In Charles S. Sydnor’s The Development of Southern Sectionalism, 1819-1848, the author examines the cultural, social, and economic characteristics that helped define the South during the early nineteenth century.  In addition, Sydnor also devotes a portion of his work to the relationship between the South and the national government.  In 1819, an amicable relationship existed between the South and the nation, but Sydnor maintains that the slavery question eventually drove a wedge between the southern states and the rest of the Union.
 
In the opening chapter, Sydnor maintains that for an individual to differentiate between the North and the South during the early 1820s, he or she should not study the political conditions of these two regions, but rather one should examine the economic and social life of the two regions.  Although there existed some differences within the South, Sydnor notes that there were common characteristics that set the South apart from the rest of the nation.  For instance, the economic foundation of the South was based upon agricultural means.  Although agriculture dominated Southern society, rarely did farmers devote their efforts to a single crop.  In addition, Sydnor discusses the importance of the South’s exportation of staple crops to foreign markets.  Furthermore, the author remarks that the most common trait of the South was slavery.  In 1819, social and economic elements helped distinguished the North and the South, but Sydnor believes that these differences had not yet developed into sectionalism.
 
Another trait of the South in which Sydnor discusses in his work deals with the internal politics of the region.  The author maintains that throughout the South the power to govern lied solely in the hands of eastern substantial farmers and planters.  Not only did these individuals control the local affairs, but they also determined their state’s position on national issues.  While the views of the eastern planters and slaveholders dominated Southern politics, upcountry farmers and poor merchants advocated changes within the political system.  Thus, Sydnor notes that these conflicts provided the Southern politicians with training and experience for the congressional debates that they would encounter on the national level.
 
In another chapter, Sydnor describes the participation of Southerners in the reform movements of the early nineteenth century.  By involving themselves in reform movements, Sydnor states that Southerners were admitting that there were many elements within their society that needed improving.  Furthermore, the reform movements illustrated an increase in power among the state governments because they assumed responsibilities that at one time had been limited to individuals and local governments.  Although Southerners attempted to accomplish humanitarian reforms and economic improvements, the question of slavery did not enter into the reform movements of the South.

The final chapter of Sydnor’s work deals with the how the question of slavery developed Southern sectionalism.  Although events such as the nullification crisis and the Bank War contributed to this movement, Sydnor discusses the Southerner’s defense of slavery as the key element that caused Southerners to support secession.

One of the weaknesses of Sydnor’s book stems from the fact that the book is a general study of the South during the early nineteenth century.  Although Sydnor covers a vast amount of information in regards to the internal traits of the region, the author fails to offer readers a depth of knowledge on certain subjects.  For instance, the author provides readers with a limited discussion about the annexation of Texas.  Sydnor could have devoted more information to certain topics in his work, but these are some of the problems that authors encounter when writing a general history.

Aside from these criticisms, I would still recommend using Sydnor’s work for an undergraduate course on the Old South because it would provide readers a general overview of the South during the early nineteenth century.  If readers desire more information about a certain topic in Sydnor’s work, the author’s footnotes would allow them to find additional literature on the subject.

Kevin Brady