What Held Members of the Southern Elite Class Together?

In the south after the Revolutionary War, the gentry class (mostly planter elite, political figures, and lawyers) was considered the best that there was. They didn’t always agree politically or religiously, but they stuck together when they had to. They would not let their personal prejudices spoil their upstanding reputations or their own fortunes. To be a member of the gentry class was special, and at every moment you had to be careful to protect that – something that often meant closing ranks. At first glance though, it seems unlikely that these people who made up the very top of society could get along at all. There were Federalists and Anti-Federalists, those with sprawling plantations and those with upscale town houses, and those who worshiped at the Baptist churches while their neighbors attended the Anglican churches. They were wildly different, and the only (big) apparent similarity was their wealth. So what kept them together?

In a way, money was at the root of all of their bonds. They were rich, so they could afford leisure time. A common practice at the time was to hold social meetings, where people like John Marshall and John Wickham could come together and play games like quoits, or just socialize. This sounds like a recipe for disaster, but one rule kept everything light and easy – no talk of politics or religion. Just like that, these people could come together and simply enjoy all the pleasures of being well-off. (Marshall House and Wickham House tours). The other major thing that kept the members of the southern elite together was the fear of class failure. If something should happen to one of them, it could potentially damage all of them. When stories broke in the newspapers about scandalous doings with regard to one of the wealthy, all of the others would come together to make sure that the stories weren’t regarded highly, and that there was nothing more said on the matter. If one was involved in a scandal, chances were that they all were, and no one wanted to risk allowing their prized positions in society to slip in such a way.

Gentlemen Playing Quoits