The Fall Of The House Of Dixie Summary

The Fall of the House of Dixie: The Civil War and the Social Revolution That Transformed the South by Bruce Levine reiterates the compelling story of how the Civil War overturned the economic, political, and social lifestyle of the Old South. This war downright destroyed the Confederacy and the society it both represented and protected ever since the institution of slavery was established. Explained through words from those who endured it, Levine’s work illustrates the way in which a war endeavored to preserve the “status quo” fundamentally become a second American Revolution. The only difference? Soldiers were fighting their neighbors rather than an outside force. Through the usage of letters, diaries, government documents, and newspaper articles,

Before the Civil War broke out, the South was the most powerful section of the country; it was the wealthiest, controlled Congress, and produced Presidents. Yet, slavery influenced all of these factors. The 4 million slaves that were seen as property, free labor, and assets proved to be an enormous, economic benefit. Even the most powerful slave owners were living comfortably and saw themselves as more entitled than the Northerners. As the Civil War progressed, especially during 1863, anxiety plagued the slave owners since their Southern civilization and way of life was being threatened by the Union Army. “This was not merely an economic blow; it was a challenge to and rejection of their most basic views, values, and identities.” (#158). Slavery was around in the United States for over 2 centuries before the Civil War and many Southerners deeply depended on it for they knew of no life without it. Once Abraham Lincoln was elected into office in 1860, masters viewed him as treasonous and perceived the slaves who began to show resistance to their demands as

One of his most consistent points throughout the text was to show how deeply intertwined the Confederate states were with slavery. Levine successfully portrays this as he writes with passion alongside providing evidence to back up his arguments. He is not an author who depicts the South as some immense evil, or the North as the champion heroes - rather, he aims to show his audience moreso of why the war was fought instead of focusing on the actual battles. Personally, I loved Levine’s writing style because he does not shy away from the harsh reality of what took place during the Civil War. He definitely achieved his goal with writing The Fall of House Dixie and students in classrooms across the U.S. would benefit from reading his work. In less than 300 pages, with 100 being dedicated to notes of original sources, he presents a captivating story of why the South went to war, the reasons for its self-destruction, and the effects that arose from this conflict on the lives of blacks and whites who lived during