September 29th, 2005 -- Posted in History, Ramblings |
Populism: politics or political ideology based on teh perceived interests of ordinary people, as opposed to those of a privileged elite (farm reform)
Progressivism: (beliefs of progressives) any of 3 political parties that favored social reform and were active in the presidential elections of 1912, 1924, and 1948.
Progressive Era:
goal of progressives- end BIG business and corruption. period of the muckrakers.
still reading notes and will put together more tomorrow. *blah* (yes, that was intelligent wasnt it)
September 28th, 2005 -- Posted in History, Ramblings |
Were there reasons other than ability (or lack of) that made the East more successful than the West?
The size of the area of operation in the East was smaller. Lee’s job was to keep Richmond from falling.
The strategy defending particular positions rather than going after particular armies (Jominian Strategy: Do the greatest damage to enemy with least to self, concentrate all forces in strategic place, then go against enemy keeping interior lines of communication open.)
Government policy: Jefferson Davis concerned with saving capital, the West was not his priority.
Geography: Mountains in the East, rivers in the West. Union controlling rivers and Confederates had no navy or control. Confederates tried to defed rivers from land. The challenge was how to defend without a navy.
Navy factor: Union navy attacks from gulf up and down MS river. Confederate trying to build ironclads in NOLA, but no time to concentrate on navy. Confederates had the Arkansas as an ironclad. The Arkansas fended off Faragut in Vicksburg. CSS Arkansas was sent to Baton Rouge, but couldn’t make it, the Confederates blew it up.
Logistics: Lee has secure RR in rear around Richmond going south. Does not have major logistic problem. A lot of food was sent to Lee and not in the West who really needed it. The RR was down in the West. Rivers were tenuous at best, and ran east to west, and subject to raids. Also an expansive territory, so they could not guard all rail lines. Furthermore, n o standard guage.
Communications: not just telegraph. Due to distance from Richmond, many Confederate generals didn’t communicate with Richmond or each other.
Civil Support: For Confederacy in West (as opposed to VA). Because troops couldn’t defend all areas people were left vulnerable, less support for Confederates in the West. Lee had support in VA.
State government support: As long as Lee inn VA the state government offered support. In West, had to move government frequently to avoid capture. Some Governor’s protested because vulnerable. Not as much support in the West.
Decline of morale among Confederate soldiers: Happens to army of VA at Seige of Petersburg. Starts a lot earlier in Western theater. Desertion was a problem.
September 27th, 2005 -- Posted in History, Ramblings |
taking a little jump tonight for civil war info….
βThe major cause of the U.S. Civil War was slavery, pure and simple.β Discuss.
There are several catalysts to the Civil War and each can be tied to slavery. I have previously discussed the Compromise of 1850 and Kansas-Nebraska Act. For the sake of continuity I will paste it here and pick up with Bleeding Kansas, Bleeding Sumner and John Brown’s Raid. Others include the writing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Dred Scott decision.
To begin with, in 1820 the Missouri Compromise dealt with the Louisiana Purchase territory. The compromise attempted to solve the problem of slavery in the LA Purchase, stating that in LA Purchase territory and only in territory draw a line at 36*30′, the southern boundary of MO. Slavery would be allowed south of that line, not north, except in MO. The suggestion was to draw that line all the way to the Pacific.
The question still remained, what to do with all new territory? The Wilmot Proviso tried to attach an amendment to appropriations bill that would support the Mexican War if territory obtained would not allow slavery.
The Compromise of 1850 proposed to solve several issues regarding admittance to the Union. The question most addressed is slavery and the determination of slave or free states. Some proposed the question be answered by popular sovereignty. This opened questions as to when the people decide. Should they decide before being admitted as a state? Should they decide with the adoption of a Constitution? Or, should they decide with a vote after statehood?
With the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in California it became necessary to create a formal government there. the New Mexico area also needed proper government organization. Recommendations were made for both areas to create a constitution and apply for statehood. The question was whether they would be slave or free. New Mexico faced other challenges as well.
New Mexico was involved in a border dispute with Texas. There was also the Mormon question. The Mormon’s had proposed their own state status near the Great Salt Lake. Although not pro-slavery they did accept polygamy, which was just as deplorable as slavery to some members of Congress. Therefore, the focus was drawn to California.
California quickly embraced the opportunity to become a state. A consitution was created, but did not allow slavery. This was frightening to Southerners due to the vast size of the area. To solve the issue the compromise of 1850 was proposed.
The Compromise sought to appease both the pro- and anti-slavery factions. California would be admitted as a free state. Texas would be excused from war debts if they would settled with the New Mexico border. All new territory below the 36*30′ line could enter the Union as slave states and that above as free which would in part allow slaver into new territories. The least debated issue, the stronger fugitive slave law, would become the most explosive.
It is believed Stephen Douglas had an ulterior motive for proposing the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Although he was pro-expansion he also served to make money from the new trans-continental railroad in development. Douglas owned land in the Chicago area. The railroad was being constructed from California through the Kansas-Nebraska area to Chicago. Creating the new territory would hasten the railroad completion.
Again the question in the territory was slavery. The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed for the determination of slave or free to be by popular sovereignty. It also divided the territory into two. Having two territories would allow a slave/free balance in Congress.
Many in Kansas did not desire to be a slave state. However, Kansas would be bordered on three sides by slave states. As Kansas is created as a territory and creates a Constitution leaving slavery to be voted on by the people, Missouri gets involved. At the first electon of a Congressional representative 1700 Missourians cross the border to sway the vote, choosing a pro-slavery candidate. In March 1855 a territorial legislature had to be selected, 4-5000 crossed the MO/Kansas border for this vote. Over 5000 pro-slavery otes were cast. Almost 5000 were fradulent but President Pierce did nothing. A pro-slavery legislature passed a strict slave code restricting office holding to only those with proslavery views, imprisonment for anyone questioning pro-slavery views, death for anyone supporting slave rebellion or runaways.
Free state settlers began to organize. Henry Ward Beecher suggested sending “Beecher Bibles”, or rifles, in support saying sharps rifles would do more than Bibles as that time to enforce morality. Free state settlers organized a free state party and held a constitutional convention to create a constitution prohibiting slavery. They established their own legislature in 1855-56. Pro-slavery voters boycotted. To prove themselves as not sympathetic to blacks they adopted an ordinance banning the entry of free blacks as well as slaves.
James McPherson describes the two Kansas legislatures, one legal but fraudulent, the other illegal but representing a majority of settlers. The Democratic Senate recognized the first along with the President. The Republican Senate recognized the second.
November of 1855 each side mobilized several hundred armed men along the Wakarusa river. This “Wakarusa War” consisted of only a few skirmishes. Following a harshly cold winter 700 pro-slavery men rode into Lawrence destroying offices, businesses and the newspaper, throwing its press into the river. The house of the free state governor was burned as well as a nearby hotel.
The actions here lead to Bleeding Sumner and John Brown’s Raid.
Bleeding Sumner took place about the same time as Bleeding Kansas.
May19-20 Charles Sumner speaks to the Senate regarding “the crime against Kansas”, using sexual metaphors of a rape against Kansas. Sumner also made abusive references to Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina. Two days later in retaliation for his cousin Andrew Butler, Preston Brooks enters the Senate Chamber and proceeds to beat Charles Sumner with a cane.
Why a cane? When someone is insulted, to get revenge they either challenge the person to a dual if he is an equal, or cane/whip them if they are an inferior. Caning Sumner was symbolic.
Brooks continued beating Sumner, who was trapped at his desk, until other members pulled Brooks away. Sumner was unable to return to his Massachusetts Senate seat for 3 years. It had been saved for him as a symbol of the barbaric nature of slavery.
Southern moderates denounced Brooks for his actions. However, others applauded him.(There were some who actually sent him engraved canes.) Due to Southern vote the necessary 2/3 majority needed to expell him could not be reached. Brooks resigned, but was unanimously re-elected in his district, and he returned.
John Brown believed an “eye for an eye”. He had organized a militia for the Wakarusa War. After learning of the caning of Sumner, Brown led a raid along the Pottawatomie Creek. They seized five pro-slavery settlers and murdered them by splitting their skulls with broad swords. This launched a guerilla war in Kansas. About 200 men died in Kansas fighting in 1856. A truce and strained peace was finally brought to Kansas after the replacment of Kansas Governor Shannon with John Greary.
According the James McPherson, the “violent conflict (at Harpers Ferry) climaxed more than a decade of rising sectional tensions.”
John Brown planned to capture the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, seize weapons, and supply slaves he thought would join him.
October 16, 1859: Brown rented a farm in Maryland across the river from Harper’s Ferry. He had 17 white and 5 black recruits to help. (He tried to get Frederick Douglas to join in, but Douglas refused, thinking the attack would be futile.)
Brown made several mistakes:
- failed to inform slaves of his intentions
- had no escape route
- had no extended supplies
- had no defense for counter attack
- ultimately he had no plan, but attack.
October 17: Local citizens and militia responded to the raid. They cut off bridges across the Potomac, blocking escape. The raid was put down by Robert E. Lee and Jeb Stuart. Brown would be tried and hanged for his insurrection.
No slaves voluntarily participated.
The actual raid was a failure, but the effects were tremendous. Brown was almost revered as a martyr for the cause of abolition. His trial and post-trial behavior was respected. People felt he acted with dignity. He accepted his fate and almost embraced it, telling friends and family he was worth more to the cause hanged. Brown gained Northern sympathy. Although many disagreed with his method, they embraced his teaching.
John Brow’s Harpers Ferry raid was sectionally divisive. The North sympathized with the cause. The South, according to McPherson, identified Brown with abolition, abolition with Republicans, and Republicans with the North.
War was the result of this polarization because no compromise completely settled the issue of slavery. Each compromise postponed the inevitable. Upon the deaths and destruction, public emotions became involved. The morals of people would not be subject to political compromise.
