This article demonstrates how daily life in the Union army during the American Civil War (1861–5) dramatically influenced the evolution of Welsh cultural and national identity, by concentrating on the role of religion and alcohol. Initially, religion proved a source of cultural comfort for Welsh volunteers, as they sought to create a bastion of native culture and spirituality. However, shared Christian belief soon came to unite both Welsh and non-Welsh soldiers, acting as a mutual bond of comradeship. While many Welshmen avoided drinking because of their strict, conservative upbringing, many others indulged freely to convey their masculinity. The act of offering beer and whisky to comrades became a social activity, which created an inherently American martial identity.
Reference
Aled Jones, Duw a’r ddiod gadarn: Americaneiddio hunaniaeth genedlaethol a diwylliannol y Cymry ym myddin yr Undeb yn ystod y Rhyfel Cartref (Whisky and the Lord: The Americanization of Welsh National and Cultural Identity in the Union Army during the Civil War), Gwerddon, Issue 34, October 2021, 23–45
Keywords
American Civil War, Welsh, the Welsh language, identity, volunteers.