...January 6, 2011 Robert E. Lee and his Position on Slavery and Secession In the spring of 1861, our country faced a great turmoil caused by the incendiary issues of slavery and secession in the southern states. Abraham Lincoln, the newly elected president, was faced with the prospect of presiding over half a nation. Slavery was the key issue for the southern states but in Lincoln’s opinion the more pressing issue was the preservation of the Union. If not the issue of slavery, than some other issue at some other time would be reason enough for the states to try and secede. Lincoln’s fervent hope was that he could avoid a war by keeping the state of Virginia in the Union. “Lincoln declared to the U.S. Congress, “The course taken in Virginia was the most remarkable-perhaps the most important.” This simple statement expresses Virginia’s exceptional place in the history of the secession movement and the eventual coming of civil war in America. Virginia was important for two major reasons: first, the especially prominent and distinguished role it played in early American history and, second, its strategic location. For these reasons Virginians were truly torn over the decision of whether or not to secede. Because Virginia was not only sandwiched geographically but also economically, socially, and culturally between the North and the South, her decision to leave the Union was a tumultuous, long-fought battle.”(Gillian Cote, pg. 1) One of the ways Lincoln hoped to keep Virginia...
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...the army. But to be a good officer you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love. That is … a very hard thing to do. No other profession requires it. That is one reason why there are so very few good officers. Although there are many good men” (Shaara 191-192). July 1, 1863, 87 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, the bloodiest and most important engagement of the Civil war, the Battle of Gettysburg, had transpired. Three days of continuous conflicts brought out the best and the worst of every individual on the battlefields. James Longstreet, also known as “Old Pete” (Civil War 1), was one of the most controversial of these individuals. As a result of many disputes with...
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...General Robert E. Lee General (Gen.) Robert E. Lee was the brilliant Confederate leader whose skill in military strategies, battlefield intellect, and the trust and confidence of his men and subordinate leaders, allowed the South to continue to fight during the four gruesome years of the Civil War. Although unable to attend Harvard as his brother did, Gen. Lee was able to get an advanced education at the United States Military Academy. He graduated second in his class and was a model cadet. (Gallagher 2010) The Mexican War gave Lee a chance to obtain recognition for his talents. He initially served in Texas where he worked as an assistant engineer under the command of Gen. Winfield Scott. Lee conducted many essential duties, including mapping...
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...111 Eric Steineger, Instructor January 18, 2013 The Love Affair between Humans and War Mankind has the habit of glorifying war. Rather than a bloody, violent field of youth wasted, war is elevated to a divine status where the reason to fight erases the evil deeds man commit to survive. Despite the amazing honors and inspirational films, it is not only unavoidable but imperative that humans remember that “war is hell.” As Robert E. Lee allegedly inferred, if man were to forget the grueling aspects of war and “grow too fond of it” then mankind would partake in non-stop trivial violence. Drew Faust has developed her article based upon Robert E. Lee’s eloquent observation of human nature and expanded the topic to the general population’s increasing interest in war. Although war has not constantly been displayed to be a hobby of mankind, the population’s interest on the subject has never wavered. Publically, war has experienced many ups and downs in popularity such as when war became “back in fashion in Reagan-Bush America.” Privately, people have continually researched the dynamics of war. Civil War based literature grew exponentially and by the end of the twentieth century “more than 60,000 volumes of civil war history had appeared.” The Civil War became so apparent to mankind that it transgressed from factual to experiential interest with Ken Burns’s production of The Civil War in 1993. The debut of this series “attracted an audience of 14 million” and “by the end of...
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...The Civil War lasting from April 12, 1861 – May 9, 1865, was a war specifically designed to unite the states of America. Although, looking at the Civil War from the future, it may seem like such an easy task to accomplish. But, in all actuality it was far from simple. America owes respect to those noteworthy people who took part in the Civil War, and even those who opposed of it. Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, Robert E. Lee, and Clara Barton are few of the important leaders, who played important roles during the civil war. It is appropriate that we begin with Abraham Lincoln, the man who essentially commenced the Civil War with his presidency in 1861. Abraham Lincoln ideology about not the abolition of slavery,...
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...General (Gen.) Robert E. Lee was the brilliant Confederate leader whose skill in military strategies, battlefield intellect, and the trust and confidence of his men and subordinate leaders, allowed the South to continue to fight during the four gruesome years of the Civil War. In the Battle of Antietam, Gen. Lee’s direct involvement made the difference for the Confederate army. With a force nearly half the size of his opponents, Gen. Lee showed that knowing your opponent, the terrain, and your capabilities can make the difference in any battle. (Gallagher 2010) Although unable to attend Harvard as his brother did, Gen. Lee was able to get an advanced education at the United States Military Academy. He graduated second in his class and was a...
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...American Civil War History Paper The American Civil War (1861–1865) was a civil war between the United States (the "Union") and the Southern slave states of the newly-formed Confederate States of America under Jefferson Davis. The Union included all of the free states and the five slaveholding border states and was led by Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery into territories owned by the United States. Republican victory in the presidential election of 1860 led seven Southern states to declare their secession from the Union even before Lincoln took office.[1] The Union rejected secession, regarding it as rebellion. Hostilities began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked a U.S. military installation at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Lincoln responded by calling for a large volunteer army, then four more Southern states declared their secession. In the war's first year, the Union assumed control of the border states and established a naval blockade as both sides massed armies and resources. In 1862, battles such as Shiloh and Antietam caused massive casualties unprecedented in U.S. military history. In September 1862, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation made ending slavery in the South a war goal, which complicated the Confederacy's manpower shortages. In the East, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee won a series of victories over Union armies, but Lee's reverse at Gettysburg in early...
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...The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War. It claimed heroes from both sides, and all have been hallowed by the American public and the numerous accounts of the battle itself. The Civil War, or perhaps the Second War for American Independence, took an undeniable toll on the country, and the Battle of Gettysburg was no exception. The public, as noted by the sixteenth president of the United States during the dedication of the national cemetery at Gettysburg, “will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here” (“The Gettysburg Address”). President Lincoln continues to describe these “honored dead” in a heroic light, and begs society that, “these dead shall not...
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...American Wars All men ride off to war together side by side with their brothers. However, Lieutenant Custer made the trip to Washington, DC alone due to a disciplinary infraction that had held him behind his peers by more than a month. In July 1861, he arrived in Washington, DC and the chance to stay and train new recruits. He quickly turned down this offer hoping for an opportunity to find his way into a combat unit. Against his wishes, his assignment would be an instructor position, but this would only last a few weeks. On July 21st, 1861 he witnessed his first glimpse of combat as a message courier for Commander Winfield Scott in the Battle of Bull Run. This glimpse would be the first battle of the Civil War fought by nearly twenty thousand poorly trained troops with the Union and the Confederate. The Union was slow to position themselves, and the Confederate forces had reinforcements arrive by rail, though this would lead to a confederate victory. Lieutenant Custer...
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...The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought at Fredericksburg, Virginia. The principle adversaries were Major General Ambrose E. Burnside the commander of Union Army, Major General Edwin V. Summer the commander of the Right Grand Division, Major General Joseph Hooker commander of the Center Grand Division, and Major General William B. Franklin commander of the Left Grand Division all of which were from the Union Army. The principle adversaries for the Confederate were General Robert E. Lee who commanded the Confederate Army, Lieutenant General James Longstreet who commanded the First Corps, Lieutenant General Stonewall Jackson from the Second Corps, and Major General J.E.B Stuart. The battle occurred December 11-15, 1862. This Battle was fought during the American Civil War in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia. The American Civil War most commonly known as the Civil War was a war fought to determine the survival of the Union or the independence of the Confederacy. The Confederacy was formed of seven states, claimed to be thirteen, declared their secession from the United States and were known as the South. The main stent of...
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...The United States of America was essentially a rising power from the time that a group of unprepared men helped win a war against their overbearing – to say the least- mother country Britain. Unfortunately, a few decades later, America waged a not so civil war within their independent nation. The Civil War resulted in a plethora of casualties of American citizens who fought relentlessly for their side’s cause. The Battle of Antietam was part of the bountiful amount of battles and is the bloodiest single-day war in American history. The Battle of Antietam resulted in a victory which gave President Abraham Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation of Proclamation that formally declared, in addition to preserving the Union, that slavery would be eliminated. The Battle of Antietam was fought courageously and vigorously by Union and Confederate soldiers on September 17, 1862. It was the first major battle of the Civil War to be fought on Union soil; the battle took place near Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The commander of the Union forces was George B. McClellan and the commander of the Confederate soldiers was Robert E. Lee. The Union initiated...
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...Patrick Watkins 10/10/2012 History 100 Film Review There have been many films made that are based off of true stories. However, one of the most accurate movies I have seen was Gettysburg. Released in 1993 and directed Ronald Maxwell, this movie goes into detail and talks about the decisive 3 day Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Actors Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, and Martin Sheen do an excellent job playing the roles of Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, and Joshua Chamberlain. While the film did poorly in the box office, the film has been praised for its accuracy. The film is so committed to telling the story right that it takes 4 hours to tell it. While we are supposed to only use one paragraph for the summary, I am afraid I need more than one to talk about Gettysburg. The movie starts off with the location of the battle and explains how the armies converged at Gettysburg. After following a constant winning streak, Confederate general Robert E. Lee decides to invade the north and crush the Army of the Potomac and force the north to surrender. Brig. General John Buford and his cavalry unit arrive at Gettysburg believing that if Lee secures the town it would give them an easy defensive position that could wipe out the Potomac. Buford then deploys his forces along Seminary ridge in order to defend the west from confederates and send word to Major General John Reynolds. The second day finds confederate general Henry Heth clashing with Buford's men after trying...
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...“To what extent was the Civil War a war over slavery?” In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral and political evil in any Country. Robert E. Lee 620 thousand of soldiers lost their lives, war cost 5 billion dollars, large destructions, especially in the South. 4 million freed slaves by Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Brother shot to brother. Slavery in America has its origins from the beginning of United States existence. In nineteenth century U.S could be called as an young country with wide, noble ideas of independence, equality and economic development; with their own basic law, the first constitution in the World. Regarding to mentioned words; why was it possible to America to start Civil War? The case of America was multidimensional. United States Constitution did not explain laws and behaviour towards blackskinned slaves clearly. The South States of America were place where slavery flourished. Hosts of latifundiums needed ''hands to work'' – slaves were the cheapest solution because hosts after buying a slave with reasonabe price had to care only of the fact that their slave is still alive; they provided slaves with hunger food rations and water – it was a cheap labour which made large land holdings profitable. In general opinion this unhumanitarian situation was the reason of Civil War. But... Was it that clear? ...
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...estimated 23,000 casualties, the casualties were a result of the Battle of Antietam which took place during the Civil War. Some of the major factors that played part in such a high casualty rate in this battle were the artillery pieces used, the terrain and location of the battle, and the two experienced generals on both sides, George B McClellan as the Union commander, and Robert E. Lee as the Confederate commander. The Battle of Antietam featured four different artillery cannons, those cannons were the 1857 model Napoleon, the 3inch ordnance rifle, the 1841 model gun, and lastly the 10 pound parrot rifle. The 1857 model Napoleon cannon fired 12 pound projectiles, and had a ranger of up to 1600 yards. The...
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...The Civil War of 1861-1865 The Civil War of 1861-1865 One of the biggest reasons for the start of the Civil War (1861-1865) was centered around the issue of slavery. Southern states (known as the slave states) was dependent on agriculture, this created a huge demand for slaves to do the hard labor. Northern states on the other hand, were liberal and favored the idea of abolition of slavery. The politicians in the Northern states lobbied for abolition of slavery, which the Southern states opposed and threatened to secede if the Federal administration took any such step, which they did and thus the start of the Civil War. The imminent beginnings of the Civil War began in 1619 because of the arrival of 20 Black Africans from a Dutch frigate as indentured servants. Shortly after this, the Black Africans were experiencing the life as slaves and both the Southerners and Northerners were selling and trading them for profits. As the North started to pass laws to abolish slavery, in the South slavery was still part of the economy, part of the way of life, and remained legally sanctioned. In 1850, the South, with its slave labor, were exporting over a million tons of cotton a year and during this time in the in the North, the abolitionist movement was gaining momentum. Congress was having an intense argument in 1854 over the two states, Kansa and Nebraska that were added, whether they should be admitted to the Union as Free states or slave states. Congress decided that the states should...
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