Tag Archives: Civil War

What Caused the Civil War According to the Confederates

The True Cause of the Civil War—A Never-Ending Debate If you’re in the mood to start a good argument, just ask someone a very simple question: “What caused the American Civil War?” In many parts of the United States, especially … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil War Causes, Confederate States of America, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Civilians in the Siege of Vicksburg: Living in Caves, Eating Rats

Vicksburg, Mississippi, situated on a high bluff that allowed the big guns placed there by the Confederates to interdict Union navigation of the Mississippi River, was considered by both North and South as a major key to victory in the … Continue reading →

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Ulysses S. Grant vs Robert E. Lee on Slavery

In 1856, Robert E. Lee described slavery as a “moral & political evil.” That same year Ulysses S. Grant, who personally owned a slave at the time, apparently had no moral objection to the institution. But their actual actions toward … Continue reading →

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Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant: Their Surprising Views on Slavery

The Surprising Contrast Between Lee’s and Grant’s Views on Slavery The year 1856 was significant for both Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant in regard to their attitudes toward slavery. Within a few years, these men would both be … Continue reading →

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Siege of Vicksburg: The Newspaper Printed on Wallpaper

In the spring and summer of 1863, Union General Ulysses S. Grant laid siege to the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi. During the 47 days of the siege, the city was bombarded every day, and civilians and the rebel soldiers … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil War, Civil War Battles, Confederate States | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Why the Confederacy Was Doomed Even if It Won the Civil War

If the South Had Won In 1961, Pulitzer Prize-winning author MacKinlay Kantor published a book called If the South Had Won the Civil War. Kantor imagined that the slave-holding Confederate States of America (CSA) had defeated the Union and firmly … Continue reading →

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How African Americans Lost Their Gettysburg Address

Lee’s army tried to capture and enslave Black Pennsylvanians How Gettysburg’s African American Community Fared at the Hands of Robert E. Lee’s Army As spring slipped into summer in the year 1863, the peaceful little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Civil War Battles, Slavery | Tagged , | 1 Comment

How Whites Used “Negro Balls” To Prevent Slave Revolts Before the Civil War

On Monday, January 28, 1861, the city of New Orleans was in a festive mood. Two separate (though definitely not equal) celebrations were being held in the city that night. Both were supposedly joyous occasions, but each had a far … Continue reading →

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Why Confederates Believed Blacks Loved Being Enslaved

White Southerners Had to Believe Blacks Didn’t Object to Being Enslaved Before and during the American Civil War, most whites in the slave-holding Southern states professed an unwavering conviction that their slaves were happy and content in their bondage, and … Continue reading →

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We Should Be Erecting Statues of Ulysses Grant, Not Tearing Them Down

The protestors who pulled down a statue of Grant got it totally wrong! In June of 2020, during the protests sparked by the killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd, activists tore down a statue of Ulysses S. Grant in San … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Historical Commentary, Ulysses S. Grant | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment