View single post by cklarson
 Posted: Sat Jun 28th, 2008 06:08 am
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cklarson
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Dear Izzy et al.,

RE: Oliver Temple book. You should look at Lincolnites and Rebels, as the author discusses the historiography of ETN, including the myths that Knoxville was so Unionist, which it wasn't. Even Parson Brownlow waffled on issues. The socio-economic demgraphics are very well covered with some surprising results. After the war, the community reunited on the basis of white supremacy (the "upper tendons" in Knoxville were slave holders).

But the book, also makes crystal clear that the defiining secession decision was over "coercion" following Lincoln's call for 75k troops after the firing on Sumter. Southerners were united on the issue that the North could not "coerce" a Southern State to stay in the Union (see my secession chapter in my book Great Necessities). So Lincoln's call for troops to "hold" federal properties, ignited the "coercion" issue, including in very split TN, which actually declared "independence". Then many Knoxvilleans resented Confeerate occupation of their area (as TN had not joined) and some saw Confederate tyranny as bad as US tryanny. So the situation in Knoxville was extremely politically complicated. It sounds like Temple had some CW axes to grind.

CKL