The role of fear of miscegenation to encourage Secession.

Leftyhunter

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I read a while back that fear of Miscegenation was one factor that was used by Secessionists to encourage Secession. The argument being that once Lincoln is elected he would somehow end slavery then the sweet daughters of the South would be ravished by savage men of color.
Perhaps @jgoodguy or @PatYoung would have some examples .
Thanks
Leftyhunter
 

byron ed

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I read a while back that fear of Miscegenation was one factor that was used by Secessionists to encourage Secession. The argument being that once Lincoln is elected he would somehow end slavery then the sweet daughters of the South would be ravished by savage men of color...
Yes; I've done considerable research into this and it was a real concern. Definitely incited by the fire-eaters via proclamation and the secession press by publishing. The idea was promulgated both North and South. It was a strategic attempt to leverage instincts of familial protection, a way of enlisting fathers and brothers in the secession cause.

And it did gain some traction at the time -- notably with non-slaveholders in the South who, let's face it, otherwise had no big dog in the fight over slavery.
 

jgoodguy

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I read a while back that fear of Miscegenation was one factor that was used by Secessionists to encourage Secession. The argument being that once Lincoln is elected he would somehow end slavery then the sweet daughters of the South would be ravished by savage men of color.
Perhaps @jgoodguy or @PatYoung would have some examples .
Thanks
Leftyhunter
Fear of sexual competition has driven many a genicide.
 

byron ed

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Have I referred to you as a Dick "Ed " lately?
No, and I appreciate the rare restraint.

The thing about Miscegenation at the time -- why the concept gained any traction at all -- was because of the faux science circulating about that time that seemed to legitimize the concept. There were professorial lectures and high-fallutin' articles on the silos of natural human development, from ape to black man to yellow Asian to ruddy low-country European thence to the apex of white European. If sold, the theory implied that blacks were a different species from whites, thus rlations between the two species was "mis" cegenation.

To the spite of those faux professors however, it was common knowledge in most of rural America that interbreeding species don't produce offspring capable of further reproduction (i.e. crossing a horse with a donkey produces a mule, most often is a one-off drone). Too many farmers, to include plantation owners, had the horse-sense to damn well know that blacks were the same species as whites. That's likely why the concept of miscegenation never went much beyond the realm of political theater.
 

Leftyhunter

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Yes; I've done considerable research into this and it was a real concern. Definitely incited by the fire-eaters via proclamation and the secession press by publishing. The idea was promulgated both North and South. It was a strategic attempt to leverage instincts of familial protection, a way of enlisting fathers and brothers in the secession cause.

And it did gain some traction at the time -- notably with non-slaveholders in the South who, let's face it, otherwise had no big dog in the fight over slavery.
That's great . If you have a citation or a link that would be appreciated!
Leftyhunter
 

MattL

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No, and I appreciate the rare restraint.

The thing about Miscegenation at the time -- why the concept gained any traction at all -- was because of the faux science circulating about that time that seemed to legitimize the concept. There were professorial lectures and high-fallutin' articles on the silos of natural human development, from ape to black man to yellow Asian to ruddy low-country European thence to the apex of white European. If sold, the theory implied that blacks were a different species from whites, thus rlations between the two species was "mis" cegenation.

To the spite of those faux professors however, it was common knowledge in most of rural America that interbreeding species don't produce offspring capable of further reproduction (i.e. crossing a horse with a donkey produces a mule, most often is a one-off drone). Too many farmers, to include plantation owners, had the horse-sense to damn well know that blacks were the same species as whites. That's likely why the concept of miscegenation never went much beyond the realm of political theater.
A good point. Though like a lot of that early "faux science" in hindsight now it's so transparent how their motivations led their "discoveries." Which of course lead to what you said, such things not being more than political theater.
 

Leftyhunter

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The noted author Gordon Rhea has a good article" Why non slave owning Southeners fought for Secession" battlefieldtrust.org.
Leftyhunter
 

Mike12

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What kind of drivel, mud, lies, and toilet paper is That BS? Go find that guy to lynch him. They took down the only relevant reply to this thread:The geographical reader for the Dixie children : Moore, M. B. (Marinda Branson), 1829-1864 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

That article does one thing which is to have a white toddler point at a logical Sydney Portier and go black-black-black. Then he failed the point of his office of history if he didn't point you to a Christian timelapse and the white world is Christian at this date and its a heathen world and the dating marriage custom is a Christian custom and that's "Dixie" and that's "Bonnie Blue Flag".you may define "miscegenation" or "undesirable effects" are besides the point.
 
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