Archives Overview.
The class will be divided into two groups. One group will meet
at the regular class time and the other group will meet
at 2:00 pm.
We will meet in the reading room of the University Archives, on the second
floor of Furman Library.
Each person in the class will need to research one of his or her episodes from the inter-campus common dates. Your common moment will be assigned by discussion group:
Conflict Processes and Polarization on the
Eve of Civil War.
Read Ayers, American Passages, Chapter 13: Broken Bonds: 1855-1861.
Review the
SHDB for the years 1855-1861.
Read the Edgefield, S.C. Advertiser's editorial
"Capt. Brooks' Castigation of Sen. Sumner,"
the Laurensville, S.C.Herald's editorial on
"The Brooks Meeting,"
the Albany, N.Y. Evening Journal's editorial on
"The Ruffians in the Senate,"
and the Pittsburgh Gazette's editorial on
"The Attack on Mr. Sumner".
Then read the Charleston, S.C., Mercury's editorial on
"Murder and Treason versus Patriotism"
and the Pittsburgh Gazette's editorial on
"John Brown's Execution". What are the similarities and differences in the
justifications for violence that Southern Democrats and Northern Republicans
expressed here? To what extent do the editorials defending Preston Brooks
mirror the arguments advanced by defenders of John Brown?
You may optionally skim through the full list of
Sumner Caning Editorials and
John Brown's Raid Editorials on the Secession Era Editorials
Website. Judging from these, to what
extent was party more important than section in determining how writers
interpreted these two incidents?
Members of the RED discussion group will need to post comments to the Course Discussion Board before class.
The "Rosewater" War.
Read Ayers, American Passages, Chapter 14: Descent to War, 1861-1862.
Review the
SHDB for the years 1855-1861.
Go to the search tool at the
Richmond Daily Dispatch, 1860-1865 website at the University of
Richmond. Look on the right side of the screen for search options.
Perform a boolean search in full text using the keywords "Yankee" and "Barbarism."
It will return a long (and not very descriptive) list of hits. Browse to
the details of some of these by clicking on the "results details" links. Look at
the full text of at at least one entry from each of the years 1861, 1862, 1863,
1864, and 1865. How, if at all, do the content or rhetorical usages of these
terms change over the period? Jot down the article date and titles you looked at --
we will discuss a sample of these in class.
Now go to the
Chicago Tribune Full Text Historical full image database. Perform an
advanced search using the keywords "rebel" and "barbarism," limiting your
search to the years from 1861 to 1865. As you did with the Dispatch, pick one
hit of your choice from each year. How do the content and rhetorical usages change over
time? How do the accusations compare with those of the Dispatch? Jot down the
article titles and dates.
Members of the GREEN discussion group will need to post comments to the Course Discussion Board before class.
Defining the War's Meaning.
Read Ayers, American Passages, Chapter 15: Blood and Freedom,
1863-1867.
Review the
SHDB for the years 1863-1867.
Search the
History Engine's
event descriptions for the keywords
"monument" or "statue." Limit your search to the
subject category "War." Read at least four episodes
related to commemoration of the American Civil War.
Go to the
American Memory website at the Library of Congress. Search for "Lincoln
Second Inaugural Address." Note in passing that there are a variety of other collections
on this website that might be useful for your own projects. Select the document labeled
"Second Inaugural Address, Endorsed by Lincoln." Read the document.
Now search American Memory for the Gettysburg Address. (Read either the Nicolay
or Hay copies.) What were the main points of Lincoln's war causation theory?
What did he say made the war's sacrifices worthwhile?
Look at a picture of the
Kentucky State Monument and its
main plaque on the Chickamauga National Battlefield. What is the significance
of the female figure at the top of the monument? How does the message reflect
the complexity of the war's meaning for Kentuckians?
How does the monument (erected in May 1899) reflect the
events and concerns
of the 1890s as much as it might the the war itself?
Members of the BLUE discussion group will need to post comments to the Course Discussion Board before class.
1865
Finish reading Stephen Ash, 1865 in preparation for class discussion.
Either before or after class read Ayers, American Passages,
Chapter 16: Reconstruction Abandoned, 1868-1877.
You may optionally review the
SHDB for the years 1868-1877.
Members of the PURPLE discussion group will need to post comments to the Course Discussion Board before class.
Please be sure that you have updated your research journal for this week.
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Note: The instructor reserves the right to change any provisions, due dates, grading percentages, or any other items without prior notice. All assignments on this schedule are covered under the university's policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. See the syllabus statement for further details. This page was last updated on 10/8/2007.