Mr. Mills is, of course, correct to observe that there is some opposition to the
size and reach of the modern state.  He and others might be interested to know that
a group of historically learned political scientists, Steven
Skorownek and Theodore Bensel in particular, have taken on this
issue in TB, Yankee Leviathan, and SS Building the New American
State (title?).  What I found fascinating when reading these books
is that Bensel notes that Democrats generally and southern
Democrats in particular, resisted the building of a strong state
during Reconstruction.  They did this for many reasons but
prominent among them was the hated Radical Republican policies
favoring racial equality in political rights:  voting, jury service, office
holding, and the practice of law.  Later, when disfranchisement was
a practical reality, southern Democrats joined Republicans in
crafting a strong, centralized state under Teddy Roosevelt, Wm.
Howard Taft, and Virginia-born Democrat, Thomas Woodrow
Wilson. (See Skorownek)  Thus, the big state, with income tax,
federal reserve banking system, for efficient (Clayton Anti-Trust
Act), the FBI, etc., was created when white southerner dominated
every branch of the federal government:  President, Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court, Speaker of the House of Reps. and Majority
Leader of the Senate.
  Do tell, only 90 or so years later, the descendants of these
political leaders constituents are surprised at what Rooseveltian,
but more especially, Wilsonian Progressive state-building has
created.  Many want to blame it all on FDR, but the latter President
created many temporary bureaucratic structures to meet a national
crisis.  TR and TWW built new administrative capacity that was
expected to endure and expand...and they built better than they
knew.

Harold


Date sent:              Mon, 03 Sep 2001 10:13:54 -0400
From:                   Deane <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:                Re: Hampton (Virginia) National Cemetary: 757.723.7104
To:                     [log in to unmask]
Send reply to:          Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
        <[log in to unmask]>

> Well, I suppose that is why those Virginians fought for the North.
> They considered themselves Americans rather than Virginians and they
> probably also espoused the causes of the North rather than the South.
> Nevertheless, I believe that many Southerners were extremely patriotic
> about their individual states and, in fact, saw themselves and felt
> themselves to be "Virginians" first; "North Carolinians" first; "South
> Carolinians" first, etc. I would also like to make the point that in some
> ways these philosophical and political battles are still being fought.
> Today, Americans in every state of the Union are now fighting the idea of
> an over-big, gargantuan, ravenous, "morbidly obese", centralized
> government that is over regulating and over taxing its citizenry. In other
> words, States' Rights is still an issue. Those issues, I think, were the
> crux of the Civil War. To the folks out there who disagree with me, please
> do not tell me that the reflections and memories of my four,
> Un-Reconstructed Southern grandparents were the rantings and ravings of
> some old bigots.  Their beliefs had absolutely nothing to do with the
> issues of slavery and they were not racists. What some of you (notably
> you liberal, college professors) call 'propaganda', others might call a
> primary source. The reason I keep mentioning my grandparents at this site
> dedicated to Virginia history is because I want to give them a voice in
> these matters. They lived through the times being discussed and they were
> hardly alone in what they thought and believed in.......and believed in
> strongly enough to go to war and fight for. Deane Ferguson Mills A 13th
> generation Tidewater Virginian!
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, September 03, 2001 6:11 AM
> Subject: Re: Hampton (Virginia) National Cemetary: 757.723.7104
>
>
> > How about General Thomas and other Virginians, like the substantial
> portion
> > of Loudoun county German Quakers that fought for the Union and
> > considered themselves Americans above Virginians?
> >
> > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> > instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
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Harold S. Forsythe
Assistant Professor History
Director:  Black Studies
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT 06430-5195
(203) 254-4000  x2379

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