Review by Choice Review
The US Civil War clarified regional distinctions--important political, economic, and cultural divisions--that had existed for decades. North and South, of course, predominate in the popular and scholarly mind. The West played a vital role too. But the geographic differences were quite nuanced. Editors Mason (history, Brigham Young Univ.), Viens (research coordinator, Massachusetts Historical Society), and Wright (director of research, Massachusetts Historical Society) bring together a diverse cast of scholars who explore the myriad forces important to understanding the Civil War and the Bay State. Overall, the volume argues for the "distinctive or peculiar" ways in which the experience of Massachusetts influenced "the great crisis of national unity." One important theme throughout the essays is an exploration of how and why those seeking to end slavery joined forces with those who sought the more robust reform platform of black citizenship and black American equality. The authors point to the securitization of the federal state, violence embedded in the political process, racial prejudice, the flow of information in an age of letter writing, and much more. This rich collection speaks not only to those focused on Massachusetts but also to New England and the nation. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --Scott Gac, Trinity College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
