Buy new:
-39% $18.26
FREE delivery Saturday, May 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$18.26 with 39 percent savings
List Price: $29.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Friday, May 17. Order within 4 hrs 32 mins
In Stock
$$18.26 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$18.26
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$13.00
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Book has minor cosmetic shelf wear. Tight pages clean text. Book has minor cosmetic shelf wear. Tight pages clean text. See less
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 21 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$18.26 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$18.26
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Heather Cox Richardson
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America Illustrated Edition

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,438 ratings
Goodreads Choice Award nominee
See all formats and editions
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
iphone with kindle app
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app: Link to the kindle app page Link to the kindle app page
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
View Kindle Edition
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$18.26","priceAmount":18.26,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"18","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"26","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"GV5a5ro4IGwvtynK1%2BUjVrmL5cegBfqx5pk1gyF5NJKAy%2FlewmZiwoKyIM5HJLUtaeXSZS%2FoAIDKjoTcRxJ6P8YjfCMmMsMSyUjk5d6F0hci2C7det4BC77qFE5teG4YhapcttSxmWrW8gSX0bGB%2Fg%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$13.00","priceAmount":13.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"13","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"GV5a5ro4IGwvtynK1%2BUjVrmL5cegBfqxdsgFvXcZ%2BaV%2B3YpnH8xMx85CL%2BwKf2y%2FiCQ065YH0jBtL46cAgEmYeigeBLfKu7i8KZV5LX%2FZmaB1D156EsImLXln4w9VImpT5Aw0KJTZBDD6k0%2BNrbGOnmwaofjOll5CluZhwEHZ01Iar6LARNxglkn%2FQSyxUPj","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Named one of The Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction

While the North prevailed in the Civil War, ending slavery and giving the country a "new birth of freedom," Heather Cox Richardson argues in this provocative work that democracy's blood-soaked victory was ephemeral. The system that had sustained the defeated South moved westward and there established a foothold. It was a natural fit. Settlers from the East had for decades been pushing into the West, where the seizure of Mexican lands at the end of the Mexican-American War and treatment of Native Americans cemented racial hierarchies. The South and West equally depended on extractive industries-cotton in the former and mining, cattle, and oil in the latter-giving rise a new birth of white male oligarchy, despite the guarantees provided by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, and the economic opportunities afforded by expansion.

To reveal why this happened, How the South Won the Civil War traces the story of the American paradox, the competing claims of equality and subordination woven into the nation's fabric and identity. At the nation's founding, it was the Eastern "yeoman farmer" who galvanized and symbolized the American Revolution. After the Civil War, that mantle was assumed by the Western cowboy, singlehandedly defending his land against barbarians and savages as well as from a rapacious government. New states entered the Union in the late nineteenth century and western and southern leaders found yet more common ground. As resources and people streamed into the West during the New Deal and World War II, the region's influence grew. "Movement Conservatives," led by westerners Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan, claimed to embody cowboy individualism and worked with Dixiecrats to embrace the ideology of the Confederacy.

Richardson's searing book seizes upon the soul of the country and its ongoing struggle to provide equal opportunity to all. Debunking the myth that the Civil War released the nation from the grip of oligarchy, expunging the sins of the Founding, it reveals how and why the Old South not only survived in the West, but thrived.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0190900903
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0190900908
  3. Edition
    Illustrated
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    April 1, 2020
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    9.4 x 1.2 x 6.2 inches
  8. Print length
    272 pages
  9. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Frequently bought together

How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America
$18.26
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America
$19.19
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.
Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. In the West, Confederate ideology took on a new life, and from there, over the course of the next 150 years, it came to dominate America.
    Highlighted by 1,025 Kindle readers
  2. America began with a great paradox: the same men who came up with the radical idea of constructing a nation on the principle of equality also owned slaves, thought Indians were savages, and considered women inferior.
    Highlighted by 997 Kindle readers
  3. Their lower-class white neighbors got the benefit of believing they were on the same level as rich men, because they shared the same racial identity. They would not revolt, because preserving the distinction between themselves and slaves was more important than seeking political power.
    Highlighted by 988 Kindle readers
  4. From its founding, America has stood at the nexus of democracy and oligarchy. And as soon as the nation was established, its history of conflating class and race gave an elite the language to take over the government and undermine democracy.
    Highlighted by 942 Kindle readers
Next page

From the Publisher

civil war, military history, jeffersonian era, reconstruction, 20th century, world war II
civil war, military history, jeffersonian era, reconstruction, 20th century, world war II
civil war, military history, jeffersonian era, reconstruction, 20th century, world war II

Editorial Reviews

Review


"A timely and vivid account of America's enduring struggle between democratic ideals and oligarchical demands -- from a stellar historian. The themes are broad and the implications mighty, but this isn't history from on high. Richardson uses a human lens to tell her tale, revealing the passions and power-plays that have sustained this battle for dominance. The end result is something rare and invaluable: a skilled work of history, deeply grounded in the past, that speaks loudly, clearly, and crucially to the present." -- Joanne Freeman, Yale University, author of The Field Of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War


"A thought-provoking study of the centuries-spanning battle between oligarchy and equality in America. " -- Kirkus


"Though Richardson underemphasizes the prevalence of racism, sexism, and inequality in other parts of the country during and following the Civil War, she marshals a wealth of evidence to support the book's provocative title. Conservatives will cry foul, but liberal readers will be persuaded by this lucid jeremiad." -- Publishers Weekly


"What the great books do is retell history in a way that creates a deepened and clarified the connection between what was and what is. The brilliant historian Heather Cox Richardson has produced magic with this stunning work, which fuses the historian's craft to the storyteller's art. I love this book. For anyone seeking to understand how we got here, and where we're likely bound, this is a must-read." -- Ron Suskind, Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist and author of The Price of Loyalty and A Hope in the Unseen


"Good revisionist history jars you, forces you to look at the past in a new way, and thereby transforms your view of the present. Heather Cox Richardson is a master of the genre, to the benefit of us all. Even those who take issue with her will be forced by this powerful book to come to terms with aspects of our past that we often just sweep under the rug of memory. Important and revelatory." -- E.J. Dionne JR., author of Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country


"In a tour de force, Richardson exposes the philosophical connective tissue that runs from John C. Calhoun, to Barry Goldwater, to Donald Trump. It's not party, it's a complex ideology that has swaddled white supremacy and its political, legal, economic, and physical violence in the language of freedom and rugged individualism, and, in doing so, repeatedly slashed a series of self-inflicted wounds on American democracy." -- Carol Anderson, Emory University, author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide and One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying our Democracy


"Those interested in American history, politcis, and its historical development will find much to enjoy in this well-written, argued work." -- Library Journal, starred review

Book Description

The story of how the Confederacy moved west and its ideology came to dominate the entire country

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Illustrated edition (April 1, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0190900903
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0190900908
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.08 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.4 x 1.2 x 6.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,438 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Heather Cox Richardson

Heather Cox Richardson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
2,438 global ratings
Great Timeline of Transformation from Lincoln to John C. Calhoun
5 Stars
Great Timeline of Transformation from Lincoln to John C. Calhoun
Ms Richardson does a yeoman job of tracing the roots of "Dixiecrat" political ideology from the early days of the nation before the Revolution up through Trump. I had never thought of connecting the West to the South and of the Dixiecrat thought to other streams of authoritarian movements within the United States. The roots, in my opinion, go even further back to our English ancestors. Look at the laws promulgated against the Irish, Welsh, and Highlanders and you will see the origins of Jim Crow. Ms. Richardson links our early Colonial racism, to the plantation autocracies, to Western "rugged individualism", to Jim Crow, to the Dixiecrat movement, to Nixon's Southern Strategy to Donald Trump. I haven't marked up a book's margins so much in a long time.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Rich R
5.0 out of 5 stars The South lost the war, but racism persists.
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
In this excellent history this accomplished historian outlines how the righteous win of the North has been and is being overturned by right wing zealots to the detriment of our country and especially the people who have been victimized by these actions.

The author takes us through the history of the United States from the colonies, the establishment of our country with legal slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights victories, and its recent setbacks. At the age of 78, I have personally lived through much of this history.

We have a reasonable Democratic president, and the Senate has a Democratic majority, and House Republicans rule that chamber by just a few votes. The supreme Court is dominated by right-wing zealots appointed by Trump and Bush. In this environment, little useful gets done. For months, the House refused to pass a budget to keep the government operating. Most disturbingly, at this moment the legislature can’t agree to support the Ukraine against Putin’s Russian Army. I find this ironic considering the staunch rhetoric of the Republicans against Communism.
Helpful
 Report
Creb
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Great book, Don’t miss it!
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent book and the Introduction was one of the most energizing and eye opening short reads I have had in a very long time. Heather Richardson describes the political structure of the pre-Civil War South as an oligarchy maintained by White Supremacy and the oppression of women. Though the North won the Civil War, the politics of the South thrived and moved West. Though we may think of the West as dominated by individualism, as in the iconic cowboy, it was actually dominated by big businesses such as railroads and mining. Though the West adopted an antigovernment philosophy, it relied heavily on federal investments for its development. The takeover of West by the pre-Civil War governing philosophy of the South lasted until the beginning of the 20th century when the more progressive policies of Teddy Roosevelt, and later by Franklin Roosevelt, became dominant. These policies included a role for government in promoting the general welfare, and particularly in funding major infrastructure projects. After WW II these policies, values, and philosophy became a national liberal consensus. Richard Nixon and Barry Goldwater were the first Republican presidential candidate to try to break this consensus, but they failed. However, when Nixon ran for a second time and won the presidency he did what he could to end the liberal consensus and promote movement conservatism, which is the pre-Civil War governing philosophy in a modern garb. But it was not until Reagan that oligarchy, white supremacy, and the oppression of women got their champion. That was the moment when workers start seeing less and less in terms of wages and benefits, and the extraordinarily wealthy saw more and more. Not surprisingly, during the 21st century workers began to notice their shrinking piece of the economic pie. Of course, Republican politicians blamed the effects of their economic and tax policies on Democrats, minorities, immigrants and women. Then they changed the topic and focused on easy to understand social issues. What is surprising is how many workers bought this nonsense. What the author does so elegantly is connect the cultural, political, economic, and historical dots between the pre-Civil War period and the present day. Many people have commented on the similarities between the decades leading up to the Civil War and our current era, but Heather Richardson has created a narrative where these similarities come alive.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Mike C.
5.0 out of 5 stars She knows her stuff.
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book taught me a lot.
Helpful
 Report
Frank Donnelly
4.0 out of 5 stars An Extremely Interesting History Book With A Lot of Thought Provoking Analysis
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
"How The South Won The Civil War" is a really well written and very interesting book about American History with accompanying political, sociological, and economic analysis. I purchased both the Kindle and audiobook and read an listened simultaneously. I value and enjoyed every aspect of this book. The book is of medium length and is highly readable.

The book contains a fair amount of actual history that may provide a good deal of objective American history to some readers. This objective information is, as far as I could tell, accurate. At a minimum this may enhance a reader's knowledge of American history. As an amateur history buff who has read a good deal of history books, it is more than fair to say that I still learned a fair amount from this book.

I also found the analysis of the historical information very interesting. Analysis of course ends up being a matter of opinion. Again, I did learn a good deal and was provided with a lot of fuel for thought, I wish to state that I ended up agreeing with a good deal of the analysis. I was grateful for all of the analysis regardless of whether I agreed with all that of it or not. All of the information is worthy of contemplation.

At the risk of over simplification, the author's position is that although the nation was founded on the proposition of equality for all, the reality is that the system was rigged to favor a white male oligarchy both before and after the Civil War. This is not equally for all. It is also not equality for all white males. I happen to feel that there is a lot to be said for this position. Speaking for myself, I feel that I was often "tone deaf" to this position in my youth. The problem that I,personally witness is that every attempted solution I witness the endsv up merely replacing one form of waste and corruption for another, well intended or not...

In summary, I really liked this book and am glad that I read it. I do feel that the author has a definite viewpoint which is very worthy of consideration. There were some times that I felt I was being lectured. I do not dismiss any part of this book. I do think there is more than one way to look at some of this information. I need to think about it. But of course, that was why I read it. Thank You for taking the time to read this review.
14 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
sharon Larry
5.0 out of 5 stars Historical account in detail.
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
Read the book for book club. Historical account. How the South won the Civil War. Which was supposed to be how the North won! But in reality that never happened because behind closed doors politicians and oligarchs kept policies the same. Read it! Interesting!
Helpful
 Report
Timbo
5.0 out of 5 stars Political awareness
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
I liked this book and the author will not disappoint you. Recommend this book to everyone. History explains much about who we are as a country and how we have arrived at our present political division. Highly recommend the author and all of her books.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
S.Booth
5.0 out of 5 stars Package arrived in good order
Reviewed in Canada on November 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
Package arrived in good order, No complaints.
Report
Arthur
1.0 out of 5 stars Democratic propaganda
Reviewed in the Netherlands on February 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
Absolute garbage
Report
Dr John Barker
5.0 out of 5 stars Desponding
Reviewed in Australia on February 6, 2021
Verified Purchase
A brilliant chronicle of US history, illustrating how the racism and classism have been integral to the Nation’s psyche since the Mayflower.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
江ノ島
5.0 out of 5 stars 2020米大統領選に流れるダークサイドの歴史
Reviewed in Japan on November 22, 2020
Verified Purchase
2020年の米国大統領選の違和感の正体がバッサリと斬られて
解説されています。

「自由で平等なアメリカのデモクラシー」と刷り込まれてきたので
淡々と紹介される米国政治のダークサイドの史実が強烈でした。
強烈すぎて途中で暗澹たる気分になります。

今回の米国選挙戦で、次のような素朴な疑問を持った人にお勧めです。

・リンカーンの共和党なのになぜデモクラシーを傷つけているのか？
・なぜ白人優越主義者が奴隷解放で戦った共和党を支持しているのか？
・熱烈なトランプ支持者はなぜカウボーイハットに南軍の旗なのか？
・なぜ共和党は減税にこだわり、「民主党政権は社会主義」と叫ぶのか？

独立宣言と憲法に埋め込まれたパラドックスが問題の根源であり、
南北戦争後、デモクラシーと寡頭政治の綱引きは150年以上続いている。

とてもインパクトのある解説で、米国に対する見方が変わりました。

日本語訳で早く読みたいです。
One person found this helpful
 Report
Bev Dipinto
5.0 out of 5 stars A parallel to today’s political environment in the USA
Reviewed in Canada on August 22, 2021
Verified Purchase
Eye opening! Accurate. Detailed. Well written Dr Richardson. I now follow Dr Richardson on FB, a Utube and sub stack. I have gained a wealth of knowledge from her. Well worth the read if you are unfamiliar with US Political History. You will be amazed at how history really does repeat itself!
One person found this helpful
 Report