by Daniel W. Crofts

Published by The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date: 1989
ISBN: 0-8078-1809-7 (cloth) 0-8078-4430-6 (paper)

Daniel Crofts has extensively studied the Unionists in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. He shows why the initiation of the War allowed the Confederacy to gain the allegiance of these states.

Some of the following links may open in a new window.

Read a transcript of the discussion with Prof. Daniel Crofts on the topic of Reluctant Confederates

A chronology of the secession crisis on Jim Epperson's page., and then the events specific to the secession of Virginia.

Prof. Crofts's book was discussed during James McPherson's visit to the newsgroup. Take a look at the exchange between Riley Geary and Prof. McPherson

In Prof. Cofts's own words, "Lincoln, fixated on the perils caused by Deep South secession, judged that the Union could be restored only by force. In so concluding, he was doubtless correct. By introducing force in the manner he did, however, Lincoln annihilated the middle ground then occupied by Virginia and other leaders of the convention, while appealing for help from the Confederate government, Lincoln might have been able to frame his showdown with the Confederacy in a very different manner and with the huge advantage of having popular majorities in the Upper South supporting the Union side."

This is from his article "Late antebellum Virginia reconsidered" which is available on-line from Northern Light. Although first time users can get this article free, this is a commercial site.

To put Prof. Crofts's book in perspective you can read The Quandary of Secession: Historiographical Interpretations of the Secession Crisis of 1860-1 by Christopher D. Barth

As suggested by Geoff, I've located a link that discusses Carl Degler's "There Was Another South."

The "Valley of Shadow" project has some relevant documents, specific to Augusta County Virginia. You can start at the Beginning of the War page.

Loyalty and Civil Liberty in Fayette County During the Civil War quotes Prof. Crofts in discussing the secession crisis in what became West Virginia.

Take some time to read LincolnBarton's two part essay, adapted from his posts to soc.history.war.us-civil-war, on Conditional Unionists. He makes extensive use of Prof. Crofts book.

James McPherson in BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM argues that the upper South, like the lower went to war to defend slavery

A map of the US slave population.

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