Conservatism and Southern Intellectuals, 1789-1861: Liberty, Tradition, and the Good SocietyIn Conservatism and Southern Intellectuals, 1789-1861, Adam L. Tate discusses the nature of southern conservative thought between 1789 and 1861 by examining six conservatives whose lives and careers spanned the antebellum period: John Randolph of Roanoke, John Taylor of Caroline, Nathaniel Beverly Tucker, William Gilmore Simms, Joseph Glover Baldwin, and Johnson Jones Hooper. Tate contends that southern conservatism derived its distinctive characteristics from its acceptance of aspects of John Locke's political theory as it was articulated during the American Revolution.Locke argued that the state and society were two entities that could be reformed and manipulated by men. Showing that most southern conservative intellectuals accepted Locke's premise regarding separation of state and society, Tate examines both the political views and social vision of the six conservatives surveyed. He pays special attention to how these conservatives dealt with states' rights, republicanism, slavery, sectionalism, and religion, as well as western expansion and migration.Tate maintains that while southern conservatives forged a common political tradition based on Old Republican interpretations of the Constitution, they did not create a unified tradition of social thought. Even though most of them desired a cohesive southern intellectual movement, as well as a homogenous southern culture, their disagreements over the good society prevented them from creating a common southern social vision to accompany their states' rights political tradition. |
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agriculture Alabama American antebellum argued Baldwin Bank became become believed Beverley Tucker blacks called cause character civilization common Congress conservatism conservative Constitution continued corruption created culture defended Democratic desire destroy duty economic England feared federal freedom frontier honor Hooper hoped human humor ideas important improvements independence individual influence insisted institutions intellectual interest Jackson James Jefferson Jeffersonian John Randolph John Taylor land Leaders Letters liberal liberty literary live maintained major master means mind Missouri moral nature North northern noted Old Republicans party passions political present preserve president Press principles progress protect Quoted Randolph of Roanoke religion reprinted Republic secession served Simms Simon slavery slaves social society South southern speech story Suggs supported thought tion traditional Tucker Union United University Virginia virtue vision wealth West Western Whig writings wrote