"An Opportunity to Show Their Epalets and Feathers": The South Carolina Militia During the First Secession Crisis,1848-1851

Abstract

In the years between 1848 and 1851 South Carolina experienced a radicalization in its politics. This article attempts to show how the militia played an integral part in this process, in that it provided both internal security and a political forum. The discussion will show that while the military capability of the militia may have decreased, its symbolic value remained important.

The article asserts that the mandatory militia gatherings that were held with regularity throughout the state provided an inherent political platform for South Carolina's leadership. The ability to reach the greater part of the state's electorate allowed for the propagation of the secessionist message.