within the twenty years ahead of the Civil conflict, loose americans engaged in “history wars” each piece as ferocious as these waged at the present time over the proposed nationwide historical past criteria or the commemoration on the Smithsonian establishment of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. in a single state Divided by way of Slavery, writer Michael F. Conlin investigates the various methods antebellum american citizens celebrated civic vacations, learn the assertion of Independence, and venerated progressive conflict battles, revealing a lot approximately their contrasting perspectives of yankee nationalism. whereas antebellum americans agreed on many components of nationwide identity—in specific that their republic used to be the distinct dwelling house of liberty on earth—they disagreed at the function of slavery. The historical truths that a number of the founders have been slaveholders who had doubts concerning the morality of slavery, and that every one 13 unique states practiced slavery to a point in 1776, provided lots of ambiguity for americans to “remember” selectively. Fire-Eaters defended Jefferson, Washington, and different best patriots as paternalistic slaveholders, if now not “positive stable” apologists for the establishment, who based a slaveholding republic. by contrast, abolitionists mentioned an analogous slaveholders as competitors of bondage, who took steps to finish slavery and determine a unfastened republic. Moderates within the North and the South took solace within the proven fact that the North had controlled to finish slavery in its personal approach via slow emancipation whereas permitting the South to proceed to perform slavery. They believed that the founders had validated a country that balanced unfastened and slave hard work. as the American Revolution and the yankee Civil warfare have been pivotal and an important parts in shaping the us, the intertwined topics in a single kingdom Divided through Slavery offer a brand new lens during which to view American heritage and nationwide identity.