The centrality of religion in the life of the Old South, the strongly religious nature of the sectional controversy over slavery, and the close affinity between

Charles Dew’s Apostles of Disunion has established itself as a modern classic and an indispensable account of the Southern states’ secession from the Union.

Essays discuss proslavery arguments in the churches, the urge toward compromise and unity, the coming of schisms in the various denominations, and the role of l

The centrality of religion in the life of the Old South, the strongly religious nature of the sectional controversy over slavery, and the close affinity between

This book traces how early Americans imagined what a 'nation' meant during the first fifty years of the country's existence.