A Defence of Virginia (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. And Through Her, of the South, in Recent and Pending Contests Against the Sectional PartyBy Robert Lewis Dabney
Length9h 48m
About this audiobook
Robert Lewis Dabney's *A Defence of Virginia and Through Her the South* is a forceful work of post–Civil War Confederate apologetics, combining historical argument, political polemic, and Protestant theological reasoning. Written in response to Northern judgments of the Confederacy, it seeks to vindicate Virginia's secession, the constitutional doctrine of states' rights, and the social order of the antebellum South. Dabney presents slavery as a historically sanctioned and allegedly benevolent institution, while portraying abolitionism, emancipation, and Reconstruction as expressions of sectional fanaticism and revolutionary aggression. Its formal, learned prose, abundant scriptural citations, and appeal to classical and constitutional authority place it within the nineteenth-century tradition of religiously inflected conservative historiography, even as its racial assumptions reveal the ideological foundations of the Lost Cause. Dabney (1820–1898) was a Presbyterian minister, theologian, educator, and former chaplain and chief of staff to Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. His intimate involvement in Virginia's wartime leadership, together with his postwar career at Union Theological Seminary, shaped his determination to defend the South's honor and intellectual legitimacy. The book reflects his broader commitment to Calvinist social order, traditional hierarchy, and resistance to the egalitarian implications of emancipation. This volume is recommended to readers seeking a primary source for understanding Confederate memory, Southern religious thought, and the construction of Lost Cause ideology. It should be read critically, both for its sophisticated constitutional and theological arguments and for its systematic rationalization of slavery and white supremacy.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★★ 4.6 (12)
Includes Amazon
GenreHistory
Length9 hrs 48 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateAug 15, 2022
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1A Defence of Virginia (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5PREFACE.
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6CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY.
7CHAPTER II. THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.
8CHAPTER III. LEGAL STATUS OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES.
9CHAPTER IV. HISTORY OF EMANCIPATION.
10CHAPTER V. THE OLD TESTAMENT ARGUMENT.
11§ 2. The Curse upon Canaan.
12§ 3. Abraham a Slaveholder.
13§ 4. Hagar remanded to Slavery by God.
14§ 5. Slavery in the Laws of Moses.
15§ 6. Slavery in the Decalogue.
16§ 7. Objections to the Old Testament Argument.
17CHAPTER VI. THE NEW TESTAMENT ARGUMENT.
18§ 1. Definition of Δουλος.
19§ 2. Slavery often mentioned; yet not condemned.
20§ 3. Christ applauds a Slaveholder.
21§ 4. The Apostles separate Slavery and its Abuses.
22§ 5. Slavery no Essential Religious Evil.
23§ 6. Slaveholders fully Admitted to Church-membership.
24§ 7. Relative Duties of Masters and Slaves recognized.
25§ 8. Philemon and Onesimus.
26§ 8. St. Paul reprobates Abolitionists.
27§ 9. The Golden Rule Compatible with Slavery.
28§ 10. Was Christ Afraid to Condemn Slavery?
29CHAPTER VII. THE ETHICAL ARGUMENT.
30§ 2. Misrepresentations Cleared.
31§ 3. The Rights of Man and Slavery.
32§ 4. Abolitionism is Jacobinism.
33§ 5. Labour of another may be Property.
34§ 6. The Slave Received due Wages.
35§ 7. Effects of Slavery on Moral Character.
36§ 8. Slavery and the African Slave Trade.
37§ 9. The Morality of Slavery Vindicated by its Results.
38CHAPTER VIII. ECONOMICAL EFFECTS OF SLAVERY.
39§ 1. Slavery and Republican Government.
40§ 2. Slavery and Malthusianism.
41§ 3. Comparative productiveness of Slave Labour.
42§ 4. Effects of Slavery in the South, compared with those of Free Labour in the North.
43§ 5. Effects of Slavery on Population, Disease, and Crime.
44CHAPTER IX. CONCLUSION.
45Analysis
46Reflection
47Memorable Quotes
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