Philadelphia and the southern elite : class, kinship, and culture in antebellum America

457 Pages·1997·19.4 MB·English

by  Kilbride, Daniel, 1968-

PHILADELPHIAANDTHESOUTHERNELITE:
CLASS,KINSHIP,ANDCULTURE
INANTEBELLUMAMERICA
BY
DANIELKILBRIDE
ADISSERTATIONPRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOL
OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENT
OFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOFDOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA
1997
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
InseeingthisdissertationtocompletionIhaveaccumulatedahostofdebtsand
obligationitisnowmyprivilegetoacknowledge. InPhiladelphiaImustthankthestaff
oftheAmericanPhilosophicalSocietylibraryforpatientlywalkingoutboxafterboxof
Societyarchivesandmiscellaneousmanuscripts. InparticularImustthankBethCarroll-
HorrocksandRitaDockeryinthemanuscriptroom. RoyGoodmanintheLibrary’s
referenceroomprovidedinvaluableassistanceintrackingdownsecondarymaterialand
biographicalinformation. Royisalsoamatchlessauthorityoncollegefootball
nicknames. FromtheSociety’shistorian,WhitfieldBell,Jr.,Ireceivedencouragement,
suggestions,andgreatleads. AttheLibraryCompanyofPhiladelphia,JimGreenand
PhilLapanskydeservespecialthanksforthesuggestionsandsupport.
Mostoftheresearchforthisstudytookplaceinsouthernarchiveswherethe
region’straditionsofhospitalitystillliveon. ThestaffoftheMississippiDepartmentof
ArchivesandHistoryprovidedcheerfulassistanceinmyfirststagesofmanuscript
research. ThestaffsoftheFilsonClubHistoricalLibraryinLouisvilleandtheSpecial
CollectionsroomattheMedicalCollegeofVirginiainRichmondwerealso
accommodating. Specialthanksgoouttothemenandwomenatthethreerepositoriesat
whichthebulkofmyresearchwasconducted:theSpecialCollectionsLibraryatDuke
University,theSouthernHistoricalCollectionoftheUniversityofNorthCarolina,
ChapelHill,andtheVirginiaHistoricalSociety. ThanksalsotothoseintheUniversity
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ofFloridalibraries,particularlyintheinterlibraryloanandmicrofilmdepartments. Their
assistancereducedboththetimeandexpenseneededtofinishthisproject.
Severalindividualsdedicatedtheirtimetoreadingsomeorallofthismanuscript
and1havebenefitedfromtheircommentsandcriticism. JeffreyAdlerandThomas
Gallantreadtheentiremanuscriptandofferedgeneroussuggestions. JohnSeelyeofthe
DepartmentofEnglishattheUniversityofFloridaalsodedicatedmuchofhisvaluable
timetoreadingthemanuscript. ChrisOlsenandMarkGreenbergprovidedcomputer
supportandformattingadvicethatsavedmeconsiderabletimeandmisery. Every
graduatestudentinhistoryattheUniversityofFloridaforthepastfiveyearsorsoowes
muchtoBettyCorwine,thedepartment’sgraduatesecretaryformostofmytenureat
Florida. Bettycutenoughredtapetokeepmeboundforalongtime. Withoutherthe
administrationwouldsurelyhavetrackedmedownbynow. Iamhappytothankmy
formerhousematesMarkandGomez,andtheothermembersofmycohort—Dutch,
Grandad,Brains—fortheirfriendship.
AtSt.Joseph’sUniversityandattheUniversityofFloridaIcontractedintellectual
debtsthatcanneverberepaid. RandallM.MilleratSt.Joseph’sgotmeinterestedin
historyasafieldofstudy,andhisteachingenthusiasmhelpedconvincemetopursue
graduatestudy. AttheUniversityofFlorida,DarrettRutmanalmostconvincedmethat
historyisasocialscienceandnotoneofthehumanities. Fieinculcatedinmearigorand
senseofself-criticismwithoutwhichIcouldnothavewrittenthisstudy. Iamhappyalso
toacknowledgethehelpofthelateAnitaRutmanwhoreadseveralofmygraduate
essays. Shetaughtmetheabsoluteimportanceofclarityandbrevityinmywriting;I
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shallalwaystreasurehermemory. IthasbeenmyprivilegetoworkwithRonaldP.
Formisano,whotaughtmemostofwhatIknowaboutteachingandagreatdealofwhatit
meanstobeahistorian. Hereadandcritiquedseveraldraftsofeachchapter. Myworkis
muchbetterforhissuggestions. AllthegoodthingsIhavelearnedaboutresearchand
writingcamefromBertramWyatt-Brown. Ineverystageofmygraduatecareerhehas
beenaconstantsourceofencouragementanddirection. Hiswell-knowngenerosity,as
wellashistalentandpassionforhistory,willinspiremethroughoutmycareer. Thatthis
dissertationhasmethisexactingstandardsisitsownreward.
TheDepartmentofHistoryattheUniversityofFloridaprovidednumerous
teachingandresearchfellowshipstosupportmyresearch. Thedepartmentalsoprovided
aMilbauerFellowshipthatallowedmetodoafullyearofresearchandtravel. The
CollegeofArtsandSciencesawardedmeagenerousdissertationfellowship. Mellon
fellowshipsfromtheLibraryCompanyofPhiladelphiaandtheVirginiaHistorical
Societyprovidedfundsforresearchintheirarchives. Iamhappyfinallytoacknowledge
thehospitalityofthePhiladelphiaCenterforEarlyAmericanStudiesinPhiladelphia. At
theinvitationofRichardDunnIspent1994-1995attheCenterasaresearchfellow. The
stimulatingintellectualatmosphereisRichard’sdoing,asanyonefamiliarwiththeCenter
wellknows. IalsoowethankstoBillySmithandtheassortedfellows,facultyand
speakersinPhiladelphiawhomadethatyearofresearchandwritingapleasure.
Mymostprofoundthanksgotomyfamily. GeorgeandKathyMarkwalter,my
in-laws,providedinfectiousgoodcheerplusaroofandawarmbedduringmyresearchin
NorthCarolina. MywifeHeatherhasenduredmostofthisproject. Iherebyapologize
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forthemiserythisstudyhasoccasionallybroughttoourrelationship. Itisherloveand
friendshipthathelpedmeseeittocompletion. OurdaughterLaureninnoway
contributedtothisstudyandattimesactivelyimpededit. Nevertheless,the
responsibilitiesoffatherhoodhaveservedtoadmonishmetofinishandabandon
studenthood. Noonewillbehappierthatthislongprojectisoverthanmyparentsand
grandparents. NomorewillIhavetoheartheplaintivecry“areyoustillinschool?” To
gramps,grams,mom,anddad;IthankyouandIloveyou.
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ii
ABSTRACT
vii
CHAPTERS
1 INTRODUCTION 1
2 TRAVELERS’TALES 39
3 SOCIALLIFEINTHEEARLYREPUBLIC;THE“CAROLINA
ROW”ANDITSCIRCLE 86
4 SOCIALLIFEANDCULTURE,1830-1850:
SIDNEYGEORGEFISHER’SCIRCLE 138
5 FEMALEACADEMIESANDTHETRANSMISSIONOF
CLASSIDENTITY 190
6 THE“REPUBLICOFMEDICINE” 246
7 SCIENCEANDSOCIABILITY:
THEAMERICANPHILOSOPHICALSOCIETY,
1784-1841 299
8 ARISTOCRACYANDPOLITICALCULTUREIN
CIVILWAR-ERAPHILADELPHIA 352
9 SUMMARYANDCONCLUSIONS 400
REFERENCES 415
BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 447
AbstractofDissertationPresentedtotheGraduateSchool
oftheUniversityofFloridainPartialFulfillmentofthe
RequirementsfortheDegreeofDoctorofPhilosophy
PHILADELPHIAANDTHESOUTHERNELITE:
CLASS,KINSHIP,ANDCULTURE
INANTEBELLUMAMERICA
By
DanielKilbride
May1997
Chairman:BertramWyatt-Brown
MajorDepartment:History
InthesixtyyearsbeforetheCivilWar,planter-classsouthernershadanespecially
closerelationshipwiththeirprivilegedcounterpartsinthecityofPhiladelphia. Together
theymaintainedanupper-classidentitybaseduponsharedmannersandhabits,devotion
toconservatism,andadistastefordemocracyandmiddle-classvaluesofthrift,industry,
piety,andsobriety.
SouthernersblendedineffortlesslywithPhiladelphiahighsociety. Intheearly
Republic,thenexusofNorth/SouthconnectionsinPhiladelphiawerethehomeson
SpruceStreetknowncollectivelyastheCarolinaRow. Nosinglehouseholddominated
sociallifeintheJacksonianperiod,butsouthernerscontinuedtoseekandfindhospitality
inPhiladelphia’sfashionablehomes. Throughouttheperiod,Philadelphiansdiscerned
distinctivesoutherneharacteristicsintheirguests,buttheconsciousnessofsectional
differencesveryrarelyengenderedhostility. Instead,northernersandsouthernersviewed
regionaltraitsascuriosities-asvariationsonacommongenteeltheme,asitwere.
YoungwomenlearnedthefundamentalsofgentilityinPhiladelphiaboarding
schoolswhiletheirbrotherstrainedtobeprofessionalgentlemeninthecity’stwomajor
medicalschools. Thoughtheirexperiencesinandoutoftheclassroomvariedgreatlydue
tothedifferentstandardsthatgovernedmaleandfemaleconduct,bothsexesinculcated
standardsofbehaviorthatwouldservethemequallywellinLondon,NewYork,or
Savannah. Throughitslibrarian,JohnVaughan,theAmericanPhilosophicaltied
southernmenofmindtoPhiladelphia. TheSociety’sdevotiontoanantiquateddefinition
ofscientificendeavorthatidentifiedintellectualengagementwithgentlemanlyleisure
endearedittoAmericanconservatives. Italsorendereditnearlyirrelevanttomodem
researehthatwasbecomingmoremerit-drivenandspecializedinthe1840sand1850s.
Theserelationshipswerestrainedbutnotbrokenbythetensionsofthesectional
crisisandCivilWar. ManyPhiladelphiagentlefolkmaintainedtheirtiestotheSouth.
Theyledasecessionistmovementthatremainedpubliclypro-southernduringthewar.
Asopinionsolidifiedbehindthewareffortandemancipation,theelitedivided,with
Confederatesympathizerslosingwhatrespecttheystillcommandedfromthelower
orders. Towardtheendoftheconflictanewupperclass,integratingsomeoldfamilies
withotherswithmorereeentfortunes,emergedaroundanewinstitutionalbase—the
UnionLeague,devotedtothenortherncause,classinclusion,andmiddle-classvalues.
IX
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
WhenSpraceStreetbetweenNinthandTenthStreetsinPhiladelphia,adjacentto
PennsylvaniaHospital,wasknownas"CarolinaRow"inthefirstfewdecadesofthe
nineteenthcentury,itwaslinedbyspacious,eleganttownhousesofFederal-stylered
brick. Thosebuildingswerereplacedbymodemcondominiumsinthe1970s,though
manyofthehomesintheneighborhoodsurroundingIndependenceHallhavebeen
preservedsincetheeighteenthcentury. Thesamecombinationofcontinuityandchange
marksthelargehomesaroundWashingtonSquare,whereMadameSigoignehelda
Frenchschoolforgenteelyoungladies. Theschoolhasgonebutthebuildingsremain;
someashomes,businesses,clubs,orfoundations. Similarly,thecharacterofChestnut
Streethaschanged. Onceoneofthenation'smostfashionablethoroughfares,itremainsa
shoppingdistricttoday. "Urbanrenewal"programsundertakenduringtheadministration
ofFrankRizzohardlyreturnedthepromenadetoitsoriginalsplendor,however. Mostof
itsshopspeddlecheapclothing,fastfood,andmusic. Thedescendantsofthefashionable
storesthatoncelineditssidewalkscannowbefoundablocksouthonWalnutStreet. On
theotherhand,someaspectsofPhiladelphiaremainfromtheantebellumera.
PhilosophicalHalloftheAmericanPhilosophicalSociety,wherethewell-connected
bachelorJohnVaughanlivedfrom1822-1841,stillstandsnexttoIndependenceHall.
1