Mary Boykin Chesnut: A Confederate Woman's Life / Edition 1

by Mary A. DeCredico

Overview

Born into the plantation gentry of South Carolina, granted the advantages of wealth, social position, and education by virtue of her family and her marriage to another prominent South Carolina family, Mary Chesnut has emerged as one of the key figures in American history, but not because of a career, her family, or her involvement in a humanitarian cause. Rather, Chesnut's significance comes from her extensive diary. Her commentary and reminiscences about the Confederate era provide an excellent window into the life and death of the Confederate nation. Her keen insight into political, economic, and social developments makes her an excellent source to understand the Southern homefront during the Civil War.
Professor DeCredico uses Chesnut's life to address the role of women in the South, the ideology and leadership of the Southern white elite, and how Southern women in general—and Chesnut in particular—viewed the institution of slavery. Furthermore, DeCredico shows how Mary Chesnut's privileged position gave her an ideal perspective for observing and commenting on the events of the Confederacy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780945612476
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/1996
Series:	American Profiles
Edition description:	1st EDITION
Pages:	212
Sales rank:	1,066,656
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Mary A. DeCredico teaches history at the U.S. Naval Academy. She is also the author of Patriotism for Profit: Georgia's Urban Entrepreneurs and the Confederate War Effort.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Illustrations Chapter 2 Editor's Foreword Chapter 3 Acknowledgments Chapter 4 Introduction Chapter 5 Southern Daughter: "The World Seemed a Place Where One Could be Very Jolly" Chapter 6 Marriage & Politics: "I Take This Somnolent Life Coolly" Chapter 7 1860-1861: "Lincoln Was Elected and Our Fate Sealed" Chapter 8 1862: "We Have No Breathing Time Given Us" Chapter 9 1863: "Anxiety Pervades" Chapter 10 1864: "The Deep Waters Are Closing Over Us" Chapter 11 1865: "The Grand Smash Has Come" Chapter 12 "Cry Aloud For All That is Past & Gone" Chapter 13 Epilogue: The Diary From Dixie Chapter 14 Suggested Reading Chapter 15 Index

Editorial Reviews

A very good and much needed introduction to Mary Chesnut's life and writings. Mary DeCredico's book will appeal to students and anyone interested in one of the Confederacy's most fascinating figures.

George C. Rable

Developing Chesnut as a representative example of the Southern aristocracy, DeCredico contrasts her experiences (illustrated by numerous quotations from her diaries and other writings) to those of other classes within the South. This rich backdrop of social and political history based on recent scholarship not only clarifies Chesnut's experiences but challenges readers to reflect on the South's class structure and the significance of the Confederacy's fall.. .. Exceptionally well-written.

Choice Reviews

Developing Chesnut as a representative example of the Southern aristocracy, DeCredico contrasts her experiences (illustrated by numerous quotations from her diaries and other writings) to those of other classes within the South. This rich backdrop of social and political history based on recent scholarship not only clarifies Chesnut's experiences but challenges readers to reflect on the South's class structure and the significance of the Confederacy's fall.. .. Exceptionally well-written.

Choice

Developing Chesnut as a representative example of the Southern aristocracy, DeCredico contrasts her experiences (illustrated by numerous quotations from her diaries and other writings) to those of other classes within the South. This rich backdrop of social and political history based on recent scholarship not only clarifies Chesnut's experiences but challenges readers to reflect on the South's class structure and the significance of the Confederacy's fall.. .. Exceptionally well-written.

CHOICE