Master and Slave: Power of the Planter Aristocracy
The South in the mid nineteenth century is one of the few areas in the Western world where slavery still exists. The countryside is often portrayed as a society replete with great plantations and wealthy landowners, but more typical is a landscape p...
Master and Slave: Effect of Slavery on Southern Society, The
Southern slaveholders in the 19th century pride themselves on their paternalism and how they care for their slaves which they contrast with the plight of the Northern workforce. If asked whether or not white and black people could ever live together...
House Divided: Realities Confronting North and South in the Second Year of Conflict
In the spring and summer of 1862, the Peninsular Campaign led by Union Army General George McClellan is driven back by the Confederates commanded by Robert E. Lee, then defeated once again at Bull Run (Manassas). Ulysses S. Grant's forces defeat the...
House Divided: United States Comes Apart, The
Bitterness marks aftermath of 1860 election. Southern states fear that the election of Abraham Lincoln and Republican dominance of Congress means that their way of life based on slavery will be violated. The legislature of South Carolina quickly cal...
House Divided: Strategies and Positions as War Begins
The first major battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Bull Run called Manassas in the South, is a major Confederate victory that for them confirms the legitimacy of their cause. Because Lincoln is convinced that a few U. S. victories will persuade ...
Manifest Destiny?: U. S. and Mexico Clash Over Boundary Dispute
Texas is officially annexed in the mid 1840s during the administration of James Polk. Many historians believe that Polk then engineers a border dispute with Mexico to gain western territory the country had been attempting to purchase for years. When...
Manifest Destiny?: New Territory Deepens Division between North and South
A great chasm opens up between North and South over the slavery question in relation to territories acquired in the Mexican War. When President Polk decides not to run in 1848 because of poor health, Democrats nominate Lewis Case, a dull aging party...
Final Stages: Bloody Battles Take Their Toll in Virginia, Summer and Fall, 1864
In Virginia, the Grant/Meade campaign against Lee during the summer and fall of 1864 is not making much headway. These are some of the bloodiest battles of the war, grinding day after day engagements with heavy casualties. When Jeb Stuart, Lee's tru...
Final Stages: Battles in the Deep South in 1864 and Their Impact on the Slave Population
William Sherman, commander of Union troops in the West, begins his infamous march to the sea in November and December of 1864 after defeating Confederate forces in Atlanta. With the presence of the Union army so deep within the South, slaves become ...
Final Stages: Contrast between North and South as 1864 Campaign Season Begins
The Confederate war experience is very different from the experience of the North simply because most of the battles are fought on Southern ground. Looking toward the campaigning season of 1864, the Confederates are desperate but determined. The moo...