History Prof Says Pain, Disunity of Civil War Lingered Longer than Thought

(book artwork available upon request)

Newswise — John Neff's belief that American historians have long overlooked the "lingering legacy" of disunity following the Civil War has led to the history professor's first book.

In "Commemoration and the Problem of Reconciliation" (University Press of Kansas), Neff poses a theory opposite that of many historians.

"I think the pain of the war was a much greater obstacle to national unity than we have previously thought," said Neff, associate professor of history at the University of Mississippi.

To make his point, Neff presents evidence that Memorial Day and other commemorations of the war dead "preserved a sense of separateness and sectionalism" and that the reunion movement of the late 19th century " "the widely celebrated cultural expression of fraternity and warm feelings" between former Union and Confederate soldiers " has been exaggerated.

"I was frustrated that many historians wrote about the war ending in April 1865, and then wrote about Reconstruction as if the war was really over and done with," Neff said. "I was convinced, and still am, that the people who had survived the Civil War carried it with them for a long time and that the war's pain and memory colored all of their subsequent activities in one way or another."

Neff began to question whether or not historians understood the impact of the Civil War when he studied the work of others who focused on these particular issues. "Both Maris Vinovskis and Philip Paludan wrote historical pieces that questioned whether or not historians really understood the impact of the Civil War on American society and culture," Neff said. "Both historians specifically pointed to the enormous death toll and suggested that there was more here than we currently appreciated."

Although Neff's views conflict with previous historical accounts, his work has received praise from fellow historians.

James M. McPherson, Edwards Professor of American History at Princeton University, said Neff's book is a "persuasive revision of the 'road to reunion' thesis that has dominated recent historiography."

As for future books, Neff is working on one titled "Freedom's Village."

"It concerns a community of African Americans and their transition from slavery to freedom as they live and work in a government-sponsored community located on the grounds of the Arlington estates," Neff said. "The project is already begun and, as I have been granted sabbatical in the fall, I hope to make great strides in research and writing over the next several months."

Neff joined the UM history faculty in 1999. He received his bachelor's degree from California Polytechnic University-Pomona and continued his studies at the University of California at Riverside, where he earned his master's and doctoral degrees. "Commemoration and the Problem of Reconciliation" is an expansion of his doctoral dissertation.

To learn more about the Department of History at UM, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/history/.