Kevin Dougherty
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781628461534
- eISBN:
- 9781626740822
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781628461534.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, American History: Civil War
The victory at Port Royal, South Carolina in November 1861 left the Federal government with the responsibility for some ten thousand now-masterless slaves. Lacking a sufficient policy or plan for ...
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The victory at Port Royal, South Carolina in November 1861 left the Federal government with the responsibility for some ten thousand now-masterless slaves. Lacking a sufficient policy or plan for this new reality, Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase dispatched Edward Pierce to Port Royal to assess the situation. As a result, an eclectic flood of Northern reformers, missionaries, abolitionists, and educators, collectively known as the “Gideonites,” descended upon the Sea Islands, unleashing what became known as the “Port Royal Experiment.” The Port Royal Experiment: A Case Study in Development analyzes this chapter of the Civil War and Reconstruction era in the context of nation-building and development. Each of its ten chapters treats uniquely a particular aspect of the experience such as planning, economic development, and resistance, presents the case study in the context of more recent nation-building efforts in places like Bosnia, Somalia, and Afghanistan, and incorporates recent scholarship in the field. The Port Royal Experiment: A Case Study in Development is designed to appeal to a wide audience with such varied interests as the Civil War, the military, non-governmental organizations, governmental bureaucracies, African-Americans, South Carolina, and nation-building. In addition to these general themes, each case study is written to also be able to be used individually as part of an in-depth examination of a particular aspect of development. Modern readers will no doubt see that the challenges that faced the Port Royal Experiment remain relevant and their solutions remain elusive.Less
The victory at Port Royal, South Carolina in November 1861 left the Federal government with the responsibility for some ten thousand now-masterless slaves. Lacking a sufficient policy or plan for this new reality, Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase dispatched Edward Pierce to Port Royal to assess the situation. As a result, an eclectic flood of Northern reformers, missionaries, abolitionists, and educators, collectively known as the “Gideonites,” descended upon the Sea Islands, unleashing what became known as the “Port Royal Experiment.” The Port Royal Experiment: A Case Study in Development analyzes this chapter of the Civil War and Reconstruction era in the context of nation-building and development. Each of its ten chapters treats uniquely a particular aspect of the experience such as planning, economic development, and resistance, presents the case study in the context of more recent nation-building efforts in places like Bosnia, Somalia, and Afghanistan, and incorporates recent scholarship in the field. The Port Royal Experiment: A Case Study in Development is designed to appeal to a wide audience with such varied interests as the Civil War, the military, non-governmental organizations, governmental bureaucracies, African-Americans, South Carolina, and nation-building. In addition to these general themes, each case study is written to also be able to be used individually as part of an in-depth examination of a particular aspect of development. Modern readers will no doubt see that the challenges that faced the Port Royal Experiment remain relevant and their solutions remain elusive.
Kevin Dougherty
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781628461534
- eISBN:
- 9781626740822
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781628461534.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, American History: Civil War
Modern-day nation-builders describe civil society as occupying “the political space between the individual and the government.” It includes a variety of organizations and activities, all of which ...
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Modern-day nation-builders describe civil society as occupying “the political space between the individual and the government.” It includes a variety of organizations and activities, all of which “contribute to a democratic society and nonviolent political transition from war to peace” by performing a multitude of functions. For many individuals and organizations associated with the Port Royal Experiment, civil society was built upon “the four corner-stones of the church, the school-house, the militia, and the town-meeting,” because it was these institutions that provided for “the essential rights of religion, education, self-defense, and self-government.” Local black preachers and white missionaries, educational efforts such as the Penn School founded by Laura Towne, the recruitment of black soldiers, and the rise of black political consciousness were all part of this process. Through initiatives such as these, civil society made unprecedented, albeit imperfect, progress on the Sea Islands.Less
Modern-day nation-builders describe civil society as occupying “the political space between the individual and the government.” It includes a variety of organizations and activities, all of which “contribute to a democratic society and nonviolent political transition from war to peace” by performing a multitude of functions. For many individuals and organizations associated with the Port Royal Experiment, civil society was built upon “the four corner-stones of the church, the school-house, the militia, and the town-meeting,” because it was these institutions that provided for “the essential rights of religion, education, self-defense, and self-government.” Local black preachers and white missionaries, educational efforts such as the Penn School founded by Laura Towne, the recruitment of black soldiers, and the rise of black political consciousness were all part of this process. Through initiatives such as these, civil society made unprecedented, albeit imperfect, progress on the Sea Islands.
