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The enemy within : fears of corruption in the Civil War North / Michael Thomas Smith.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Smith, Michael Thomas, 1970-
- Series:
- Nation divided
- A nation divided : studies in the Civil War era
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Government, Resistance to.
- History.
- Public contracts--Corrupt practices.
- Public contracts.
- Corruption.
- Political corruption.
- United States--Politics and government--1861-1865.
- United States.
- Politics and government.
- United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Social aspects.
- Social aspects.
- United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Economic aspects.
- Political corruption--United States--History--19th century.
- Corruption--United States--History--19th century.
- Political culture--United States--History--19th century.
- Political culture.
- Public contracts--Corrupt practices--United States--History--19th century.
- Government, Resistance to--United States--History--19th century.
- Physical Description:
- viii, 229 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
- Place of Publication:
- Charlottesville : University of Virginia Press, 2011.
- Summary:
- Smith (history, McNeese State U.) shows how Northerners during the Civil War period responded to political corruption involving government contracting, power-hungry generals, sex scandals, and the cotton trade. In his analysis of the political culture of the era, he notes that citizens of the period believed that the misuse of power and patronage by the nation's rulers corrupted the virtue of the nation and led to tyranny. The author argues that these fears, such as the fear of a mythical class of nouveaux riche war profiteers, stemmed from anxiety over economic changes, modernization, and immigration. He contends that by understanding the importance of corruption to Northerners of the period, we can understand the values and beliefs central to Americans of the era, especially their attitudes toward republicanism and masculinity. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- ISBN:
- 9780813931272
- 0813931274
- 9780813931371
- 0813931371
- OCLC:
- 671573381
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