Cumberland Mountain Civil War Roundtable welcomes the public to an evening of American Civil War history and Appalachian mountain music during its next session.
Daniel Feller, professor emeritus of history at the University of Tennessee, will be the guest speaker for the session, which begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Christ Lutheran Church at 481 Snead Drive, Fairfield Glade.
The Dulcimores of Fairfield Glade will perform Appalachian mountain music on their dulcimores prior to the opening of the meeting. Those planning to attend the meeting are encouraged to arrive early for the music.
Feller will present an examination of all this country’s founding documents and how they set the stage for the Civil War in terms of what they said — or didn’t say.
The set of documents created the Federalist Republic that makes up the United States of America. Each had strengths and flaws, as any document in government development. It is a difficult process and can be messy at times.
The Declaration of Independence emphasized individual rights, influencing abolitionist sentiments. “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
What about the enslaved population at the time?
The Articles of Confederation were the Republic’s governing document, created Nov. 15, 1777. The Articles were ratified Feb. 2, 1781, and superseded on March 4, 1789, by the United State Constitution.
Because the Articles had specified a “perpetual union,” various arguments have been offered to explain the apparent contradiction (and presumed illegality) of abandoning one form of government and creating another that did not include the members of the original.
One explanation was that the Articles of Confederation simply failed to protect the vital interest of the individual states. Necessity then, rather than legality, was the practical factor in abandoning the Articles.
The Constitution was adopted following an intense debate over many areas of great concern by all in attendance at the Constitutional Convention. States rights were paramount in the debate. The Federalist Party acknowledged that nation sovereignty would be transferred by the new Constitution the whole of the American people — regarding “We the People.”
Heated debate ensued. In the debate the states would serve a vital role within the new republic even though their national sovereignty was ending. Tellingly, on the matter of whether states retained a right to unilaterally secede from the United States, the federalists made it clear that no such right would exist under the Constitution.
Feller is a distinguished professor in the humanities emeritus and editor/director emeritus of The Papers of Andrew Jackson at the University of Tennessee. Feller arrived at UT as professor of history and Andrew Jackson project director in 2003 and continued until his retirement in 2020. His scholarly interest encompasses mid-19th-century America as a whole, with special attention to Jacksonian politics during the coming American Civil War.
Feller earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1981. He is the author of “The Public Lands in Jacksonian Politics and the Jacksonian Promise: America, 1815-1840.” From 2004 until he retired in 2020 Feller and a team of historians collaborated on a project to compile the writings of Jackson in a mufti-volume series, “The Papers of Andrew Jackson.”
First-time Roundtable visitors are admitted free; a $5 donation is requested from repeat guests. Roundtable memberships are available for an annual subscription of $25 per person or $35 for couples.
Civil War books will be on display for purchase. A question-and-answer time will be allowed to have discussions with Feller.
The Cumberland Mountain Civil War Roundtable is an organization of American Civil War enthusiasts. The group is in Fairfield Glade and is open to all citizens of Cumberland County.
Presentations from authors, college professors, historians are presented on the second Wednesday of the month at Christ Lutheran Church in Fairfield Glade.
The purpose of the roundtable is to educate, discuss and bring to focus the events and historical facts concerning the American Civil War. Look for the group on Facebook, or call Ken Patton at 901-292-9312 or Dennis Flynn at 913-948-3499 for additional information.