Slavery
« Previous EntriesNew Items on Display at Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010It was the best-selling novel of the 19th Century. Published in 1852, more than 300,000 copies of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin were sold in the United States. As the decade progressed and tension over slavery intensified, sales of the book continued to climb. By 1862, more than two million copies were in circulation. The [...]
Douglas Goes Negative in 1860
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008With less than a week to go before the 2008 presidential election, you may have noticed the political ads have gotten increasingly more negative. Several commentators have spoken out against the negative tone. Story Here, Here, and an example Here. All of this got me thinking about “negative ads” in the nineteenth century. I came [...]
What if the Lincoln-Douglas Debates Happend Today?
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008We are just a few hours away from the second debate between Barack Obama and John McCain. I’m looking forward to watching it. Today also marks the 150th anniversary of the fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate, which was held in Galesburg, Illinois. The coincidence got me thinking: what if Lincoln and Douglas squared off on national television today? [...]
Watch C-SPAN Tonight
Saturday, August 2nd, 2008WASHINGTON – The fifth installment of C-SPAN’s “Lincoln 200 Years” programming initiative airs on Saturday, August 2 from 8 – 10 p.m. ET. (The program re-airs at 11 p.m. ET). This month, the program features two segments focusing on Lincoln and his political nemesis, Stephen Douglas: HOUSE DIVIDED SPEECH COMMEMORATION On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln famously [...]
The Problem with Statues
Thursday, June 26th, 2008The United States Supreme Court is making headlines today. They have struck down the District of Columbia’s 32-year ban on handguns, claiming it is a clear violation of the Second Amendment to the U. S. Constitution: A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people [...]
Joseph T. Glatthaar, General Lee’s Army
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008I have been making my way through Joseph T. Glatthaar’s new book, General Lee’s Army: From Victory to Collapse and wanted to pass along some initial thoughts. To put it simply, Glatthaar has produced one of the most detailed portraits of the Confederate army I have ever seen. The research is meticulous. Based on primary [...]
Soldiers in the Same Struggle: Jim Limber and Black Confederates
Monday, June 23rd, 2008A few weeks ago I mentioned that the statue controversy in Richmond was back in the news. The Sons of Confederate Veterans have unveiled their proposed statue design, featuring Jefferson Davis (pictured above). Their design is breathtaking. Compare it to the current statue of Lincoln and his son, Tad: Notice: Lincoln is sitting, while Davis [...]
Slavery: “A Positive Good”
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008Today is John C. Calhoun’s birthday. I admit, the outspoken senator from South Carolinia is not one of my favorite characters in American history, but he is terribly significant. I recently re-read one of Calhoun’s most well-known speeches. Delivered on the floor of the United States Senate in 1837, Calhoun defended the institution of slavery. [...]
“The Jewel of Liberty”
Thursday, March 13th, 2008Good news is sweet to hear, especially when recent news has been particularlly sour. Abraham Lincoln had reason to be happy on this date in 1864. The war was still going on, but Louisiana was already on the road toward Reconstruction. On February 22, 1864 the state held an election. The results were encouraging. The [...]
The Slaves Called Her Moses
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008“I was conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say–I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger,” remembered Harriet Tubman. She escaped from slavery, but that was not enough. She returned more than a dozen times and led an estimated [...]
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