Posted on 01/01/2017 6:44:11 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts
First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed. To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.
* Some of the items included in this month’s current events:
- The official Electoral College votes.
- Congress met December 1 and a dispute arose over a seat for Kansas.
- The President’s Message, later to be known as the State of the Union address, was sent from President Pierce to Congress and read on December 2. In it the President blames the current difficulties in Kansas on northern aggression, which, if continued, could lead to civil war.
- The Secretary of War (Jefferson Davis) “reports the authorized strength of the army to be 17,894, while its actual strength is 15,562. He announces that the Indian War on the Pacific is ended, and the difficulties on the Western plains are settled, with the exception of those with the Cheyennes. He advocates a change in the present system of locating small frontier posts far in advance of population; suggesting that a few posts be selected at favorable points, at which large garrisons should be maintained, and from which strong detachments could be sent out at favorable seasons. He recommends that liberal appropriations be made for harbor and coast fortifications, for armaments and ammunition; and urges that the pay of officers should be increased.”
- “The number of Indians within the United States is estimated at 300,000. The policy of colonizing the tribes upon separate reservations has been attended with satisfactory results, giving promise of a steady amelioration in their moral and physical condition. The average annual expenditures for Indian purposes, during the last six years, has been $2,626,932.”
- Governor Adams of South Carolina (together with a “number of leading presses of the South”) is calling for the revival of the African slave trade.
- Storms on the Great Lakes have caused the loss of 49 vessels and more than 200 lives.
- The French steamer Le Lyonnais sank November 2 with the loss of all but 16 passengers and crew. There had been 98 crew and 38 passengers, including the aunt and uncle of George Templeton Strong. As of today it is not known if they are among the survivors.
- France and England are quarreling.
Wow, when they wrote parody they wrote it LONG back then.
Query - were the ‘X’s in the original?
Very contemporary.
Should be required reading for college students to educate on the foibles of the UN, NWO and climate change believers, a pox on all masticating heretic humans! Fake News! AND I used, caps, a running sentence AND a couple exclamation points to prove it. Only on page 23, fun read thanks.
No. I add those where I don't post the complete article. I only use about a quarter of each issue and they don't usually begin articles on a new page.
Happy New Year Homer.
I’ve been away for awhile. This looks like another cool history thread where I can learn something.
Couple of questions:
- This seems to revolve around Harper’s Magazine which now, like the NYT, is entrenched in Leftism, but maybe then actually offered some sound information. Is that how you see it?
- Is this mostly about the events leading up to the Civil War?
read later
This seems to revolve around Harper’s Magazine which now, like the NYT, is entrenched in Leftism, but maybe then actually offered some sound information. Is that how you see it?
I had to subscribe to the current editions to get access to the archives. Today's Harper's probably aligns well with things like New Yorker, so, definitely left-leaning. I am not so well-versed in the nuances of 1850s politics that I could say with confidence where the magazine fell on the ideological continuum of the time, but it seems like they play it pretty straight. Remember, at this time abolitionism was widely considered way radical. Maybe I should read the opening fiction/parody closely and look for hints.
Is this mostly about the events leading up to the Civil War?
That's the idea. I wanted to do a Civil War series but I realized my knowledge of that history is sadly deficient, so the 160-years-ago dodge is my way of buying time while I study up.
Freeper Rustbucket is the leading authority on all things in regards to the War Between States
Good thing rustbucket is on the ping list then.
Coincidently, 1857 was the last time a Democrat president saw his Democrat successor sworn into office.
Fascinating!
I’ll read this later.
I didn’t get through the whole satire piece, but the first dozen pages or so were very amusing. I’m sure it’s full of snide references to contemporaneous politicians, but even without understanding all of it, I found it clever.
The “Parliament of Animals” trope goes back to classical times.
Animal declaration of independence — brings to mind George Orwell’s famous satire “Animal Farm”.
But lest you think it’s total humor, I’ll remind you that something like it must have happened, because even today, as you drive into Louisville, KY, you see signs announcing it is the “Horse Capital of America”.
So, horses have a capital, and I’ll bet if you look hard enough, you’ll find capitals for cows & pigs, etc.
Therefore, don’t just dismiss it as mere humor, there could be something serious behind it.
;-)
Good point. I know the cockroaches have a capital: Houston, TX.
“The number of Indians within the United States is estimated at 300,000.”
Interesting to note that since 1860, US population has grown more than ten times — from about 30 million to over 300 million.
At the same time, the population of native Americans also grew 10 times, from 300,000 to about 3 million.
Additionally, the number of mixed ancestry (not including “Pocahontas”) is now also about 3 million.
Pre-Columbian populations? Unknown, probably exceeding one million.
“I know the cockroaches have a capital: Houston, TX.”
Sadly, my beloved Pennsylvania is the world-wide headquarters for radical deer terrorism, and they have my number, attacking my vehicles on suicide missions at every opportunity.
Also launching tick attacks when I least expect them.
Pennsylvania deer are the most dangerous critters I’ve ever run into. Literally.
And all that despite hundreds of thousands of hunters trying to control them... beware, beware the deer rebellion!
;-)
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