...January 6, 2011 Robert E. Lee and his Position on Slavery and Secession In the spring of 1861, our country faced a great turmoil caused by the incendiary issues of slavery and secession in the southern states. Abraham Lincoln, the newly elected president, was faced with the prospect of presiding over half a nation. Slavery was the key issue for the southern states but in Lincoln’s opinion the more pressing issue was the preservation of the Union. If not the issue of slavery, than some other issue at some other time would be reason enough for the states to try and secede. Lincoln’s fervent hope was that he could avoid a war by keeping the state of Virginia in the Union. “Lincoln declared to the U.S. Congress, “The course taken in Virginia was the most remarkable-perhaps the most important.” This simple statement expresses Virginia’s exceptional place in the history of the secession movement and the eventual coming of civil war in America. Virginia was important for two major reasons: first, the especially prominent and distinguished role it played in early American history and, second, its strategic location. For these reasons Virginians were truly torn over the decision of whether or not to secede. Because Virginia was not only sandwiched geographically but also economically, socially, and culturally between the North and the South, her decision to leave the Union was a tumultuous, long-fought battle.”(Gillian Cote, pg. 1) One of the ways Lincoln hoped to keep Virginia...
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...American Art Project Part One: Baptism of Pocahontas Artist: John Gadsby Chapman John Gadsby Chapman created a masterpiece that showed the Baptism of Pocahontas which was commissioned in 1837 and officially hung in 1840. This is a significant piece of art that gives a glimpse of what it might have looked or felt like for the American Indians at that time. American Indians entering into the Christian faith symbolizes the change that America was rapidly going through, but also the “take-over” by American Settlers. This was the period of time when American settlers and American Indians had strained relations and by this time they were being forced off of their land. I believe this was another way for the Americans to show their strong beliefs in Christianity; and furthermore strengthening their support among the Indians by using a popular Native face in the painting. I believe that a wide range of emotions were presented in this picture; from confusion, to anger, happiness, and maybe some who just felt indifferent or intrigued by it all. Gadsby also did a very good job at showing a softer side to Pocahontas and portraying her in a more feminine way, contrary to how she had been portrayed many times before as a heroic icon. Declaration of Independence Artist: John Trumbull The Declaration of Independence as shown in this painting is a phenomenal piece of art work that was commissioned in 1817 and hung in 1818. This painting depicts the seriousness of the matter by portraying...
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...The battle of the North and South continues. General Robert E Lee retreated from General Ulysses S Grant after the battle of Gettysburg which was the turning point in the war resulting in the surrender. Additional battles lead to ultimate meeting finalizing the Loss of the war. When Grant and Lee met at the Appomattox courthouse, they gave each other as much respect as possible. When they met Lee said “It would be useless and therefore cruel to provoke the further effusion of blood”. Grant let the soldiers keep their small weapons and horses. Grant also gave the soldiers provisions, so they could eat and have them respect him. One of the most important things that Grant did for the soldiers, is that he let Lee and the soldiers go...
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...Bruce Catton's, “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts” begins by painting a scene of the end of the American civil war at Appotomax. The author describes two American Generals, their contrasting beliefs and what was common between them. Robert E. Lee, was an aristocrat from Virginia. He embodied the ideals of the privileged upperclassmen, who had no desire for change. He believed that there should be inequality within America's social structure. The author mentions “In the end, it almost seemed as of the Confederacy fought for Lee; as if he himself was the Confederacy.” Lee, fought for the aristocratic concept to rule the country. Ulysses S. Grant, was a commoner from the rugged Western frontier. He was a man who came up in life the hard way....
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...In spite of his efforts, he remains to be General Lee’s right hand and gets hurt during the Battle of Wilderness in May of 1864. Following the end of the Civil War, Longstreet settles in New Orleans and in addition to the mistakes and the reputation he lost at Gettysburg, Longstreet became a republican and repetitively defending himself by blaming the Confederates fate on Robert E Lee. This makes him a target for the South, as he is described as the “the most hated man in the South” by southern newspapers (Shaara 350). Even after the war, Longstreet was surrounded by controversy as he, previously fighting for slavery, had commanded African American soldiers to put an end to a riot by a white group in the early 1870’s (History 5). After being labeled “the lost cause” by many, Longstreet spent the rest of his years repairing his lost reputation. Publishing his memoirs From Manassas to Appomattox in 1895, and after remarrying to Helen Dortch, Longstreet bid his farewell in 1904, leaving his legacy of being a strong and effective leader stained with...
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...officials didn’t like that. The Battle Field Lincoln pledges to abolish slavery in all the states, his views were very different from those in congress, and Lincoln wanted a strong nation, one without slavery. This would be fine if slavery wasn’t popular in most states, but sadly it was. There was conflict and disagreement, but most of this conflict came from the south. In the south slavery was a very popular and common practice. Thirteen states from the south seceded from the United States. These states called themselves The Confederate States Of America. According to www.civilwar.org the first battle of the civil war took place at Fort Sumter. On April 12, 1861, Major Robert Anderson was under fire by General P.G.T Beauregard, who was in command of the Confederate forces around Charleston harbor. Major Robert Anderson surrendered on April 13 and evacuated the next day. This The battlefield is a very known subject in all wars but this was one of the harshest wars in American history. This war like any other was fought and won with armies of soldiers. Each side had its own army of soldiers. The U.S. army consisted of about, 22 million troops. The Confederate army consisted of about 9 million soldiers. The U.S. had the advantage in numbers. The battles during the civil war were very violent and bloody. Cannon fire was the most fearsome weapon during the war. Cannon ball would bounce off the ground and mow down troops. Soldiers that have been...
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...confederate generals and one of the best officers to serve under the more famous General Robert E. Lee. He was a very honorable general. Although Jackson had a very rough life at home and as a child he still prevailed as a godly and respected man. Jackson was born January 21, 1824, in Clarksburg, Virginia which is now modern day West Virginia. He overcame many struggles in his younger years. He was two years old when his sister and father passed away. His father got sick and died of typhoid fever when he was 36. His sister Elizabeth also died of typhoid fever when she was six and his brother Warren died of Tuberculosis when he was twenty. His mom, Julia Beckwith Neale, remarried to a man named Blake...
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...--------------------------------------- This essay was downloaded from CheatHouse.com (c) Loadstone 1995-2003. More essays, papers, reports, study notes and more can always be found at: - http://www.CheatHouse.com - --------------------------------------- Within the last century, the scale of war has made necessary a different type of leader. We no longer fight for our farms, villages, and hunting lands. Our interests have shifted from straits and mountain passes. In our current world, as a result of technological revolutions and ever growing political instability, we live in the threat of a global war. Actions have the potential to resonate in many continents subsequently influencing the economies, policies, and war strategies of nations worldwide. For these reasons, leaders must study the past and integrate history's lessons learned with the new challenges of leading within a heightened threat. Military leaders must maintain their grasp and focus on the technical mastery of warfighting, personal courage, and the ability to inspire men to fight for a common cause. Victory will lend itself to the commander who can master the terrain and find new or creative ways to employ his weapons and men. Leaders must be technically proficient with the arms they use to wage war. In a broad example, the Spartans studied the natural tendency of phalanx formations to shift right and employed special tactics to break off part of their formation and bring it upon the flank...
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...DAVIS: SENATOR, CONGRESSMAN, & CONFEDERATE PRESIDENT Davis was elected US senator from the state of Mississippi serving ten years between 1835 and 1845 and served as a U.S. Congressman from 1846 to 1846 and again from 1857 to 1861. In 1861 when Mississippi seceded from the Union, David withdrew from the U.S. Senate. Davis was appointed the provisional president by the provisional Congress of the Confederate States on February 18, 1861. Davis held the title of the President of the Confederacy until the surrender of General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, Virginia, on April 9, 1865. II. DAVIS: THE AUTHOR Jefferson Davis wrote the work entitled: “A Short History of the Confederate States of America” published in 1890 and in Chapter 1: Before Secession, The Causes of the War Between the States Davis writes that: “Ignorance and credulity have enable unscrupulous partisans so to mislead public opinion, both at home and abroad, as to create the belief that the institution of African slavery was the chief cause, instead of...
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...was directed by Stanley Kramer and written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. It is based on the true story of John “Monkey” Scope’s trial of being convicted of teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in a high school, even though it was illegal in the state of Tennessee. The story is told in Tennessee around the time of 1925. The film shows issues between cultures about how some believe in evolution and some believe in the Church, however, the major issue is the one on how Americans can think for themselves. I feel the movie depicted the issues in neither a negative nor a positive manner. I think it was more of a historical film than a film that takes a side on either side of the issue. It is negative in the fact that the way it was handled and the laws at the time thoroughly showed that it was illegal. At the time, teaching the theory of evolution was illegal in high school. The thought of children learning of how humans came to be outside of what the bible described was blasphemy. The people showing hatred towards Bertram Cates, the name of the character in the film that portrayed Scope, was a prime example of the way people viewed those who thought this type of way. I feel that it depicted society in a negative manner more than the situation itself. In the film, you heard citizens singing for the defendant and his attorney for their death. This often left the viewing contemplating their beliefs. The film touches more on the understanding of reason more the emotion...
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...The Killer Angels Michael Shaara “The Killer Angels”, by Michael Shaara, was a novel about the military strategies and actions taken during the Civil War. The novel was written from several different military viewpoints. Shaara wrote this novel through the eyes of Joshua Chamberlain, John Buford for the Union and Robert E. Lee and his right hand man James Longstreet for the Confederate and other important military figures. The Civil War spanned over many years, however Shaara chose to focus on The Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought from July 1st to July 3rd. The battle was the turning point of the Civil War. There were many battles fought before and after Gettysburg but this battle was the one that confirmed the Confederate would be defeated and fail to win their independence. Michael Shaara did an excellent job in helping the reader understand what went on it The Battle of Gettysburg. He allowed the reader to see things from both sides of the war. He never let on which side of the war he agreed with. Shaara wrote this novel in a way that each side was given equal time, even if he had conflicts with the viewpoints of the individuals in the war. On one day the Union would look powerful and the next it would be the Confederate. He wanted readers to see what the Union and the Confederate had endured based on the information from the soldiers themselves. When I read the book I felt compassion for the Union and Confederate armies. It was very evident...
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...The play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee chronicles the trial of Bertram Cates—a school teacher in Tennessee who breaks the law by teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution instead of creationism. Matthew Harrison Brady, the prosecuting attorney on the case, exhibits prominent characteristics which directly affects the way he conducts the trial. Brady displays various examples throughout the play of how his arrogance, insecurity, and intolerance influences the way he acts. To begin with, Matthew Harrison Brady’s arrogance is an aspect that altered his conduction of the trial. An example is when Brady learns Henry Drummond will be the defence attorney on the case. Regarding this piece of information, Brady says, “If...
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...The Confederate invasion of the North in September of 1862 was an attempt by Robert E. Lee to swing the war in favor of the South. The main reason for the Confederate invasion was that the British were on the verge of recognizing the Confederacy if they could show it could hold its own, and Lee was anxious to provide a cornerstone for the Confederacy to build upon. The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest day in American history and was a major blow to the Army of Northern Virginia and the morale of the south. This is the tableau against which our story unfolds. Stephen W. (Ward) Sears was born July 27th, 1932 in Ohio. He is a pre-eminent American historian specializing in all facets of the Civil War. He graduated from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio and was an attendee of a journalism seminar at Radcliffe-Harvard. As a novelist, he has concentrated on the military history of the Civil War, primarily focusing his works on the battles involving and leaders of the Army of the Potomac. He was formerly employed as an editor for the Educational Department at the American Heritage Publishing Company. Sears currently resides in Norwalk, Connecticut. Some of the other books he has written on the Civil War are Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, To the Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign, and George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. However, it is his novel, Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam, that we are concerned with here. It is a fantastic book detailing the battle of...
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...Civil War creation of new supplies became a constant need for both sides of the conflict. The Union found advantage in that the Northern factories produced the majority of the ammunition. Not only did the Union army have the majority of the fire power they also possessed access to more ways of transportation through railroads, ships and wagons. Being able to transport supplies and soldiers over great distances gave the North great advantage. The Confederacy who lacked the same level of industry could not supply their troops and is part of the reason the South found defeat. The South held the benefit, at least at the beginning of the war, of more experienced military personnel. Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate forces had been originally beckoned by Lincoln to command the Union army. Lee, a Virginian,...
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...The failure of Pickett’s charge By Adam Salas The third day of the battle of Gettysburg was on Friday July 3rd, 1863. On that day was Pickett’s Charge. This was known as the mistake of mistakes because it was so unbelievably unsuccessful. This battle was so unsuccessful because the confederates were bouncing off of 2 failed attempts at beating the union already in the battle, their artillery launch was not impressive by comparison, they faced what the union faced in Fredericksburg, and they lost too many men in the fight. All of these things put together made Pickett’s charge famous. The day began with the largest artillery fire in the history of the world up to that point, but the damage they did wasn’t as bad as the attack was. Many southern soldiers aimed their guns too high and shot above them. Also, the shots were off target, some landed in the dirt way up front, some were off to the side, and some exploded in mid air. When General Pickett and his army charged towards hill, they were greeted with severe return fire! In the return fire, Pickets army quickly diminished and the north had no problem defending the hill. In the middle of the field, was a large fence. The confederate soldiers had to climb over the fence to get past it, making them easy targets. Pickett lost over 2,000 of his men. Other generals and commanders lost a several men. All-in-all, the Southern army lost about 5,575 men in Pickett’s Charge, due to death, capture or being wounded. General Armistead...
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