Companion to “The Propaganda of War. The South’s Misinformation Machine” by Misty Smith. “Secondary Source Analysis” by Misty Smith. Originally posted in HIST-330 on October 15, 2017, at Southern New Hampshire University.

Heisser, David C. R. 1998. “Bishop Lynch’s civil war pamphlet on slavery.” Catholic Historical Review 84, no. 4: 681. MAS Ultra – School Edition, EBSCOhost

The United States Civil War was far more than just a war of bloodshed and expanded further than the borders of the former United States of America. Propaganda was also a major portion of the war and expanded overseas to countries such as England, France, and Spain. The propaganda that was introduced to the masses was aimed to not only create strategic alliances but also to sway the minds of general populations near and far for one side or another.

There are numerous primary and secondary sources outlining the events before, during, and after the United States’ Civil War. One such secondary scholarly article is by David C. R. Heisser titled ‘Bishop Lynch’s civil war pamphlet on slavery’ and was published in Catholic Historical Review in October 1998. “Dr. Heisser is Reference/Documents Librarian in the Daniel Library, The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina. His research has been supported by the Diocese of Charleston and the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, at the University of Notre Dame”.[1] He has written numerous articles and books on South Carolina, the Church, and the Civil War. In his article ‘Bishop Lynch’s civil war pamphlet on slavery’ he outlines how Bishop Lynch traveled to Europe to use propaganda to persuade the Church and Governments alike to support the Confederacy.

Three points of importance discussed in the article by Dr. Heisser is first, Confederate President Jefferson Davis appointed Bishop Patrick Nelson Lynch of Charleston, South Carolina to be the Commissioner of the Confederate States of America to the States of the Church in 1864.[2] That act was in direct odds with the separation of church and state that the United States had adhered to a way to show how the Confederacy wanted to differ in the view of the Church. Second, the article discusses how Bishop Lynch traveled abroad meeting with heads of the Catholic Church and foreign Government official alike, in order to attain their political alliances through propaganda. Lastly, the propaganda that Bishop Lynch used to further the cause of the Confederacy included the validation of slavery as God’s will. For example, Bishop Lynch claimed it was the Christian duty to take care of the slaves, “Southern white clergy–Lynch among them–typically defined slavery as a system of mutual obligations between master and servant and taught that slaveowners had clear Christian obligations toward their bondsmen.”.[3]

In conclusion, the article ‘Bishop Lynch’s civil war pamphlet on slavery’ by Dr. Heisser will be valuable in this student’s paper about the use of propaganda during the United States’ Civil War. The outline of the travels of Bishop Lynch shows that the propaganda being used to sway political allies and civilians alike was being used by all manners, including the Catholic Church of the Confederacy.

Footnotes:

[1] David C. R. Heisser, 1998. “Bishop Lynch’s civil war pamphlet on slavery.” Catholic Historical Review 84, no. 4: 681. MAS Ultra – School Edition, EBSCOhost (accessed October 15, 2017).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.

Bibliography:

Heisser, David C. R. 1998. “Bishop Lynch’s civil war pamphlet on slavery.” Catholic Historical Review 84, no. 4: 681. MAS Ultra – School Edition, EBSCOhost (accessed October 15, 2017).