April 12, 1861

[bradygirl_12]

Today is the 150th anniversary of Confederate troops firing on Fort Sumter off the coast of South Carolina. It sparked the beginning of the Civil War, a conflagration that tore the country apart, literally brother-against-brother, father-against-son, mother-against-daughter. Families were torn apart, taking generations to heal, and the issue of

Comments

[jlvsclrk]

I'm Canadian but we visited Geyysburgh on our spring break this year and were deeply moved at all the stories. Hopefully, more Americans will take the time to experience it for themselves.

[bradygirl_12]

*nods*

I've been to Gettysburg and stood on Little Round Top and behind the stone wall where the Union soldiers watched Pickett's Charge, and it's amazing how much you can feel the history of the place. World War II was a world-shattering event, but the Civil War is the most devastating event in American history. It changed everything and we're still influenced by the issues of those days.

[sara_lakali]

The practice of towns and villages putting together companies to send to the War meant that if a company was wiped out, then the town’s young men were gone, too.

It wasn't just the men. Especially among the poorer soldiers, it was the practice at that time to take their whole families along. So you had wives and children in the camp along with the soldiers.

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Rare-Civil-War-Photos/ss/events/us/041211civilwarphotos

[bradygirl_12]

*nods*

There were camp followers of all kinds, and a hard life.

[tafizgurl]

The Civil War did not have the most American casualties (World War II takes that dubious honor)

As much as I applaud someone who recognizes the impact The War had on American history, I'm afraid your comment is incorrect. At least until the most recent Afghanistan/Iraq conflict, and possibly still, more Americans died in the Civil War than all other wars involving the US combined. Approximately 625,000 were killed and over 412,000 injured. Since the South's attempt to secceed failed, all the casualties were Americans

[bradygirl_12]

Those are interesting stories! Every town, big or small, up here has a Civil War monument, and come to think of it, the statues appear to facing South!

[tafizgurl]

The greatest American President served during this time, a man destined for this time and place, and who is one of the giants of our history."I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black races - that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything

[bradygirl_12]

True, Lincoln often said that the War was about the Union, and he did hold those views on the races, but he also found himself pondering those views, especially after close daily contact with the black White House staff, and he was impressed by black troops serving in the Union Army.

He was a man of his time and place, was anchored by it at times, and visionary at others.