During the American Civil War; the Mennonites and Amish faced moral dilemmas that tested the very core of their faith. How could they oppose both slavery and the war to end it? How could they remain outside the conflict without entering the American mainstream to secure legal conscientious objector status? In the North; living this ethical paradox marked them as ambivalent participants to the Union cause; in the South; it marked them as clear traitors. In the first scholarly treatment of pacifism during the Civil War; two experts in Anabaptist studies explore the important role of sectarian religion in the conflict and the effects of wartime Americanization on these religious communities. James O. Lehman and Steven M. Nolt describe the various strategies used by religious groups who struggled to come to terms with the American mainstream without sacrificing religious values―some opted for greater political engagement; others chose apolitical withdrawal; and some individuals renounced their faith and entered the fight. Integrating the most recent Civil War scholarship with little-known primary sources and new information from Pennsylvania and Virginia to Illinois and Iowa; Lehman and Nolt provide the definitive account of the Anabaptist experience during the bloodiest war in American history.
#1267063 in Books 1997-07-30 1997-07-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.00 x 1.34 x 6.88l; 2.49 #File Name: 0801857643768 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Three StarsBy tim62bthought it would be more history oriented; rather than topical. chapter on washington heights excellent2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Superb!!By Mickey RyanExtensively researched and near-perfect examination of the entire history and social dynamics of the Irish-American community in the NYC area. Meagher breaks down everything from the 1700s; 19th-century Famine refugees (Five Points; Hell's Kitchen) all the way through to the 1990s (Bronx; Washington Heights; Queens; LI; Jersey). Absolutely nothing is left out here; including chapters on racial tension and conflicts with blacks and Latinos; Hibernian political and religious groups; police; fire; church and street gangs. This book is absolutely golden and a must for anybody interested in the history of NYC and Irish America. 5 stars hands down.12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Exhaustive and SignificantBy Rocco DormarunnoI received this book as a gift from a friend who knew I was fascinated with the history of New York City. She was hesitant to give me this gift because she figured I knew just about everything about the history of Irish immigration to New York. She need not have hesitated. This exhaustive and significant collection of essays and excerpts; brilliantly edited by Ronald Bayor and Timothy Meagher; will offer several nuggets of the Irish experience in NYC that that previously had been ignored; overlooked or misinterpreted.The essays are arranged chronologically from the first Irish to come to America through to the modern era. I particularly enjoyed the sections surrounding the roles of New York Irish during the era surrounding the American Revolutionary War. The discussions about how Protestant Irishmen defended the rights of Catholic Irishmen is extremely interesting and important; as these court decisions cemented the barrier between church and state.Also; the book is sprinkled with dozens of well-chosen and well-rendered illustrations. But this is by no means a coffee table book. It's demanding reading but the pay-off is extraordinary. You will learn a lot about one of the many groups that helped make New York City; and for that matter; America become great.Rocco Dormarunno; author of The Five Points
