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Importance of the American Civil War
Impact of american civil war on society
Impact of american civil war on society
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Tyler Aiken 12/06/2017 American history BRIDGE BURNINGS OF 1861 Throughout Greeneville history there has been great historic men and women that have paved the way for us today. The East tennessee bridge burners of (1861) where a big example of men standing up and fighting for what they believed in.The bridge burners where a guerrilla operation ran by union sympathizers in confederate territory. These men were ordered by President Abraham Lincoln to destroy nine bridges located in east tennessee and alabama. Throughout this paper i will discuss how the bridge burners took shape and what caused the guerilla operations , next i will talk about the attacks of the bridges And lastly i will discuss the aftermath and the effects of the bridge …show more content…
burnings. At this time in 1861, in the appalachian mountains slavery wasn’t very important. East Tennessee was also fighting with the state government for years trying to get more appropriation for internal improvement . The politicians and wigs mainly controlled most of East Tennessee. Most of the locals did not like this at all ,which created a lot of problems. Tennessee as a hole voted to break form the Union. Dr. William E. Hardy said “many people label Tennessee an early secessionist state, but it actually took two votes to get the number needed to withdraw from the Union” (Benton,1). On, June , 17 Greeneville sessions had a convention to stop secessionist , but that was turned down and Governor Isham Harris ordered Confederate troops into Tennessee; under Gen. Zollicoffer. Due to the confederacy being in control ,The East Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Virginia railroads held a great deal of importance to the confederacy.
The railroads made it a lot easier to travel due to the appalachian mountains and rivers. In 1861, London Haynes warned the railroad . Their was a petition wrote bye the town of Greeneville ,which was planning to take down the railroad bridges, the petition was rejected. Carter then traveled to Kentucky to Camp Robinson were a large sum of unionist where fleeing to.Their London told the general unionist about his plan to take down the bridges and slow down the confederate forces. After Camp Robinson ,Carter went to D.C to meet with Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln decided to aid Carter in the Bridge burnings by Ordering for a raid after the bridge burnings where to take place .Lincoln was also trying to get Union help to the area with Union loyalists, so they can get out from under Confederate occupation. Dr. William E. Hardy said “many people label Tennessee an early secessionist state, but it actually took two votes to get the number needed to withdraw from the Union” (Benton,1). Some communities in the mountainous east, like Cleveland, still held onto their loyalties, while more rural areas often supported secession (Benton, 1). While Abraham Lincoln was trying to start a Unionist revolt in tennessee. He gave 2,500 dollars to native and minister William B. Carter to organize the uprising
(Benton,1). Carter started recruiting shortly after the fall of 1861, according to historians (Benton,1). They were moved all around middle and East Tennessee . Carter mainly recruited most of the men from his command post in Tennessee. David Fry and William Cross where officers that Carter had a lot of Faith in . So they where assigned the Licked Creek and Loudon County Area. These bridge were the big ones do to the high confederate count in the area. Then Carter went on to recruit Alfred Cate a man born and raised in Hamilton, Tennessee. He was responsible for the bridges in the Southeast. Cate then assigned two bridges to Daniel Stover in the Northeast region of Tennessee. Then last, he recruited a native to Sevier County William C.Pickens. All these men recruited reliable men to help them, they got dispersed to different bridges. The most noticeable names are the ones from Greene County area. Their names are the Harmon brothers , Jacob Henry, Harrison, and High Self. After these recruits were dispersed throughout virginia and tennessee .Carter and the rest of the recruits marched to knoxville. Their was a slight problem though that caused the timing of the raid to be delayed . The confederate men had raided Kentucky, though not successful it spread the unionist thin and threw their timing of for the bridge burnings. Due to the mis communication and being spread thin Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman passed orders to call the whole thing off. But, it was too late the bridge burners didn't get the information in time and went through with the mission. So, on Nov 8, and 9 1861, three bridges in the Chattanooga Tennessee area where set a blazed. The unionist got away unharmed and unseen. Bridges in East tennessee where also set on fire which was a lot more populated with confederates. Lick Creek Bridge was also one that went up in flames. During this Greene County was Joined by Christopher Haun, Henry Fry and Jacob Hinshaw, Jacob and Henry Harmon, at their Greene County home, made final preparations to torch the railroad bridge in present day Mohawk (O.j. Early,1). From their the bridge burning in Greene County where executed with success. In fact the majority of the bridges were burned fairly easy due to the lack of security of confederate guards. The bridge raids ultimately were a "complete failure," despite getting five of the nine bridges (Benton,1).The Union didn't act on the uprisings in Northeast Tennessee and others elsewhere were put down quickly by the Confederates The confederacy later built the bridges back and continued to operate out of most of the areas that the burning took place. The unionist on the other hand didn’t have as much luck . Abraham Lincoln had a deal with General Sherman and the bridge burners that he would have union men from Kentucky raid the areas of the railroad right after the burning happened. But he never seen it through. Which lead to the Confederate seizing their weapons and arresting them, which started in Middle tennessee .Most of the men that were taken to jail weren't even the men who burned the bridges and where most likely arrested do to the fact that they were thought of to be unionist. Around 17 people were rounded up and thought to be supporters. Though one of the most tragic events from the bridge burnings was what took place around Greeneville. Right after the bridge burnings, the bridge burners let a guard from the bridge in Lick Creek go and during that time they were occupied with pledging their allegiance to the union (Astor,1) . This was not a very good look for the unionist . Henry Fry and Jacob M. Hinshaw were hung in Greeneville and for everyone to see. Another mistake happened right after the bridges just got done burning . A bridge burner was standing next to a tied up guard . This guard over herd the bridge burner mention Jacob Harmon’s name (Astor,1) . Jacob and Henry Harmon also East Tennessee natives were hung also in Knox county (Little,1) . A Lot of the bridge burners were gunned down by confederate guards along the road and some of them were not even involved with the burnings . Hundreds of others who had taken part in the burnings were sent to prison in Alabama, or fled to Kentucky. William Carter went back to Kentucky to try to get the union to invade the East. Which didn’t happen until two years later, after the bridge burnings. Some of the men involved went to Kentucky and enlisted in the Union Army and a few were not as lucky, like i explained. David Fry which was the head of the lick creek area was arrested and was sentenced to death, but he would later escape. Confederate officials thought that William Brownlow was involved in the Conspiracy. He was an editor that was responsible of articles before that could have potentially provoked the unionist to make their decision to do what they did. It also raised suspecion when he went into hiding a few weeks before the conspiracy. Shortly, after the attacks he denied ever having any involvement . The Confederate gave him a chance to have immunity and leave to the union territory. But, he didn't take the offer and was arrested in Tennessee. He later was responsible for a lot the documented data on the hangings, deaths and arrested bridge burners. He also fought for the rights of the men and came out successful a few times. Most of the men were never truly revealed due to a pact to never speak of it . Because they were sworn to secrecy, we have very little data on the bridge burners
Stephen W. Sears’ Landscape Turned Red is an account of political and military plans. Especially General Robert E. Lee’s Maryland Campaign as well as the Battle of Antietam. Sears frames his work around the pending support of Great Britain and France to the Confederate cause due to cotton. Landscape Turned Red covers the battle of Antietam. It offers a vivid account of both armies, the soldiers and officers, and the bloody campaign. It analyzes the impact of Antietam on the Civil War as a whole. Sears' use of diaries, dispatches, and letters recreate the Battle of Antietam. You experience the battle not only from its leaders but also by its soldiers, both Union and Confederate. Sears attempts to examine the tactical moves of both Lee and General George McClellan. He also talks about the foolish decisions that troubled both the Federal and Confederate forces. Sears' use of traits, political pursuits, and tactical preferences, explain the thoughts of many. Some of these include President Lincoln, General Halleck and General McClellan, and their subordinates. Stephen Ward Sears is an American historian specializing in the American Civil War. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and an attendant to a journalism seminar at Radcliffe-Harvard. As an author he has concentrated on the military history of the American Civil War. Such as the battles and leaders of the Army of the Potomac. He was an editor for the Educational Department at American Heritage Publishing Company. American Heritage Publishing two of his ten books.
General Richard Sherman’s march to the sea has just finished. After successful capturing Atlanta, Georgia, General Sherman directed his Union army to Savannah, Georgia. Along the way, northerners wreaked havoc on Southern cotton mills and destroy train tracks while completely uprooting 20 percent of Georgian plantations. This effectively halted the Confederate’s means of transportation and economic structure subsequently w...
Rickard, J. (2006, May 1). American Civil War: The Shenandoah Valley. Military History Encyclopedia on the Web. Retrieved March 25, 2012, from http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_american_civil_war04_shenandoah.html
As the Reconstruction Era ended, the United States became the up and coming world power. The Spanish-American war was in full swing, and the First World War was well on its way. As a result of the open-door policy, England, Germany, France, Russia, and eventually Japan experienced rapid industrial growth; the United States decided to pursue a foreign policy because of both self- interest and idealism. According to the documents, Economic self- interest, rather than idealism was more significant in driving American foreign policy from 1895 to 1920 because the United States wanted to protect their foreign trade, property and their access to recourses. While the documents also show that Nationalistic thought (idealism) was also crucial in driving American foreign policy, economic Self- interest prevailed.
Carter, Dan T. Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2007. Print.
The American Civil war is considered to be one of the most defining moments in American history. It is the war that shaped the social, political and economic structure with a broader prospect of unifying the states and hence leading to this ideal nation of unified states as it is today. In the book “Confederates in the Attic”, the author Tony Horwitz gives an account of his year long exploration through the places where the U.S. Civil War was fought. He took his childhood interest in the Civil War to a new level by traveling around the South in search of Civil War relics, battle fields, and most importantly stories. The title “Confederates in the Attic”: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War carries two meanings in Tony Horwitz’s thoughtful and entertaining exploration of the role of the American Civil War in the modern world of the South. The first meaning alludes to Horwitz’s personal interest in the war. As the grandson of a Russian Jew, Horwitz was raised in the North but early in his childhood developed a fascination with the South’s myth and history. He tells readers that as a child he wrote about the war and even constructed a mural of significant battles in the attic of his own home. The second meaning refers to regional memory, the importance or lack thereof yet attached to this momentous national event. As Horwitz visits the sites throughout the South, he encounters unreconstructed rebels who still hold to outdated beliefs. He also meets groups of “re-enactors,” devotees who attempt to relive the experience of the soldier’s life and death. One of his most disheartening and yet unsurprising realizations is that attitudes towards the war divide along racial lines. Too many whites wrap the memory in nostalgia, refusing...
On March 5, 1861 Abraham Lincoln got a message for Maj. Robert Anderson, who was at Fort Sumter, saying that there was less than a six week supply of food left. On April 8, Lincoln told Gov. Francis Pickens of South Carolina that he was going to try to refurnish the fort. The Confederate government ordered Gen. Beauregard to demand the evacuation of the fort. If it was refused he was to force its evacuation. (www.us-civilwar.com/sumter.htm) Anderson received a letter from Gen. Beauregard telling him to evacuate the fort or h...
The Battle of Fredericksburg is remembered as the Confederate Army’s most one-sided victory in its campaign against the Union Forces of the North. It was the first battle to occur shortly after President Abraham Lincoln had delivered his “Emancipation Proclamation” and the President was hard pressed for a victory to bolster public support for it. It would be remembered as the first major campaign for the newly appointed General of the Army of the Potomac. General Ambrose E. Burnside was given command of the Union Army due to an increased frustration President Abraham Lincoln was experiencing with his predecessor. However, General Burnside’s inexperience would cost him dearly on the battlefield. Historical data and battlefield analysis reports show what led to the Unions defeat at Fredericksburg. An alternative outcome was possible had General Burnside
The Civil War was unlike any other war ever fought in America and had many effects on the home front for both the North and the South. It is stated to be the first ever total war, which is a war against not only the civilians but also the armies. The Civil War is also considered the first modern war fought by the U.S. troops. Lincoln asked volunteers to sign up for only three months. Many people thought the war wouldn’t last long. However, the war continued on for four years. The Union armies had around 2,500,000 to 2,750,000 men and the Confederate army had approximately 750,000 to 1,250,000 men. The entire North and South society was affected by the war and desired for many social and economic assets. The Civil war brought new military techniques which caused the armaments to be more destructive. Ironclad ships and railroads were sufficiently used within the war. The north had a motive; they wanted to weaken the South’s longing to victory. The North tried to achieve this last motive by inflicting wholesale destruction upon the South (Janda, 1995). More than a hundred people seemed to be spies or secessionists in Maryland. In time, they were arrested due to not being faithful to the union and their state. Pro-secessionist newspapers were shut down, and telegrams and mail were censored (Perret, 2004).
Lincoln also had private railroad companies allow him access to their track and to the trains they were manufacturing to help with the war. As a result of this Lincoln took control of railroad systems to help him win the war. Baldwin Locomotive Works also built 500 engines for Lincoln to use in the war. With the railroad Lincoln sent troops longer distances in a fraction of the time that it would take to march. The troops didn't have to march to their destination and the could easily transfer food and medical supplies without wasting time, supplies and energy.
...ld not protect the interest of the Southern states. Coupled with the hostilities, lack of votes for Lincoln from the South and disregard for the constitutional protection of slavery is a justifiable reason from the Southern leaders to secede from the Union.
Then, once the Civil War began, he was merely trying to preserve what was left of an unstable union. The true “Emancipators” of slavery lie in the grass roots people of that time, the abolitionists, Frederick Douglas, and the slaves themselves. The slaves earned their freedom. Lincoln was merely a man who let the events of his era determine his policy. “I claim not to have controlled events but confess plainly that events controlled me.”
This is not an attempt to defend the violent behavior of Appalachia’s residents. By examining a few significant events, it is rather an attempt to explain the complex causes for the violence and how there were underlying implications. In doing so we will find a better understanding for the history of intense violence that began after the Civil War and lasted until the 1920s. In addition, this will help us to uncover the origins of the Appalachian stereotype and that has continued to develop over the past century, beginning with the dark and bloody history of Breathitt County, Kentucky.
...om’s Cabin in 1852, the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the Dred Scott Decision of 1857, John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859, and the outcome of the Presidential Election of 1860—created conditions where Southerners felt the need to secede from the United States (they felt that their “way of life” was being threatened), as well as created conditions where the Northerners decided to go to war against the Southern Confederacy in order to maintain the Union. It is not surprising, however, that the Civil War occurred; since the Industrial Revolution, the Industrial North had always been different than the Agricultural South. If each region paid more attention to resolving the issues that separated them, instead of trying to prove themselves right, they could have stopped the bloodiest battle in American history (even though this is using hindsight knowledge).
Heidler, David Stephen, and Jeanne T. Heidler, eds. Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: a