Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 7 of 7
Full-Text Articles in History
Robert E. Lee And Slavery, Allen C. Guelzo
Robert E. Lee And Slavery, Allen C. Guelzo
Civil War Era Studies Faculty Publications
Robert E. Lee was the most successful Confederate military leader during the American Civil War (1861–1865). This also made him, by virtue of the Confederacy's defense of chattel slavery, the most successful defender of the enslavement of African Americans. Yet his own personal record on both slavery and race is mottled with contradictions and ambivalence, all which were in plain view during his long career. Born into two of Virginia's most prominent families, Lee spent his early years surrounded by enslaved African Americans, although that changed once he joined the Army. His wife, Mary Randolph Custis Lee, freed her own …
Confederate Memory, Olivia Ortman
Confederate Memory, Olivia Ortman
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
This year as a CWI Fellow, I’ve been doing a lot of research and thinking on Civil War memory, specifically that of Confederate memory. When doing this work, the question at the back of my mind is always: How should monuments, symbols, and other examples of Confederate memory be handled? This is a very difficult question, so up until now, I’ve left it alone, knowing that there would come a time in the future that I would sit down and wrestle with my conflicting opinions on the matter. A couple days ago, the Civil War Era Studies Department here at …
Defending Reconstruction, Allen C. Guelzo
Defending Reconstruction, Allen C. Guelzo
Civil War Era Studies Faculty Publications
There are no Reconstruction re-enactors. And who would want to be? Reconstruction is the disappointing epilogue to the American Civil War, a sort of Grimm fairy tale stepchild of the war and the ugly duckling of American history. Even Abraham Lincoln was uneasy at using the word “reconstruction”—he qualified it with add-ons like “what is called reconstruction” or “a plan of reconstruction (as the phrase goes)”—and preferred to speak of the “re-inauguration of the national authority” or the need to “re-inaugurate loyal state governments.” Unlike the drama of the war years, Reconstruction has no official starting or ending date. ( …
No, Trump’S Election Does Not “Feel Like The Fall Of Reconstruction”, Jeffrey L. Lauck
No, Trump’S Election Does Not “Feel Like The Fall Of Reconstruction”, Jeffrey L. Lauck
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
On January 20, 2017, Chief Justice John Roberts administered the presidential oath of office to Donald Drumpf, making him the 45th President of the United States. Many Americans have variously perceived his election as “unprecedented,” “revolutionary,” and “terrifying.” Some historians found the turn of events leading up to and including Drumpf’s election to be rather familiar. In November, the Huffington Post ran a story titled “It Feels Like the Fall of Reconstruction.”In it, University of Connecticut professor Manisha Sinha outlined the parallels between 1877 and 2016. On Facebook, I have seen many of …
"With Nothing Left But Reputation": Reconstructing The Virginia Military Institute, Kaylyn L. Sawyer
"With Nothing Left But Reputation": Reconstructing The Virginia Military Institute, Kaylyn L. Sawyer
The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era
The Virginia Military Institute was founded in 1839 and flourished throughout the mid- nineteenth century. The Institute remained loyal to Virginia during the Civil War, providing the Confederate Army with top ranking generals and deploying the corps of cadets during the Battle of New Market. Exposed as a target for Union troops marching through the valley, the Institute was virtually destroyed in 1864. The defeat of the Confederacy in 1865 left VMI uncertain of its very existence. Advocates for the Virginia Military Institute faced the daunting task of rebuilding the school while a fractured nation struggled to rebuild itself through …
Murder In Manassas: Mental Illness And Psychological Trauma After The Civil War, Savannah G. Rose
Murder In Manassas: Mental Illness And Psychological Trauma After The Civil War, Savannah G. Rose
The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era
Following the American Civil War, the small railroad junction of Manassas, Virginia grew into one of the most prominent towns in the region with the help of town founder William S. Fewell and his family. In 1872, the youngest daughter of the prominent Fewell family was seduced and abducted by Prince Williams County’s Commonwealth Attorney and most prominent orator, James F. Clark without warning. Having just come home from three years of military service in the Civil War, witnessing the death of his twin brother as well as suffering for a year in Elmira Prison as a prisoner of war, …
Gettysburg College Journal Of The Civil War Era 2017
Gettysburg College Journal Of The Civil War Era 2017
The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era
No abstract provided.