[who_would_fardels_bear]

I dont know how widespread belief or even knowledge of Hegelian thought was in The South, but it seems the ideas mentioned are little different from the concept of "white man's burden" or the attempts at civilizing the natives that missionaries engaged in when getting tribesmen to wear clothes and sing Christian hymns.

Accusing southerners of being closet commies is a stretch. It seems more like they used Hegel to aid in their rationalization of slavery.

[ProgressingAmerica]

Agreed. Maybe I was not specific enough in that direction, but in any case, Fitzhugh’s communism was to the same point a rationalization of slavery with his drawings of parallels; provided support, no competition, shared ownership, etc.

What they were _not_ reading(or being critical of) is just as important as what they were reading and trying to assimilate - to whatever extent that was.

Fitzhugh was a vehement critic of Thomas Jefferson.