The fabric of Civil War society : uniforms, badges, and flags, 1859-1939

Author/Creator:

Cox, Shae Smith, author

Publication/Creation:

Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press, [2024]

Format:

Book

More Details

Additional/Related Title Information

Full Title:

The fabric of Civil War society : uniforms, badges, and flags, 1859-1939 / Shae Smith Cox

Series Titles:

Conflicting worlds : new dimensions of the American Civil War
Conflicting worlds.

Variant Titles:

Uniforms, badges, and flags, 1859-1939

Subjects/Genre

Subjects:

Material culture--United States--History--19th century
Collective memory--United States
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Antiquities
United States--Armed Forces--Uniforms--History--19th century
Confederate States of America--Armed Forces--Uniforms
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Flags
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Medals
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Societies, etc

Description/Summary

Table of Contents:

Assuming the Cloth of War -- The Cost of War -- Sentimental Stitches -- Cockades, Badges, and Flags -- Soldiers and Their Uniforms after the War -- The Material Culture of Veterans' Associations and Commemoration -- Women's Organizations and the Manufacturing of Memories -- The Blue and the Gray.

Bibliography:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Summary:

"Shae Smith Cox's The Fabric of Civil War Society examines the material culture of military uniforms, badges, and flags during and after America's bloodiest conflict. She suggests that these objects both represented and influenced the identity of Americans. She also reveals how the study of material culture allows for a better understanding of the war and its commemoration, especially regarding women's roles, the lives of African Americans and indigenous peoples, and the struggles of the common soldier. Cox's study traces the influences of uniforms, badges, and flags throughout the war and Reconstruction as markers of power and authority for both sides. She then shows how sewn materials from the conflict became cherished objects by the turn of the century, a transition seen in veterans replacing their wartime uniforms with new commemorative attire and repatriating Confederate battle flags. Looking specifically at the creation of material culture by various commemoration groups, including the Grand Army of the Republic, the Woman's Relief Corps, the United Confederate Veterans, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Cox suggests the ways that American society largely accepted their messages, furthering the mission of their memory work. The objects themselves suggest how starkly divided Americans were and how starkly divided they remained. Studying material culture in the form of uniforms, badges, and flags allows Cox to reinterpret a variety of Civil War topics, including preparation for war, nuances in relationships between Native American and African American soldiers, the roles of women, and the rise of post-war memorial societies. Her work will interest scholars who study the Civil War and its memory"--

Language:

English

Physical Type/Description:

xii, 303 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Additional Identifiers

Catalog ID (MMSID):

9937902975302486

ISBN:

9780807181171
080718117X

OCLC Number:

1402763679

Barcode:

010003574182