Date of Award
8-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
Committee Chair/Advisor
Rachel Moore
Committee Member
Rod Andrew Jr.
Committee Member
Andrew Baker
Abstract
Why is there a difference in volunteer numbers and overall interest in the Spanish-American War between the North and the South in the United States? This thesis examines the concepts of passionate manhood and military masculinity to explain differences in volunteer efforts between the two regions. It mostly centers on newspaper articles from both the North and the South to argue that the North was more passionate in 1898, with the South lagging behind. Additionally, the thesis adds the perspective of Cubans to showcase the revolutionaries and their ideas of masculinity, freedom, and the ideal of “Cuba Libre,” and to examine how these ideas compare with and contrast with broader American thought and ideology during the period. This thesis aims to demonstrate how Southern and Northern themes, rooted in passion, race, and class, along with their views on Cubans, contributed to the development of a distinct masculine identity and sectionalism, thereby explaining the actions and participation of each region in the Spanish-American War. Regionalism and masculinity during the Spanish-American War played a role in the divergence of popularity, interest, and the role of masculinity in the war, especially regarding Cuban ideas of masculinity in the American North and South
Recommended Citation
McNeill, Chase D., "The Divergence in Masculinity: Northern and Southern Masculinity During the Spanish-American War" (2026). All Theses. 4829.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4829