The Fabric of Civil War Society

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Shae Smith Cox's The Fabric of Civil War Society examines the material culture of military uniforms, badges, and flags during and after America's bloodiest conflict. She suggests that these objects both represented and influenced the identity of Americans. She also reveals how the study of material culture allows for a better understanding of the war and its commemoration, especially regarding women's roles, the lives of African Americans and indigenous peoples, and the struggles of the common soldier. Cox's study traces the influences of uniforms, badges, and flags throughout the war and Reconstruction as markers of power and authority for both sides. She then shows how sewn materials from the conflict became cherished objects by the turn of the century, a transition seen in veterans replacing their wartime uniforms with new commemorative attire and repatriating Confederate battle flags. Looking specifically at the creation of material culture by various commemoration groups, including the Grand Army of the Republic, the Woman's Relief Corps, the United Confederate Veterans, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Cox suggests the ways that American society largely accepted their messages, furthering the mission of their memory work. The objects themselves suggest how starkly divided Americans were and how starkly divided they remained. Studying material culture in the form of uniforms, badges, and flags allows Cox to reinterpret a variety of Civil War topics, including preparation for war, nuances in relationships between Native American and African American soldiers, the roles of women, and the rise of post-war memorial societies. Her work will interest scholars who study the Civil War and its memory"--