Book Review The Other South

A detailed Summary of Book Review The Other South

Degler, Carl N. The Other South: Southern Dissenters in the 19th century. Harper &Row. 1974

Carl Degler brings out an different side of the southern part of the United States in his book "The Other South". Degler argues that if one is to understand the south as it really was it is important to dis regard the terribly common misconception that all southerners supported slavery or were indifferent to the suffering induced upon the blacks by slavery. Where common American history eludes to the fact that there were only a handful of southerners who openly opposed slavery, Degler's book shows that southern dissenters were, of course always the minority but were certainly greater in numbers than a mere handful. Also, the sheer complexity of a seemingly simple southern society has played a huge role in the historical path the south has followed in American history. Within the complex southern society socioeconomic and of course racial classes solely dictated most all southern views on the slavery issue. Degler also touches on the ever present black influence on society in the south during this time period that was produced simply by their presence. In the middle of this moral conflict and fueling much of the conflict were group

Degler is obviously very partial to the southern dissenters and rightfully so. Degler argues that if one is to understand the south it is important to understand the role the dissenters played in the south and what they had to endure in order to do so. The book sheds much light on the sheer complexity of the southern dissenters situation. The dissenters faced a monumental task in that they were pushing to change the economy and politics of south. Unfortunately for the dissenters politics and economy were the most rock solid institutions in the southern way of life. At the root of this complex situation were the slaves whom the economy revolved around and politics of course were heavily influenced by the economy. While main stream American history hints at only a few individual southern dissenters Degler broadens the spectrum to include a variety of groups and individuals who played an extremely important role in the history of the south. By linking and comparing the various groups and individuals Degler shows the values and beliefs that motivated the dissenters to deviate from the values of the majority. In doing so Degler dispels the common mis conception that the south thinks as a whole unit.

It is said that southerners have a "double history "1 a history as southerners and a history as Americans. One of the main points that reinforces this idea of double history is that of all Americans, the white upper class in the south are the only ones who have been defeated in war and occupied by the enemy2 . This is what gives southerners their double history, no other part of the country has had such conflict between their local and national loyalties3. The southern dissenters however, had what could be called a triple history. It is this idea of a triple history that Degler places at the heart of his sympathetic stand on the position of the southern dissenter. The southern dissenters were also in the middle of a serious identity conflict. From the perspective of a northerner they were southerners, from a majority southern perspective they were defiantly not southern at least as far as values and ideals were concerned. So, in laymens terms they were between a rock and a hard place,

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Approximate Word count = 1483
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels