March 23, 2006
Curious, George: "What's So Civil 'Bout War, Anyway?":
I'm researching the American Civil War and the Reconstruction. I'm having trouble figuring out who this Johnny Reb guy is, but he seems to be everywhere, man!
I'm especially interested in everyday life, so first person accounts, almanacs, image galleries, and similar on-line archives would be very helpful. I'd also like to know what was going on in other countries, both in North America and elsewhere, at that time, and the effect the war had on them (Economically, politically, etc.) Any weird anecdotes or throw-away factoids that you have would also be great! More specifically, I'm also looking for an archived school primer that was making the internet rounds a few months back. Titled "A Confederate Child's Schoolbook," or something like that, it was published in 1863. It could very well have been posted here, but so far has eluded my Yahoo Fu.
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Ken Burns's huge documentary has tons of quotes from first-person accounts, images, etc. Not online, natch. Shelby Foote's 3-volume series on the subject is also immensely popular, though I've not read it yet and can't speak to content.
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Also posted to AskMe, because I'm a double-dipping SOB
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The Red Badge Of Courage, natch.
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Ooh, ooh, here's a great resource for firsthand accounts of old-timey stuff: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Spans from 1841 - 1902. Walt Whitman was the editor of this paper for many years during this period. I've spent hours reading the scanned newspapers on this site, especially the obituaries that discuss the lives of American Revolution soldiers. I hope this helps!
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Oh, and layne, mayhaps you were thinking of this? I found it here.
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Just finished reading William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom. But that's fiction, and you don't have time to read it unless your project isn't due 'til May.
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Here.
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Amazing what you can get done while there's a war on.
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Cool, thanks, gang! I found the kid's book I was looking for too: "Abraham Lincoln was a weak man, and the South believed he would allow laws to be made, which would deprive them of their rights. So the Southern States seceded, and elected Jefferson Davis for their president. This so enraged President Lincoln that he declared war, and has exhausted nearly all the strength of the nation, in a vain attempt to whip the South back into the Union". Yours is great too, kittenhead, thanks!
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Here re Canadian doings in words of people.
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More here on the influence of the civil war on Canada.
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HUMAN GROCERY STORE.. ain't that fresh!