Conclusion

Abstract

The comparative study of the three themes in the “age of Lincoln and Cavour” that correspond to the three sections of this book shows that there is a great deal of room for research focusing on the identification of significant similarities and differences between the two processes of nation-building that occurred in the United States in the Civil War era and in Italy in the Risorgimento era. It is important to point out that the three themes under consideration are just a few of several possible areas that could be selected for sustained comparative investigation. These three themes and the subthemes within them effectively represent three orders of dimension in the comparative study of the age of Lincoln and Cavour: (1) the comparative dimension of ideological and political movements, such as American abolitionism and Italian democratic nationalism; (2) the comparative dimension of individuals, such as Lincoln and Cavour; and (3) the comparative dimension of wider historical processes, such as the American Civil War and southern Italy’s Great Brigandage. At the same time, it is equally important to acknowledge that, in the case of synchronic comparisons such as the present one that focuses on the American Civil War era versus the Italian Risorgimento era, the additional information yielded by the exploration of links and connections between movements, ideologies, and people enriches and enhances our understanding of the mechanics and significance of specific comparative historical inquiries.