Historians have long treated the patriotic anthems of the American Civil War as colorful, if largely insignificant, side notes. But beneath the songs' inspirational surface is a far more complex story. The contradictory genesis and reception of one such anthem, "Maryland, My Maryland," for instance, showcases the inherent ironies underlying the Civil War in general. Long considered one of the most popular Confederate patriotic songs, "Maryland, My Maryland," was not only written in Louisiana but also celebrated a state that never joined the Confederacy.
In "Maryland, My Maryland: Civil...
Historians have long treated the patriotic anthems of the American Civil War as colorful, if largely insignificant, side notes. But beneath the son...
