We Are Not One People: Secession and Separatism in American Politics Since 1776
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Author Description
E pluribus unum was suggested for the national seal in 1776, but national oneness has been haunted by its opposite ever since. We Are Not One People demonstrates how the persistence of separatist movements in American history reveals as much about the nation's politics as it does the would-be separatists. Each chapter explores how great swaths of Americans of every ideological stripe, in good times and bad, in and beyond the South, have disputed the nation's oneness and stressed its divisibility. Trumpeted in American myths, mottos, movies, and songs, separatism is omnipresent in American political culture. Separatist rhetoric has shaped Americans' experience of what it means to be an American, and we can learn much about the durable appeal and enduring fragility of the United States from those who tried to leave it. As one Vermont separatist quips, leaving is as American "as apple pie." We Are Not One People is a bold, pathbreaking, and far-reaching account of disunionists from 1776 to the present who wanted, as phrased in the Declaration of Independence, "to dissolve the political bands" connecting them to other Americans.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the persistent, often overlooked history of separatist movements in the United States to argue that the ideal of national unity has been consistently challenged by the reality of political divisibility since the nation's founding. Michael J. Lee and R. Jarrod Atchison, both scholars of rhetoric and political communication, utilize a historical framework to analyze how disunionist rhetoric has functioned as a constant, albeit marginalized, component of American political identity. By examining diverse movements across the ideological spectrum and geographic regions, the authors demonstrate that the desire to dissolve political bonds is deeply embedded in the American experience.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A chronological analysis of separatist movements from 1776 to the contemporary era.
- An examination of how separatist rhetoric is embedded in American cultural artifacts like myths, songs, and films.
- Case studies of diverse groups, including those outside of the traditional Southern secessionist narrative.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on the rhetorical and political history of these movements rather than a legalistic analysis of constitutional secession.
- It does not provide an exhaustive catalog of every minor local separatist effort, focusing instead on significant ideological trends.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and political analysts frequently note the authors' ability to synthesize complex rhetorical history into a coherent narrative about national identity. Experts highlight this work as a significant contribution to understanding the inherent fragility of the American political project.
Page Count:
303
Publication Date:
2022-01-01
ISBN-10:
0190876530
ISBN-13:
9780190876531
History
United States
Comparative Politics
Communications
Introduction to Human Communication
Sociology
History of the Americas
American History
Political Philosophy