This work investigates how internal dissent and anti-Confederate sentiment among Southern populations influenced the strategic outcomes and ultimate collapse of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. William W. Freehling, a noted historian of the American South, utilizes extensive archival research and census data to challenge the notion of a monolithic Southern front. He argues that the internal divisions within the South were as critical to the Union victory as the military campaigns on the battlefield.

Historians frequently cite this work as a significant contribution to the study of the internal dynamics of the Confederacy. Scholars note the depth of Freehling's research into the often-overlooked political fractures that weakened the Southern war effort.