Bonds of Affection: Americans Define Their Patriotism

About this book

In Bonds of Affection, a group of scholars explore the manner in which Americans have discussed and practiced their patriotism over the course of two hundred years. To what extent has the promise of a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" explained citizen loyalty? Have there been any other factors in American history that account for the attachments individuals have felt toward their nation - such as devotion to home and family? Bonds of Affection looks at the nineteenth century in terms of how leaders of the nation fashioned new forms of patriotic instruction for citizens, how veterans from the North and the South attempted to use patriotic language and symbols to rebuild national unity after the Civil War, and how Americans invented new symbols and transformed labor politics to sustain loyalty in an increasingly diverse society. From the World Wars through Vietnam to the Clinton presidency, this volume assesses a variety of factors influencing patriotism. Exposure to the cultures of foreign enemies caused citizens to reassess ideals of national devotion at home. Wartime celebrations of male warrior heroes provoked both patriotic celebrations of masculine power and opposition to it. Ultimately Bonds of Affection shows that Americans have been able to love their country not only out of a hope for democracy but out of a lust for power and gain as well.