This book traces how and why the secession of the South during the American Civil war was accomplished at ground level through the actions of ordinary men. Adopting a micro-historical approach, Lawrence McDonnell works to connect small events in new ways -- he places one company of the secessionist Minute Men in historical context, exploring the political and cultural dynamics of their choices. Every chapter presents little-known characters whose lives and decisions were crucial to the history of southern disunion. McDonnell asks readers to consider the past with fresh eyes, analyzing the...

This book traces how and why the secession of the South during the American Civil war was accomplished at ground level through the actions of ordinary men. Adopting a micro-historical approach, Lawrence McDonnell works to connect small events in new ways -- he places one company of the secessionist Minute Men in historical context, exploring the political and cultural dynamics of their choices. Every chapter presents little-known characters whose lives and decisions were crucial to the history of southern disunion. McDonnell asks readers to consider the past with fresh eyes, analyzing the...