The Gettysburg Address

     People have said that Lincoln's Gettysburg Address gave the North the final push to defeat its enemies to the South. Lincoln gave this speech at the battle field of Gettysburg. It was marked as a memorial ground for the thousands and thousands of men who dies there.
     In Lincoln's address, he used the two minutes (length of his speech) he had very wisely. In his two minute speech, Lincoln discussed topics of equality, freedom, and the importance of preserving the Union. To introduce his speech, he quoted the Declaration of Independence in order to connect to the inner "American" of each person. He later talked about how the equality of men is important and needs to be practiced. He tied this to the point that slavery was no longer a practice to be tolerated. In the last part of his speech, Lincoln mainly talks about the preservation of the Union. He makes the point that the Union will bring back equality and peace to the Country.
     In class, we discussed some of the elementary effects of Lincoln's speech which included a call to action from the Union soldiers to fight and overcome their opponents. Going more in depth, Lincoln's speech was all about remembering the fallen soldiers and how the Union should come together to fight and get revenge for their families and slaves by putting an end to slavery. He wanted equality, freedom, and unity.

George McClellan

George McClellan wasn't actually as awful and incompetent as history has portrayed him to be. The mistakes that were made in the spring and summer of 1862 were not fully his fault. Ever since he overestimated the strength of the Confederate's at Manassas, he has been labeled by history as overly-cautious, and even a traitor because he couldn't do anything good for the North. However, he was a great organizer and had an ability to fight. McClellan was able to build up the army after several significant Union losses, and had good vision and stewardship, but even though he was cautious, he was not overly-cautious because his strategy was more about destroying the Confederacy's ability to fight by destroying railroads and closing off water ways than solely by combat, and he usually moved to places where the Confederates were forced to attack him. When McClellan battled Lee on the run, the reason he didn't act was because although Lee's army was hurting, McClellan's army was hurting as well. He also allowed his army to be properly trained and fed well, unlike some of the new recruits in August and September who were transported to the front and thrown into battle immediately with barely any training. McClellan' strategies were what Grant used to win the war because his objective was to block railroads, however, McClellan was forced to be stationed Northeast of Richmond  to receive McDowell's reinforcements by Stanton's orders, and he could not move without Stanton's approval. When he did receive these reinforcements, they were immediately taken away by Lincoln. Lincoln and McClellan were at odds the whole war, and McClellan could not count on him for his support. In the end, McClellan was able to train his army effectively, but Northern politicians were meddlesome and because he was a cautious general, he was disliked by the politicians who wanted to see results quickly and not have a long war that McClellan's tactic of cutting off logistics (food, water, railroads) would have prolonged. McClellan was not incompetent but had a lot of things going against him that made it hard to do his job well and ultimately, led to his infamy in the Civil War.

Source: https://live.washingtonpost.com/civil-war-120305.html

Ironclad Warships

   




     Ironclads were a big step up from wooden boats previously used in warfare. This new and innovative design was developed in order to withstand opposing battleship's heavy fire on their vessel. In class, we discussed the numbers of factories, workers, and people on each side (South and North) of the war. Since the Confederates were deeply outnumbered, they needed a way to use the number of people they had wisely. They did this by adapting to the design of using heavy armor on their ships. The Confederates spent $2 million on purchasing ironclads from overseas and materials to convert wooden ships into ironclads. Ironclads were war boats that were covered in protective iron. This allowed the boat to withstand attacks and prove to be very effective in the field (water) The first ironclad ship used in battle was called the CSS Manassas. It acted as a god on the sea and destroyed Union wooden ships.
     The British were the source of ironclads for the Confederates. This break of trust angered Lincoln and caused him to say, "If you help the Confederates, we will go to war." The British start sending the ships to the French who then send them to the Confederates. This did not deceive Lincoln and he gave the British a final warning. After this, they didn't want too engage in war so they listened.
     These ships made the Union ships look weak and it sparked them to start creating their own. In addition to ironclads, iron rams were added to wooden ships to poke holes in wooden ships and do some damage to other ironclads. Since cannons on wooden ships weren't sophisticated enough, they were marked as pretty much useless when used against ironclads.
     In class, we discussed the great advantage the North had over the South - more factories, money people, and workers - and this leads the North to catch up to the South's innovation. Using the many factories, the North started producing their own ironclads.
     All in all, the introduction of ironclads into the civil war led to increased defense in water warfare, increased efficiency in blockades, and sparked other innovative technology.

Women and their new role in the civil war - Bobak Afshari

Women had played a standard part during the creation of america. But as time progressed and civil war struck, their rights and their participation in the creation of the new modern america, would be challenged.

In the start of the civil war, women in the north would create gatherings and raise money for the union. Women started to volunteer and help the troops. Women started to use domestic strengths to help the war. Now, women made food to help support troops, using canned goods to aid in transportation. Women also started to sew clothes and repair uniforms for the soldiers in the civil war.

Women also knitted socks and gloves, everything that was needed to help keep warm in battle.

Women didn't only help in the domestic region; in fact, women started to work as nurses, a popular trend that started to garner support during war. With the new jobs as nurses, the value of women began to rise and the need for more nurses and support grew. Now, during the civil war more than 20,000 women were helping in hospitals taking care of the wounded. Women also acted as house keepers and provided comfort for many soldiers who were wounded.

In the south, women still had a role in the Civil war, however it lacked the momentum in the North. Women still did sew, cook, and clean however slave women were not free to help at all. The concept of slavery and the old fashioned mindset of the south, slowed down the movement of women joining in on the war. The fact that the south had less supplies could have also been a factor as well.

Overall, the movement to include women in the war sparked a wave of new modern thinking, that paralleled the civil war. As more women got involved, more opportunities began. However, the role of women was still not equal to men and not until the 20th century would they even get the right to vote. This was a start to the ongoing battle women had for equal respect, in order to eventually one day be equal to men.

Source : http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/women-in-the-civil-war

William Tecumseh Sherman

Who is he? 

William Tecumseh Sherman is one of the most successful union generals he received commendations for his outstanding military strategy however he also received harsh criticisms about his scorched earth policy he led a scar through the heart of the south and burned down everything in his path to Georgia. When he captured Atlanta he had is army order it's inhabitants out and burned down major parts of the city foreshadowing his march to the sea. After Sherman took Atlanta he placed his sights on the sea and marched his armies east proclaiming he could "Make Georgia howl"   he then led a scorch earth army across the south with soldiers raiding and burning southern property. His movements were successful and he soon captured Savannah and offered the city to Lincoln as a Christmas gift when he was considered to replace Grant, Sherman vehemently denied the promotion and stated Grant was their for him and he would be there for Grant proving his loyalty to his friend. Sherman waged total war on the south and it was his philosophy that in order to win the south had to be crushed and made unable to fight, and he successfully did that. After the war Sherman succeeded Grant as commanding general of the army, he led the front against the native Americans for 15 years. He famously quoted "War is hell." He didn't glorify war and he understood it's implications and it's consequences on men. He detested politics and when he died confederate general Johnston whom was his rival during the war was his pallbearer he caught pneumonia at the funeral and died one month later.

Kansas Nebraska Act

The Kansas Nebraska Act all started with the idea of building a new railroad. The only problem with this was, where was the railroad going to end? There were three suggestions given for where the railroad should end: Chicago, New Orleans, St. Louis. This railroad would benefit trade, transportations and jobs as well. Now, of course they did not want to build this railroad over mountains or the North because of the unorganized territories and the  expense. This meant that the railroad had to be built in the South because the Gadsen Purchase had made this route more attractive.

 It was Steven Douglas's desire to organize the Nebraska territory but in order to do this he needed the support of the South politics. In order to get the South's support he needed something that would benefit their "pro-slavery idea", but could not due this due to the Missouri Compromise.  Steven Douglas then decided to repel the Missouri Compromise and open the territory to the idea of "popular sovereignty" which led to Steven Douglas organizing both Kansas and Nebraska. The final document of this event became known as the "Kansas Nebraska Act" Of course there were those that were for it ( South whigs and democrats) and those that opposed it ( Northern whigs). When the Kansas Nebraska Act passed, there was an outrage in the North that led to even bigger dilemas.  

General John Brown Gordon: The Terminator of the Civil War

General John Brown Gordon:  The Terminator of the Civil War

        Perhaps no man in history can be said to be as lucky as John Brown Gordon.  The amount of times he escaped death during the Civil War are almost innumerable, and it is a great surprise that he died at the age of 71 in the year 1904.  

       Gordon's flirtation with death began when he was promoted to colonel of the Confederates in the year 1862, and in the battle of Seven Pines, Gordon fearlessly led his troops into battle by charging ahead of them and being the first to meet the enemy Union soldiers.  This move was brave but could have easily cost him his life, for bullets ended up ripping through his clothes without even touching his body.  In another battle called the Malvern Hill, an artillery shell exploded nearby which temporarily blinded him but did not kill him.  

        Given that John Brown Gordon dodged bullets, literally, countless times, he and his men began to think that no harm could befall themselves.  This notion changed when in a later battle, Gordon came closest to meeting death face to face.  Leading his men in battle, two bullets blasted through his right leg, another smashed through his left arm, and yet another tore through his shoulder.  Even though his body had been mangled by the whizzing bullets, John Brown Gordon did his best to continue to lead his men--that is until a fifth bullet ripped through his face and shattered his jaw.  The impact of this last bullet knocked him down, and he fell face first into the opening of his hat which soon began to fill with his blood.  Because he was weak with blood loss and many of his limbs had been torn apart by bullets, he could not move, and he may well have drowned in his own blood had not a 6th bullet nearly missed him and punched a hole though the hat, draining the rising pool of blood.

        Gordon was later stretchered off the battlefield where his life was saved by an army surgeon.  Even though medicine back then was basic and mortality rates were high, John Brown Gordon ended up surviving this traumatic event, although he still would have to successfully defeat a serious bacterial infection on his way to a lengthy recovery.  

         After returning to the battlefield in the year 1863, Gordon continued to put himself in harms way, and he successfully survived when a bullet shot through his clothes and grazed only his back.  In 1864 he had another close call when he survived a saber slash to the head, and in 1865, Gordon was again wounded in the leg.

        These encounters more or less sum up all the injuries John Brown Gordon had been dealt in his Civil War career, but despite all odds, he came out alive and at the top of the military hierarchy, for he ended up as a major general, and he had the honor of leading Confederate troops in their surrender at Appomattox Court House which signified the end of the Civil War.  He also drew praise from his soldiers, Stonewall Jackson, and even the Union Army which goes to show how well he was respected during this bloody time.  Perhaps we can take a message from John Brown Gordon's military life--that if one has resilience and fights with all one's heart, then good things will eventually happen, even if you are beaten down time and time again.

If you want to read in more detail about this amazing life story, here is the source I used

Rise of the Free Soilers

Rise of the Free-Soilers

Introduction:

The Free Soilers were a simple political party with only one main issue on their platform, an issue that plagued the country of America during the 1800’s and would lead to Civil War. Slavery. The Free Soilers were determined to prevent slavery from spreading out of the South, into the new and forming territories, specifically those in the West. After listening to a class lecture about Manifest Destiny, we learned about the Election of 1848. Zachary Taylor, one of the last Whig Presidents, was competing against Lewis Cass, a Democrat, former Secretary of War, future Secretary of State, and a governor of Michigan. Taylor won, but what was most surprising about the election for me was that another party emerged. Similar to Election of 1828, when the Anti-Masonic Party emerged, the Free Soilers had garnered a lot of support in a short amount of time. Both parties were mostly against one issue, the Masonic Society and the institution of slavery respectively, but were able to gain enormous amounts of support. Yet, the Free Soilers were unfortunately short lived. However, the importance of the Free Soiler Party is, in my opinion, the most important aspect of the Election of 1848, and one I plan to break down for the purpose of spreading knowledge about the party.

Origin and History:

Many historians believe the that Wilmot Proviso served as the point in history where the party gathered support. The Wilmot Proviso was an attempt by a representative named David Wilmot to make slavery illegal in territories gained through Mexico. He attempted to do this covertly, but it eventually failed. Nonetheless, many abolitionists quickly jumped on the bandwagon to support the Free Soiler Party, even the “Little Magician,” former President Van Buren. The Free Soiler party soon gained immense support in the state of New York, and would even be able to nominate a candidate in the Election of 1852, who would lose, but still showed the party’s resilience.

Outcomes and Conclusion:

The Free Soilers soon died out, but their effects on American politics are still felt today. In the Election of 1848, the Free Soilers managed to garner about 300,000 votes (About Education), though a small amount compared to today’s time, back then it was enough to give sway to Tyler, who would eventually defeat Cass for the Presidency. Tyler, hero of the Mexican-American War, chose like many of his predecessors to ignore the issue of slavery, but did not allow it to spread as well, a victory for Free Soilers. Many Free Soilers began joining the newly formed Republican Party, after the fall of the Whigs, lending to the party’s support and its position against slavery. It is through this action that the Republican Party could come about, lending to the separation of powers through a strong and resilient two party system. Lincoln, the first Republican President, would win the election and go to war with the South, eventually leading to his Emancipation Proclamation.

The Free Soilers represented the growing attitude present in the Northern states about slavery, and how many believed it was inhumane and should be abolished. A party was soon formed around this sole issue, and managed to garner enough support to actually have a candidate for the presidency. This task is simply incredible, and shows the growing sectionalism in America. The formation also represents the 1st Amendment, and how despite being a controversial issue, a party was still formed around it, spreading the democratic ideals of freedom and liberty. While many believe that the Civil War was initially fought over preserving the Union, it was still started over the issue of slavery, and the Free Soilers played their part in the conflict and the eventual abolition of the practice.

Source:

http://history1800s.about.com/od/1800sglossary/g/Free-Soil-Party-definition.htm

The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes Back:

An Analysis of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars

The American Revolutionary war began in 1775, when the Battle of Lexington and Concord occurred. The American Civil War arguably began with the attack on Fort Sumter. In the Revolutionary war, the British colonists were forced to unite as Americans to take down a leviathan, the empire of Great Britain. It was thought that America would never win, but when the Treaty of Paris(1783) was signed, it was apparent a major upset had occurred. Yet when the North, the leviathan, was fighting the Southerners in the Civil War, the North won, in what became known as the bloodiest war in American history. In order to determine how these outcomes occurred, one needs to analyze the similarities and differences, allowing one to also determine what these results mean.

When fighting in the Revolutionary war, the British had the heavy burden of being the superiors, forcing them to invade foreign territory and crush all embers of rebellion, lest they spread and become a forest fire. Americans fighting for the North had to overcome the Southern rebels and preserve the Union, also forcing them to invade a “foreign” land. British strengths included manpower, a superior economy, a superior army and navy, and organization. These strengths are shared by the North as the North had a greater population, due to Westward expansion and a steady stream of immigrants into the Eastern seaboard. The North also had a superior economy due to the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing bases in the North, and the American System had brought a superior transportation system in the North and West. The North also had the benefit of the small, albeit formed, Union Army, and were militarily superior than the South. Generals such as McDowell and McClellan would prove an invaluable asset for the North. The North was also organized by a strong and lasting Constitution, and a popularly elected President, Abraham Lincoln. Through this action, the North had an aura of togetherness and agreement. Additionally, the Northerners shared many weaknesses the British had, including a lack of motivation and the definition of victory. Southerners had seceded from the Union to protect their interests from what they viewed as a discriminatory government. Bearing the economic destruction of the Tariff of 1828, and the anti slavery sentiment growing in the North due to the Second Great Awakening and a progression of attitudes, it is no wonder the South seceded. To them, they were not leaving a Union, they were forming their own nation, by leaving an oppressive one. To the South, the Civil War was not a Civil War, rather another revolutionary war against a tyrant. Some may say that in the South’s eyes, the empire was striking back, and they did not intend to lose again, similar to the American opinion of the British during the war. The Northerners had no true reason to fight besides preserving the Union, and despite Webster’s motivational speech in the Webster-Hayne Debate, Northerners did not have the same fire the Southerners did. The North, like the British, also had a weakness in terms of the definition of victory. The British needed to crush the Americans without decimating them, else the Americans would want to rebel even more. The Northerners needed to reunite the Union, but if they decimated the South, it would leave America with a useless tract of land and an embittered people. It is for these reasons that the North in the Civil War and the British in the American Revolutionary war were similar. However, the Southerners and the Americans were also similar. Americans and the South both had the advantages of morality(discussed above), defensive posture, and the definition of victory(also discussed above). Both the Americans and the South did not have to invade their enemies, they simply had to man their ground. This is a key advantage as fighting in familiar territory would increase their odds of victory, and decrease their odds of defeat. They also shared weaknesses. The South however did not have a disadvantage the British had, supplies. By the South choosing to stay in the agrarian economy, and the invention of the cotton gin, provided by the Yankee Whitney, all allowed the South not to rely on foreign trade for money, and gave them the ability to “live off the land,” as their land provided sustenance and economic benefits. Political weaknesses and manpower still plagued the South. The South had a significant population, but the amount of slaves was a significant part of this. They were nowhere near comparable in size to the ever growing North and as a result they would need to focus on strategy, rather than simply attacking Northern troops.

Yet despite the similarities between the Civil and Revolutionary wars, the Americans were not the South, and the Northerners were not the British. Both wars entailed different results, one a win for an empire, the other a win for the underdog. But what led to this defeat, both for the British and South? Foreign allies and enemies, leadership, and organization all posed different circumstances for the two wars. But it is still important to note the similarities the sides had in both wars, as they played a significant effect. The Civil War yielded about 620,000 American casualties, a devastating outcome for an important victory. Was it worth it? The Americans won against the British, leading to further conflicts, a destruction of a civilization(Native Americans), and the creation of a new superpower. Was it worth it? When asking these questions, historians will generally agree with the latter and disagree over the former. Hence, it is important for everyone to realize that any conflict will have opposing views, and despite similarities between conflicts and sides, every single war and battle is inherently unique.

Mexican- American War

The gist of the Mexican War was a feud between Texas and Mexico's border lines. We talked in class about how the United States of America acquired Texas because they thought that Texas would join the British "Empire." Anyways, the Mexican War was fueled over the dispute of where the boundary lines were that marked the separation of the two lands. Mexico wanted the border between the two lands to be at the Nueces River, while Texas wanted the border to be till the Rio Grande River. The distance between the two desired boundary lines were not close to each other which meant that neither side would settle for the opponents wants. In order to try and acquire the land and push the border to the Rio Grande River, the United States offers monetary compensation for territories in Mexico. The Mexicans took this very badly because the land that was being asked to be bought was sacred and belonged to ancestral families of Mexico. The thing that confused many people was that while the offer for Mexico's holdings were being asked, Polk has already started to make plans about invading Mexico in case of rejection. This led to the belief that Polk created the conflict with Mexico on purpose. Soon this Texas- Mexican border issue flares into full- scale warfare.
The outcome of the war, as we talked about in class, was that the Texas boundary was pushed out to the Rio Grande River. The Treaty of Guadalupe- Hidalgo (Feb. 1848) made this happen. Mexico gave up the area to the Americans and in return, they were promised that the Americans would assume all debts of its citizens to Mexico. In addition, the United States PAID MEXICO 15 million dollars to speed up treaty writing processes.
Some of the political fallout's of this war included antislavery forces fearing that the addition of Texas would add to the slave states in America, and increased sectionalism. Sectionalism pretty much means that people start to dismiss the well- being of the common good and start to focus on their own ideals and wants/ desires. An example of this is the Wilmot Proviso, where a Congress member tried to "pull a fast one" and put an Amendment to an appropriations bill which states that slavery will be banned in any territory gained from Mexico. Questions about slavery rose to the topic when talking about Texas because it was a new state and was being decided on whether it would be a slave or a free state.
 

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers died on July 12, 1804. His death was a tragic blow to American economy. Even though Jefferson left all of his policies intact when he became president, the presidents after (Andrew Jackson) had a hard time dealing with the economy and coming up with solutions to solve his problems.

A little background information on Hamilton and his childhood. He was born on January 11, 1755 in Charlestown to Rachel Faucette, a partially British, partially French Huguenot descendant and James Hamilton, the fourth son of a Scottish estate owner, Alexander Hamilton. Due to being born in a noble family, it influenced him to dream of making America an urban country, which also opposed to Jefferson's views.

Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler, the daughter of Philip Schuyler. They had eight children, with the eldest and youngest sons named Philip. The eldest Philip was killed in a duel three years before the Burr-Hamilton duel.

The Burr-Hamilton duel was the end to a long and bitter rivalry between Hamilton and Burr. During Jefferson's and Burr's tie in the electoral college of 1801, Hamilton helped Jefferson win, because he despised Burr and believed that he had no principles. This didn't help their relationship, and it only went over the edge after Hamilton's last offense. Burr decided to run for governor of New York state in 1804. When Hamilton deemed him unworthy of the position, he was challenged to a duel. They fought brutally and Hamilton was defeated. Mortally wounded, he was carried to his close friend William Bayard's house on the Manhattan shore. He died the next day on July 12, 1804.

Frederick Douglass: A Leading Abolitionist

Frederick Douglass

In American history, the abolitionist movement had a particularly large influence on its society in the 19th century. One of its main triggers is considered to be the Second Great Awakening which was a religious revival era in the early 1800s. This reform spread through the Northeast and Midwest especially, bringing back the temporarily-lost religious influence on Americans that brought them to this continent in the first place. It converted countless numbers of people to new sects of religion such as Methodism, Baptism, and Mormonism. However, some historians could argue that perhaps the most important outcome of the Second Great Awakening was the rise of the abolitionist movement. With preachers everywhere promoting equality guaranteed by Christianity and its Bible, it is not surprising that people (white population) began to question the morality of slavery. Northerners asked, "Does the Bible prohibit the act of slavery?", while the Southerners retorted, "Does the Bible not allow freedom of property which includes slaves?".

Among the numerous leaders of abolitionism, Frederick Douglass became known as one of the most famous men that advocated for emancipation. Douglass was born into slavery as a child, sometime around 1818, in Talbot Count, Maryland. Both his parents had trivial influence in his childhood and at around the age of ten, he was bought into the home of Hugh Auld in Baltimore, Maryland. There, Douglass was taught the bare basics of reading and writing the English language by Auld's wife. Although Auld banned his wife from illegally educating him when he found out, it is safe to say that Douglass's intellect originated from this period of his life.

At the age of 20, Douglass was able to escape slavery with the help of his later wife, Anna Murray. Together, they settled into a thriving free black community in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He became an active member of a black church and gave countless numbers of speeches for abolitionist cause as part of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. At this point, he was also a proud subscriber to William Lloyd Garrison's The Liberator (impressed by Douglass, Garrison actually featured him in multiple articles of the newspaper). After the publication of his autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, in 1845, he briefly traveled to England where he disseminated anti-slavery sentiments. He returned to the States as a free man after locals, heavily influenced by his stories, gathered enough funds to purchase him freedom.

By the Civil War era, anyone would have come across the name "Frederick Douglass" at one point in their lives. He was one of the most famous black men in the United States of America. Following the war and Lincoln's famous Emancipation Proclamation, he held a great amount of government official positions. He first served as the president of Freedman's Savings Bank for two years. He was then named the marshal and recorder of deeds for the District of Columbia by the Republican Party. But perhaps his most accomplished role in politics appeared when he was nominated for vice president as Victoria Woodhull's running mate, for the Equal Rights Party in 1872.

By the time of his death in February of 1895, Frederick Douglass left an unforgettable presence in the American society. His story of escape and tireless devotion to the abolitionist cause inspired many blacks and whites to keep pursuing their dreams. He changed the way many white people perceived blacks by proving that education and intellect was not a possibility just for them. He loyally stood by many other reform groups that sought for the same equality as himself, such as the feminists; in fact, his death occurred right after he attended a meeting for the National Council of Women. He is currently buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY.