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Dissertation by Jeffrey Glossner

Research paper thumbnail of The Crisis of White Supremacy in the Antebellum South: Poor Whites, Slavery, and the Coming of the Civil War

University of Mississippi, 2023

The so-called “poor whites” of the antebellum South have often been overlooked by historians due ... more The so-called “poor whites” of the antebellum South have often been overlooked by historians due to their perceived insignificance to the political and cultural development of the South. However, within the context of the sectional debate over slavery, poor whites represented a disturbing presence for elite southerners who sought to defend slavery on the basis of white supremacy, a political platform built on the promise of universal white superiority. In order to defend the slave labor system from northern promises of white supremacy under free labor and to justify widespread southern white poverty, the architects of the antebellum southern cultural ideal marginalized poor whites and depicted them as inferior creatures who did not deserve the privileges of southern white supremacy. This dissertation argues that this discourse about poor whites played a significant role in the development of southern social and political culture, and stood at the nexus of central issues that contributed to crises that led to the Civil War. Proslavery elites feared poor whites due to their frequent interactions with enslaved black laborers that exacerbated southern fears of violent insurrection. The presence of poor whites caused tension with efforts to modernize slavery and adapt it to modern industries. And, most importantly, they appeared to be potential political allies to antislavery northerners. The problem that poor whites posed to efforts to adapt slavery to the modern world resulted in the further radicalization of proslavery ideology and the emergence of anti-democratic ideas within the politics of slavery. These provided increased impetus for the southern slave owning elite to seek secession from the United States in order to protect the institution of slavery.

Papers by Jeffrey Glossner

Research paper thumbnail of Poor Whites in the Antebellum U.S. South (Topical Guide)

Research paper thumbnail of Copperhead in Our Midst: Peter Gray Meek and His Peculiar Place in the Politics of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania During the Civil War

Profiles Peter Gray Meek, the editor of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania's newspaper the Democratic Watch... more Profiles Peter Gray Meek, the editor of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania's newspaper the Democratic Watchman during the Civil War. Meek stood out as an anti-war Democrat, or "Copperhead," in the Republican lion's den that was Bellefonte during the Civil War

Conference Presentations by Jeffrey Glossner

Research paper thumbnail of The Dilemma of Industrial Slavery: White Supremacy and Industrialization in the Antebellum South

AHA , 2022

A conference paper on the dilemma presented by the adaptation of slavery to manufacturing to the ... more A conference paper on the dilemma presented by the adaptation of slavery to manufacturing to the politics of white supremacy.

Research paper thumbnail of Giving Voice to the Poor Whites of the Antebellum South

Due to their marginalized role in the economy, politics, and culture of the antebellum South, his... more Due to their marginalized role in the economy, politics, and culture of the antebellum South, historians have often overlooked the importance of poor white southerners to southern society. At the time, they were viewed as idle, mischievous, not quite white, and unworthy of the trust of respectable southerners. These feelings were exacerbated by elite anxiety over the potential for slave resistance and the common interaction of poor whites and slaves. This widespread distrust permeated to a variety of discourses, as poor whites were often engaged by elite southerners as a widespread social problem which undercut their vision of white supremacy and southern white cultural superiority. They were also used by antislavery authors as a rhetorical illustration of the harm that the slave labor system did to white Americans. These viewpoints have often worked to mask the true role of poor whites in the Antebellum South. The dominance of elite southerners and antislavery northerners in documenting society and class relations in this period worked to bias our understanding of these people. Poor whites were either the product of biological inferiority or of the degradation of the slave labor system. Neither of these interpretations showed the true role and agency of these people. Though, with an eye towards how elite southerners reacted to the presence of this class and an illumination of the importance of poor white southerners to the sectional discourse on slavery, we can begin to get past these biases in order to illuminate the extent of their importance and power in southern society. Beyond illuminating the relative power of poor white southerners, an eye towards elite engagement with this class of people, and the justifications that ensued, can give us further window into larger themes in the coming of secession and the American Civil War. Source bias works to flatten class differences, resentments over slavery, and the fear of social disorder that was prevalent in the Antebellum South. Giving voice to poor whites provides an avenue to question some of the standard interpretations this historical period, showing us that white unity was never a given, and that class, race, and cultural differences often worked to divide southerners in ways that contributed to the coming of the Civil War.

Research paper thumbnail of Poor Whites, Slave Insurrections, and the Social Order: Black and White Interaction and the Specter of Rebellion in the Antebellum South

Research paper thumbnail of The Limits of Whiteness in Antebellum Southern Honor Culture: Poor Whites in the Mind of the Elite South, 1830-1861

Drafts by Jeffrey Glossner

Research paper thumbnail of Rethinking the Unthinkable: The Haitian Revolution and the Decline of First Wave Antislavery in the United States

Historiographical essay on the role of the Haitian Revolution in the decline of first wave antisl... more Historiographical essay on the role of the Haitian Revolution in the decline of first wave antislavery in the United States.

Research paper thumbnail of States’ Rights and the Failure of Confederate Nationalism: Explaining Confederate Collapse

A historiographical essay that traces how historians have worked to explain the failure of the Co... more A historiographical essay that traces how historians have worked to explain the failure of the Confederacy.

Research paper thumbnail of American Conjure: African Magic Among American Slaves

Historiographical paper on use of African magical practice among slaves in the Americas.

Research paper thumbnail of Explaining Secession: The South in the Historiography of the Coming of the Civil War

Research paper thumbnail of Southern Louisianan Sugar Plantations, the Internal Slave Trade, and the Challenge to Genovesian Paternalism

Southern Louisiana in the early to mid-nineteenth century saw the rise of a particularly modern, ... more Southern Louisiana in the early to mid-nineteenth century saw the rise of a particularly modern, brutal and industrial form of slavery on its sugar plantations. The dynamics of sugar production, and the potential it had for increased efficiency and productivity set it apart from other forms of slavery in the American South. With the advent of new industrial advances that made sugar cultivation more regimented, productive and thus more profitable, capitalistically minded slaveholders would expand production and the slave labor force. From 1829 to 1850, sugar output in this region went from just 48,000 barrels to as much as 440,000 barrels annually. This more modern and expansive form of industrial slavery calls into question the supposedly antiquated nature of the institution of slavery, and the paternalistic ethos, outlined by historian Eugene Genovese, that is seen to have defined the worldview of slaveholders. The interests of sugar would dominate southern Louisiana in a variety of ways. The system would require a particularly acute defense of the slaveholder given its brutal nature and heavy involvement in the demonized internal slave trade. The example of Louisiana sugar reveals many of the fault-lines in the historical debate between the roles of paternalism and capitalism in slavery in the nineteenth century. Additionally, recent interest in slaveholders' involvement in the internal slaver trade, which sugar planters relied on disproportionately, further shows their divergence from the paternalist ethos.

Book Reviews by Jeffrey Glossner

Research paper thumbnail of Review of Anglo-Native Virginia: Trade, Conversion, and Indian Slavery in the Old Dominion, 1646-1722 by Kristalyn Shefveland

Research paper thumbnail of Review of The Limits of Loyalty: Ordinary People in Civil War Mississippi by Jarret Ruminski

Thesis by Jeffrey Glossner

Research paper thumbnail of Cavaliers and Crackers: Landless Whites in the Mind of the Elite Antebellum South

Masters thesis on the importance of poor white Southerners to the development of antebellum south... more Masters thesis on the importance of poor white Southerners to the development of antebellum southern cultural and intellectual history.

Research paper thumbnail of The Crisis of White Supremacy in the Antebellum South: Poor Whites, Slavery, and the Coming of the Civil War

University of Mississippi, 2023

The so-called “poor whites” of the antebellum South have often been overlooked by historians due ... more The so-called “poor whites” of the antebellum South have often been overlooked by historians due to their perceived insignificance to the political and cultural development of the South. However, within the context of the sectional debate over slavery, poor whites represented a disturbing presence for elite southerners who sought to defend slavery on the basis of white supremacy, a political platform built on the promise of universal white superiority. In order to defend the slave labor system from northern promises of white supremacy under free labor and to justify widespread southern white poverty, the architects of the antebellum southern cultural ideal marginalized poor whites and depicted them as inferior creatures who did not deserve the privileges of southern white supremacy. This dissertation argues that this discourse about poor whites played a significant role in the development of southern social and political culture, and stood at the nexus of central issues that contributed to crises that led to the Civil War. Proslavery elites feared poor whites due to their frequent interactions with enslaved black laborers that exacerbated southern fears of violent insurrection. The presence of poor whites caused tension with efforts to modernize slavery and adapt it to modern industries. And, most importantly, they appeared to be potential political allies to antislavery northerners. The problem that poor whites posed to efforts to adapt slavery to the modern world resulted in the further radicalization of proslavery ideology and the emergence of anti-democratic ideas within the politics of slavery. These provided increased impetus for the southern slave owning elite to seek secession from the United States in order to protect the institution of slavery.

Research paper thumbnail of Poor Whites in the Antebellum U.S. South (Topical Guide)

Research paper thumbnail of Copperhead in Our Midst: Peter Gray Meek and His Peculiar Place in the Politics of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania During the Civil War

Profiles Peter Gray Meek, the editor of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania's newspaper the Democratic Watch... more Profiles Peter Gray Meek, the editor of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania's newspaper the Democratic Watchman during the Civil War. Meek stood out as an anti-war Democrat, or "Copperhead," in the Republican lion's den that was Bellefonte during the Civil War

Research paper thumbnail of The Dilemma of Industrial Slavery: White Supremacy and Industrialization in the Antebellum South

AHA , 2022

A conference paper on the dilemma presented by the adaptation of slavery to manufacturing to the ... more A conference paper on the dilemma presented by the adaptation of slavery to manufacturing to the politics of white supremacy.

Research paper thumbnail of Giving Voice to the Poor Whites of the Antebellum South

Due to their marginalized role in the economy, politics, and culture of the antebellum South, his... more Due to their marginalized role in the economy, politics, and culture of the antebellum South, historians have often overlooked the importance of poor white southerners to southern society. At the time, they were viewed as idle, mischievous, not quite white, and unworthy of the trust of respectable southerners. These feelings were exacerbated by elite anxiety over the potential for slave resistance and the common interaction of poor whites and slaves. This widespread distrust permeated to a variety of discourses, as poor whites were often engaged by elite southerners as a widespread social problem which undercut their vision of white supremacy and southern white cultural superiority. They were also used by antislavery authors as a rhetorical illustration of the harm that the slave labor system did to white Americans. These viewpoints have often worked to mask the true role of poor whites in the Antebellum South. The dominance of elite southerners and antislavery northerners in documenting society and class relations in this period worked to bias our understanding of these people. Poor whites were either the product of biological inferiority or of the degradation of the slave labor system. Neither of these interpretations showed the true role and agency of these people. Though, with an eye towards how elite southerners reacted to the presence of this class and an illumination of the importance of poor white southerners to the sectional discourse on slavery, we can begin to get past these biases in order to illuminate the extent of their importance and power in southern society. Beyond illuminating the relative power of poor white southerners, an eye towards elite engagement with this class of people, and the justifications that ensued, can give us further window into larger themes in the coming of secession and the American Civil War. Source bias works to flatten class differences, resentments over slavery, and the fear of social disorder that was prevalent in the Antebellum South. Giving voice to poor whites provides an avenue to question some of the standard interpretations this historical period, showing us that white unity was never a given, and that class, race, and cultural differences often worked to divide southerners in ways that contributed to the coming of the Civil War.

Research paper thumbnail of Poor Whites, Slave Insurrections, and the Social Order: Black and White Interaction and the Specter of Rebellion in the Antebellum South

Research paper thumbnail of The Limits of Whiteness in Antebellum Southern Honor Culture: Poor Whites in the Mind of the Elite South, 1830-1861

Research paper thumbnail of Rethinking the Unthinkable: The Haitian Revolution and the Decline of First Wave Antislavery in the United States

Historiographical essay on the role of the Haitian Revolution in the decline of first wave antisl... more Historiographical essay on the role of the Haitian Revolution in the decline of first wave antislavery in the United States.

Research paper thumbnail of States’ Rights and the Failure of Confederate Nationalism: Explaining Confederate Collapse

A historiographical essay that traces how historians have worked to explain the failure of the Co... more A historiographical essay that traces how historians have worked to explain the failure of the Confederacy.

Research paper thumbnail of American Conjure: African Magic Among American Slaves

Historiographical paper on use of African magical practice among slaves in the Americas.

Research paper thumbnail of Explaining Secession: The South in the Historiography of the Coming of the Civil War

Research paper thumbnail of Southern Louisianan Sugar Plantations, the Internal Slave Trade, and the Challenge to Genovesian Paternalism

Southern Louisiana in the early to mid-nineteenth century saw the rise of a particularly modern, ... more Southern Louisiana in the early to mid-nineteenth century saw the rise of a particularly modern, brutal and industrial form of slavery on its sugar plantations. The dynamics of sugar production, and the potential it had for increased efficiency and productivity set it apart from other forms of slavery in the American South. With the advent of new industrial advances that made sugar cultivation more regimented, productive and thus more profitable, capitalistically minded slaveholders would expand production and the slave labor force. From 1829 to 1850, sugar output in this region went from just 48,000 barrels to as much as 440,000 barrels annually. This more modern and expansive form of industrial slavery calls into question the supposedly antiquated nature of the institution of slavery, and the paternalistic ethos, outlined by historian Eugene Genovese, that is seen to have defined the worldview of slaveholders. The interests of sugar would dominate southern Louisiana in a variety of ways. The system would require a particularly acute defense of the slaveholder given its brutal nature and heavy involvement in the demonized internal slave trade. The example of Louisiana sugar reveals many of the fault-lines in the historical debate between the roles of paternalism and capitalism in slavery in the nineteenth century. Additionally, recent interest in slaveholders' involvement in the internal slaver trade, which sugar planters relied on disproportionately, further shows their divergence from the paternalist ethos.

Research paper thumbnail of Review of Anglo-Native Virginia: Trade, Conversion, and Indian Slavery in the Old Dominion, 1646-1722 by Kristalyn Shefveland

Research paper thumbnail of Review of The Limits of Loyalty: Ordinary People in Civil War Mississippi by Jarret Ruminski

Research paper thumbnail of Cavaliers and Crackers: Landless Whites in the Mind of the Elite Antebellum South

Masters thesis on the importance of poor white Southerners to the development of antebellum south... more Masters thesis on the importance of poor white Southerners to the development of antebellum southern cultural and intellectual history.