Caroline Janney's 'The Ladies' Memorial Associations

The aftermath of the Civil War resulted in a great divide between the North and the South over the constitutional rights of slavery. The South lost and was viewed as a conquered nation, while the North controlled who got their rights back, (Memorial Day Part 1). Although the North allocated amendments to protect the rights of African Americans, they were not being treated with the same respect or freedoms as white citizens, instead they remained in “no man’s land” with heavy discrimination, (Memorial Day Part 2). Memorial Day served as a day to honor the fallen brothers who fought in the Civil War, however, white Americans refused to honor the contributions of African Americans in the Union victory, (Dennis

After four years of seemingly endless battle between a divided nation, more than 600,000 people were killed. These lives, however, were not given in vain. Had it not been for the American Civil War, abolition may not have been carried out. The nation might have remained divided. Women might have remained confined to their roles as the "homemakers." Although the Civil War was fought in hopes of preserving the nation and ridding it of slavery, another war raged on within the depths of this war--the women's war. Serving as nurses both in the hospital and on the battlefields, women came to know a whole

No matter what a person’s race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation is, everyone should enjoy equality. In the speech Speech Upon the Removal of Confederate Monuments by Mitch Landrieu, the Mayor of New Orleans, the removal of the Confederate monuments in New Orleans is discussed. The speech emphasises the fact that the Confederacy was wrong pertaining to their treatment of African Americans, and instead of teaching history, the Confederate monuments convey an image of inequality and violence. Mitch Landrieu argues for the deconstruction of historic Confederate monuments through his allusions to past historic events to contrast the modern shift of equality, so he can call the people to action to deconstruct the monuments. Through the

The theme of race and reunion had become a competition for memories with vastly different aspirations between the north and the south. Striving for a reunion, a majority of American white communities close obscure the civil war racial narrative would only fade. In race and reunion: The Civil War in American memory, by David Blight, represents how Americans chose to remember the Civil War conflict, from the beginning of the turning point of the war. The two major themes race and reunion, demonstrate how white Americans adjusted and altered the causes and outcomes of the Civil War to reflect their particular ideas regarding this catastrophic conflict between Northerners and Southerners era. Blight, addresses how these differences in cultures collided in the visions that they saw America becoming when reunited as a union after the Civil War, reconciliationists, White supremacy and emancipationist. Blight does an excellent job of showing the arguments between all three versions of the Civil War. As the emancipationist image kept a firm hold amongst ex-slaves, it lost much of its white support and political power. Reconciliation became more about healing, allowing racial injustice of the supremacist movement to seep into the landscape of national healing. why do Union veterans allow the real cause of the war, slavery, to disappear from the memory of the war – Blight strives to answer. Through a culture of remembrance, veterans looked back at their experience with a sort of

A recent hot-button subject in the media has been what to do with Confederate monuments in the South. After the removal of a statue honoring Robert E. Lee, a general in the Confederate Army considered by many to be a hero for the part he played in the American Civil War, a clear divide has formed over whether it was the right thing to do. Some agree with this choice, calling the statues remnants from a time of racial oppression in the United States. Others are outraged, considering it desecration of their proud history. Still others don't understand either side of the issue, and see it as a pointless feud. It is imperative to understand that to many people, these are more than just statues. Whether their impression is positive or negative, this issue goes beyond physical monuments.

In “Letters of a Civil War Nurse”, written in 1863, Cornelia Hancock’s account of the Civil War gives readers an account of the suffering and hardship of soldiers through the point of view of an Union nurse. This document written by Cornelia Hancock is an account as a nurse who went through the Battle of Gettysburg and the after effects. Through a series of letters written to her loved ones, Cornelia wrote what nurses went through during the times of war. At the time women were expected to be good wives; with Cornelia Hancock’s effort she was able to help soldiers and contribute to the idea that women are capable of much more than being good wives; women can be apart of war. With her background as a Quaker and her family history, Cornelia Hancock was able to contribute greatly to the war effort even though she was originally denied to becoming an union nurse.

Mary Chesnut was the author of a popular book known as the “Civil War Diary.” This well-known book painted a vivid picture of her thoughts on the things going on around her pertaining to the war. She was one of the most respected ladies of Charleston, S.C with an insightful view of Southern life and leadership during the American Civil War. In 1840 she married James Chesnut, Jr., who later served as a U.S. senator from South Carolina until he resigned. Chesnut writings were from things she personally experienced, witnessed and saw during this historic time, along with her husband who she joined along the way of many significant sites they encountered, being that he played an important role in the secession movement and the Confederacy. Despite

The Preservation of the Confederate Memory lives on through the Robert E. Lee memorial in Richmond. Many historians have written about the monument of Robert E. Lee and his importance to the preservation of Confederate Memory. But, recently a major debate surrounding the monument has spurred an argument between two groups. One group wants the monument to be removed or relocated from its original spot in Richmond V.A. This group believes that it is an offensive symbol in support of slavery. The other group fights to protect the monument and its location because of its importance to the southern heritage. However, trying to understand the significance of the monument requires one to look through the lenses of both groups.

In The Afterlives of a Confederate Archive, Yael Sternhell encourages the reader to journey deeper into the archive. Elucidating how archives are constructed by humankind — people with agendas and perspectives — he quickly dispatches with some common misconceptions regarding archives. The annals of amassed historic material have not, in fact, aged into apolitical constructions. Historical catalogs are not only political at the date of their inception, but are also shaped by broader social and cultural forces. With great disciplinary acuity, Sternhell provides an example of his argument, providing an insightful critique of a supposedly objective archive. Sternhell examines the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, the quintessential

Many years prior to the Civil War, Confederate statues, monuments, and other historical figures were placed thoroughly through the nation to represent the the remembrance of the Confederacy. In the “Monumental Battle” article, Laura Anastasia tells of the growing controversy that this nation has about the removal of Confederate monuments. The statues were placed to instill fear in the hearts of African Americans and portray a dominantly white future. THESIS !

In Confederates in the Attic, the author, Tony Horwitz, gives an interesting, historical, and semi-humorous take on the Civil War, taking us on his journey through places and people that resonate the Civil War, a journey he called the hardcore campaign of his own. Throughout this adventure, Horwitz’s obsession with the Civil War is supplemented by reenactors who call themselves “hardcores,” historians, museums, Daughters of the Confederacy, teachers, and battlefields, along with everyday people who express their views and knowledge of the War. As Horwitz takes his readers through his journey, he brings to light the idea that the Civil War is “unfinished” for many Americans. This idea is explained and discussed through many of his encounters.

In Gendered Strife and Confusion: The Political Culture of Reconstruction, Laura Edwards studied how gender, race, and class shaped not only the political terrain of the South during Reconstruction, but also its private and public foundations. Edwards viewed the Southern household during this period as a “highly contested political issue.” Following the war, changes swept southern society regarding how households were defined, who were the heads of those households, and what rights these heads and their dependents held. She argued that African American and common white women became a very loud and “vigorous public presence both during and after the Civil War.” Being poor, black, or both, these women demanded that concerns for their family’s welfare and safety, such as issues of rape and physical violence, be heard. Therefore, these women “moved private issues onto the public stage.” Within her work, Edwards extended Reconstruction to the end of the nineteenth century. She stated that “racial and class hierarchies appeared as ‘natural’ as gender hierarchy, and the political power of poor white and African-American men appeared as pointless as that of women.” She discussed that the end of Reconstruction concluded at different times in different places throughout North Carolina, ultimately ending with the white supremacy campaign in 1898 leading to disfranchisement. Before 1898, many African Americans and “dissenting whites retained their grip on local power,” which

Silber convincingly used various primary sources to illustrate her argument of the reunification of the states such as illustrations, poems, newspaper quotes, and quotes from prominent figures of the time. For example, Silber referred to a poem that was written in 1893 by a northern magazine to highlight the irony of the Colored Jubilee Day (Silber 137). Her use of illustrations often proved to be very helpful in establishing solid framework for all of her arguments, be it racial undermining of blacks (even thought whites fought for their freedom), as well as the Unions bitter original bitter and feminine view of southern masculinity. In her inclusion of an illustration of “Jefferson Davis as an Unprotected Female,” Silber shows the northern view of a Confederate hero even showing signs of feminine connection (Silber 35). Silber understands the South’s gender and class to be a means of their personal identification, and it was “linked in the northern postwar portrayal of their former enemies” (Silber 34).

The South’s “Lost Cause” was a set of beliefs that was meant to ensue honor and a sense a patriotism into the Southern society after the American Civil War. “Lost Cause” advocates claimed that their work was not political, which is partially true based on the evidence provided in the given sources. Their actions, specifically those made by the “Daughters of the Confederacy”, were largely focused on advocating the glorious valors of the heroes of war. They did this by building large memorials sporting red, white and blue and featuring individual heroes of war, for example the Robert E. Lee Monument in Richmond, Virginia. Also, officers of war were honored profoundly among southern cities by being catered to and cared for. All of these actions

Along Highway I-65 in Tennessee is a Confederate monument of General Bedford Forrest. It was sculpted to pay homage to the Confederate southern General with dignity and grace. However, this unappealing rendition ironically reflects the ugliness of its subject. Unfortunately, the ugly history is not as visually noticeable in most erect monuments in the United States today. Hundreds of monuments and historical markers stand to be a representation of power and privilege of those who were considered significant in history and not addressing the problems. With that said, many memorialize and romanticize a time where there was slavery and endorse inequality. Public art pertains to the relevance of race equality within a community and regrettably monuments have a habit of not addressing this. While intending to portray a sense of nationalism by inventing blemish- free heroes to look up at and in some cases worship we are left with a negative mark on our historical memory, leaving behind a trail of ignorance for every generation to follow. These monuments, preserved historic sites, and historical markers perpetuate and prolong a history of inequality; preserving a kind of acceptance towards racism. Let us take the initiative to examine examples that are revered by history to recognize truth and acknowledge the warped view that has become the way we look at people and how our history has become (warped).