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The institution of slavery in america and its impact on the civil war
Cause and effect of the civil war
Slavery during civil war
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Walt Whitman wrote a lot of good poetry during the civil war time period. He was not only a great asset during the war for the white americans, but he also voiced his opinions against slavery. He wrote and traveled through the country and never stopped letting people know what he thought about what he was seeing. He wrote many classics that are featured in our english books today and many more that can easily be found. The civil war time period was rough for every American family and Walt Whitman gave a voice to those who were busy fighting for their rights, no matter how wrong everyone thought they were, especially when it came to the equality and slavery.
The hard civil life molded the country that is America today. With the help of Whitman
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The North and the South were battling because one side was too strong for the other to ignore. The North was more industrialist and was slightly more advanced that the South, and viewed their ways as basically barbaric. The right to own another man, no matter the color of their skin, was a little too much for the North to stomach. Even though once upon a time, they did the same thing too, the only difference is, they didn't need slaves anymore. Walt Whitman's own family fought in this war, dragging him into a very tough spot. The Union army needed him and he was more than willing to help, which also inspired him to write one particularly famous poem by seeing the war up close and personal, allowing him to sympathize with the men and families who were affected by the war. “When his brother was wounded in 1863, Whitman went to Washington to help in the overcrowded Union military hospitals” (Mr.D). Walt had some experiences in the war that hit a little too close to home, and maybe that's why he was so passionate about the topic when he wrote. His family and his freedom were clearly things he cherished, but he also wrote about duty and …show more content…
It was most of what caused the war. Walt Whitman had seen what it was like and wrote a few poems about the culture and the problems. Unlike a lot of white men in his time period, he didn't seem to think as colored people any lesser than he was. The thinking back then was that if you weren't a white male, your opinion was irrelevant, and if you had dark skin, you weren't even basically a person, you were an object. So slavery became the norm until the north became a more industrialized workforce rather than an farming area. They didn't need slaves anymore so when the north looked at the south, they saw that their old ways of slavery were more wrong than right. "The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states.” (Civil War Trust). Slavery was about half of the reason the civil war started, and it's an important topic we still learn about today. Although the North just ran out of uses for the slaves and that's probably most of the reason why they their ideals were a lot more different than the South's, It was a big change that really set things in motion for African
The North had a very different opinion of the American way and made it exceedingly clear with the formation of numerous abolition societies, effectively abolishing slavery across the northern region and allowing blacks to live as productive members society, rather than its the property. Even one of the most prominent slave holders of that time was forced to rethink the legitimacy of slavery. “Seeing free black soldiers in action undermined [George] Washington’s racial prejudice and ultimately his support for slavery itself” (Finkelman 18). The productivity, societal and political benefits, and military empowerment made available by freed slaves challenged the South’s sense of racial supremacy, thus they began to establish a defense against the complete abolition of
Both Whitman and Twain watched as America became consumed by war. Whitman actually spent time in Washington D.C with his brother who had been wounded during the struggle, and this showed him the true face of war and the pain that it brings. The turmoil of the war and all of the issues that caused it are what shaped the writing styles of both authors, yet both authors have different perspectives on America as a whole. For Whitman, America is a place of fellowship. He sympathizes with comradery and truly believes that all are created equally. In the beginning of Song of Myself Whitman says, “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you”. This is Whitman establishing the idea of comradery, which is what he believed to be the center of American culture. Twain’s views on America and those who inhabit it are rather twisted when compared to Whitman. Twain would go out of his way to criticize what he felt was wrong. For example, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Twain criticized the embodiment of slavery (which was a massive social issue after the end of the war). He chose to set this story before the conflict in order to play around with his ideas about racism. He uses the character Jim (who is a runaway slave) as a platform for the discussion on racial controversy. Jim is constantly being hunted and ridiculed thought the book and for while Huck seems to agree with the racist ideals of the surrounding world, and only
Walt Whitman was a famous American poet who wrote many great poems during the Civil War. Though he originally worked for printing presses and newspapers, he later became a famous poet. During the Civil War, Whitman wrote many patriotic poems that supported the ideas of the North. Whitman’s poems will forever be linked to the American Civil War era of poetry. Walt Whitman was an iconic American poet with an interesting life that later impacted his works of poetry.
...ecause they feared that Slavery would soon be completely abolished. These tensions eventually led to the civil war where the North won and slavery was ended although there were still slave like laws in place after.
Whitman’s poem was written in the mid-1800s during the industrial revolution, but Hughes’ poem was written in the 1900s during the Civil Rights Movement. This is important because the Civil Rights Movement established the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Industrial Revolution moved at a slow place but there were still issues with slavery. Whitman’s poem was free verse while Hughes’ poem was traditional rhyme/rhythm. The tone of Whitman’s poem was patriotic and celebratory (I HEAR America singing, the varied carols I hear); because he was paying tribute to the success of the individuals; however, the tone of Hughes’ poem was sarcastic and frustrated (to build a “homeland of the free,’’ because he didn’t feel like some individuals were allowed to experience the American Dream. Whitman’s theme of his poem was that individuals and liberties make America great. On the other hand, Hughes’ theme of his poem expressed that individuals felt excluded from the “homeland of the free.” The purpose of Whitman’s poem is praise for universal brotherhood. However, Hughes’ poem’s purpose was to inform individuals about inequality, meaning that not everyone has the same liberties in America. Whitman’s poem focused on the jobs of the workers, while Hughes’ poem focused on race, social status, and a list to represent the “I am’’ phrase; (I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars). He also
What started as a war to prevent the South from seceding quickly turned into a war against slavery following President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. At the start of the Civil War, both Union and Confederate sides believed that they would had a quick and decisive victory. The North’s population and industry was vastly greater than the South’s, but the South had superior military leadership, a large white population that was united against invading Union armies and a hope that France or Britain would intervene on their behalf.
The equality of all humans is still a topic that is discussed today in the United States. In the eighteenth century the equality of some humans was a topic that the privileged populace tended to ignore. During this time period a very select group of humans were allocated full rights, this group consisted of white male property owners. Neither women nor African Americans had full rights during this time period. Women would not gain the right to vote until 1920 and the African Americans until 1869, but even then they did not reap the rights that white men possessed(History.com Staff; ACLU Staff) . As you might imagine, white men during the eighteenth century were not keen to distribute equality to those that they thought were below them. Though this did not apply to all white men of the time. A man by the name, Walt Whitman, went against these societal beliefs and desired for an equality for all.
One of the greatest American poets Walt Whitman, wrote an amazing poem called I Hear America Singing. In this poem, he talks about a journey on a boat. Using very in depth symbolism to show America and the journey that this country has been through. It also talks about the freedoms that America has, and how here, it is unlike any other country. Expressing the way how women have this everlasting freedom as well. Langston Hughes also write a poem called I, Too, Sing America. In this poem, it is blatantly obvious that he cites Walt Whitman, and expresses his mutual belief about America, stating that Walt Whitman is one of his greatest influences.
Walt Whitman was born May 31, 1819, in West Hills, Long Island. His early years included much contact with words and writing; he worked as an office boy as a pre-teen, then later as a printer, journalist, and, briefly, a teacher, eventually returning to his first love and life’s work—writing. Despite the lack of extensive formal education, Whitman experienced literature, "reading voraciously from the literary classics and the Bible, and was deeply influenced by Goethe, Carlyle, Emerson, and Sir Walter Scott" (Introduction vii). Whitman was drawn to the nation's capital roughly a year after the Civil War began, at the age of forty-three. The wounding of his brother, George Washington Whitman, who served in the Union Army, precipitated his contact with the carnage of the war.
The North and South had totally different cultures and economies making their opinions on certain topics vastly different, hence contributing to the start of the war. The Southern state’s economy relied on the use of slaves to run their plantation system that produced mainly tobacco and cotton. “The price of cotton, the South’s defining crop, had skyrocketed in the 1850s, and the value of slaves—who were, after all, property—rose commensurately” (The American Civil War). Therefore the South was thriving economically. “With different geographies and climates, the North and the South developed very different economies and lifestyles” (Biel 11). The Northern economy was based on free labor and was able to abolish slavery due to a great amount of immigration due to the potato famine in Ireland. This caused the North and South to be vastly different in moral beliefs. The North became enlightened on the horrors of slavery through literature such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe which describe the mistreatment of slaves, this learning experience led to the abolit...
As stated before, the north was a very innovative society. They had slowly abolished slavery over time since the American Revolution. Due to moral reasons as well as the industrial revolution. With the invention of new technology in factories that cut down on labor, slaves were not as necessary because owners didn’t need large numbers or workers and could afford to pay their workers. Also, technology allowed for more products to be produced in a shorter amount of time which meant more revenue to pay workers. The North had a larger population of abolitionist than compared to the south. These individuals believed that every man had the right to provide for his family regardless of color. With the north already without slavery they began to protest for slavery to be abolished in the South, also known as the abolitionist movement. The South was very against this idea because their economy relied heavily on slaves to maintain their crops. The South saw the act of abolition from the north as a way to end their liberty and way of
A huge reason was slavery. Even though a small percent of southerners owned slaves, they were all willing to fight to the death to keep them. To them it was a way of life that they were not prepared to give up. This ongoing struggle caused many in the north to turn to abolition, which is the reason for the next cause; John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry. John Brown was a white northern man who was disgusted by the thought of slavery. In 1859, he attempted to start a slave revolt. In the process he killed many plantation owners and some of his men were killed. He was later hanged for his crimes, but the north saw him as a hero. They then realized that they would have to take great strides for the cause of abolition. The last social cause was the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. When the north read this book, the reality of slavery hit them hard. Any previous doubters soon chose abolition, and the south couldn’t argue any longer. Her book “displayed the effects of slavery and helped readers empathize with the characters… the future of an enslaved people and general racism were freely discussed.”
The soldiers that fought during the civil war were fighting for their livelihood. The northern soldiers needed to bring the south back to the north, and the southerners were fighting to keep their way of life. Whitman was amazed at how far each side was willing to go and was amazed at the sacrifices that the men gave to their causes. The soldiers according to Whitman went through hell just to get to battle which if in the case of Gettysburg was even worse. Food was hard to come by, their clothes were tattered, they marched through heat, cold, rain, through mud, and anything that they needed to to get to where their next battle was, only to march on again once the battle has past (Whitman 333). While Whitman worked as a nurse, he was moved by how strong the soldiers were, and when he was going from Fredericksburg to Washington D.C., he wrote to the wounded soldiers families, as he felt that this was one of the best was he could comfort soldiers as they traveled to hospitals (Home). Whitman’s dedication to these wounded soldiers shows how even if he couldn’t fight in the war, he could help in the recovery of the injured. Walt Whitman thought that the way that the developing culture of the arts was beginning to take shape in what was going on around America. Claiming wilderness for fertile farmland, being able to ship goods anywhere along the coast and further, and expanding the railroad so it could touch the furthest reaches of the Louisiana Purchase allowed new ideas to flow and mingle in the new areas and then be condensed into literature and
Walt Whitman was born May 31, 1819 on Long Island. As a child he loved to read Sir Walter Scott (Baym 2076). As an adult he took a major interest in the Democratic party, and "began a political career by speaking at Democratic rallies" (2077). However, he is not remembered for his political action; Americans remember Whitman for his amazing poetry. He was one of the first American poets to write his poetry "without rhyme, in rolling, rhapsodic, metrical, or semi-metrical prose-verse of very irregular lengths" (Rossetti), as one of his contemporary critics noted. This new style was not the only way Whitman broke from the way the traditional poets wrote. As Rossetti described, "He not unfrequently alludes to gross things and in gross words—the clearest, the bluntest, and nearly the least civilly repeatable words which can come uppermost to the lips." Whitman’s refusal to shy away from taboo subjects disgusted and offended many of the people of his day, but Whitman possessed "determination not to yield to censorship or to apologize for his earlier poems" (Baym 2079).
Walt Whitman is arguably America’s most influential poet in history. Born Walter Whitman in May 31st, 1819 to Walter Whitman and Louisa van Velsor, he was immediately nicknamed ‘Walt’ to distinguish him from his father. He came to life in West Hills on the famous Long Island, the second of nine children that grew up in Brooklyn. He came to be fondly known as ‘the Bard of Democracy’, mainly because that was a main message in his work. He is also celebrated as ‘the father of the free verse’. He was a liberal thinker and was vehemently against slavery, although later on he was against the abolitionists because, according to him, they were anti-democracy. He managed to marry transcendentalism with realism in his works. His occupation was a printer school teacher and editor.