University of North Carolina Press, 2004

The “southern military tradition,” the idea that the American South has been the most militaristic section of the nation, is a generally accepted view among many observers of the region. As one prominent historian wrote in 1984, “The militant South, the military South, prone to shoot first and answer questions later, did and still does exist.” The perpetuation of southern militarism is further reinforced by memorable titles and prominent authors—The Militant South by John Hope Franklin and The Fighting South by John Temple Graves. At the same time, other writers and historians have questioned the notion of the martial South.