armies", the ancient rivalry between Massachusetts and South Carolina, 1829-1856, by William Thomas Merrell

eng

Includes bibliographical references

Thesis (M.A.)--Clemson University, 2010.

"Champions of contending armies"

by William Thomas Merrell

the ancient rivalry between Massachusetts and South Carolina, 1829-1856

"The focus of this work is the 'ancient rivalry' between Massachusetts and South Carolina, as it played out in the antebellum era. Although little attention has been devoted exclusively to the study of this rivalry, it exercised a considerable degree of influence over the nation on its path to civil war. Most notably, this rivalry directly impacted the emergence of an American national identity between 1830 and 1860. The self-perpetuating rivalry between South Carolina and Massachusetts helped define the parameters of American identity, and ensured the eventual exclusion of South Carolina from such an identity. Filtered through three specific episodes, this work will show how a unique South Carolina psychology and identity emerged in response to the state's exclusion from American identity. This psychology gave South Carolinians the individual and collective social capacity to play an unparalleled role in the American Civil War. This role was characterized by their ability to inaugurate the secession movement and do so unanimously; their ability to embrace secession and celebrate its realization; their ability to offer a greater degree of support to the Confederate cause than their neighbors--including lower exemption and desertion percentages, higher enlistment and casualty percentages, and a more cooperative relationship with the Confederate government."--Abstract

Introduction -- Dueling tongues: the Hayne-Webster debate -- Dueling pens: the Sabine-Simms controversy -- The caning of Mr. Sumner: the Brooks-Sumner affair -- Conclusion

Ancient rivalry between Massachusetts and South Carolina, 1829-1856