Civil War Music: The Sounds of Death

We've finally made it! Our last blog of the year. Once again, reading and working on this blog is one of the highlights of my week because you guys take it so seriously. I really appreciate your comments each week and will miss your class next year.

Let's end with some tunes.  Music is an often overlooked and underestimated piece of the fabric of war.  In the case of the Civil War, we have confederate songs and union songs.  Some songs express lament over the loss of life, some discuss the merits of their side over the other and others were an attempt to remind people of home. Music is something anyone can enjoy.

Music was also used as a means of communication during battle.  Certain melodies and/or drum roll patters would indicate retreat, troop movement or other directives.

This week take a look at this website and learn about how music was used on the battelfield.

Then, go to this site and look at five Union songs and five Confederate songs.  When you click on a song name you will be directed to a lyrics page with an option at the top of the screen to play the song.  Be sure to listen to each song while you are reading the lyrics.

There are multiple parts to the comments section this week.

A) Explain how music was used on the battlefield.  Should fife and drum players feel as proud of the job they did as soldiers? (100 words)

B) Pick one of the Confederate songs you read/listened to AND one of the Union songs you read/listened to and analyze them.  What do you think these songs mean? What did they mean to someone back in the 1860s? Does the "sound" of the song match the lyrics? (100 words for Confederate and another 100 words for Union).

C) Finally, as a way to conclude the year, please discuss what one thing has impacted you the most from all we have discussed this year.  Please meditate on this question before answering. Think about ALL we have read, discussed, seen, listened to, debated etc.(100 words)

The Civil War: Medicine & Women

Two of the most intriguing aspects of the Civil War, to me at least, are the role of women in the Civil War and the role medicine played.  As for women, they were slowly gaining acceptability in society as more than wife/mother, but that change was slow.  In spite of that social status, women played key roles as soldiers, nurses and spies in the war.

I have often said, and you'll probably hear me say this again, that the most dangerous place to be in the battlefield was the hospital.  Well-meaning surgeons spread germs/diseases like doctors today give out suckers and stickers.  The infections received from the "medical care" often proved more fatal than the original wound.  None of this was malicious of course.  The doctors were doing the best they could, with the most up-to-date knowledge and instruments they had, all the while being right next to a raging battle.

For this week's blog, visit this site for more information on Civil War medicine and visit this site for a list of biographies of important Civil War figures.  Read at least 5 biographies of women from this list.  If you're not sure if a name is a female, just click the link and see.  If you're wrong it's only cost you a few seconds and if you're right then you can count it towards your 5 for the blog!

In the comments section answer these two questions:
1) What shocked you the most about the medicine section?
2) Do you think war is an appropriate place for women, regardless of what era we live in?

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?: One Map//Two Countries

When Lincoln was elected in the fall of 1860 many southerners saw this as the beginning-of-the-end.  Mr. Lincoln had gone on record as saying he would not eliminate slavery where it stood but he would attempt to block it from spreading.  The South wasn't buying this at all.  They interpreted this as he may not try to eliminate slavery now but eventually he would. Of course...they were right.  So with his victory eleven states would eventually secede and create the Confederate States of America.

You have studied extensively about different pieces of legislation and other events that divided our country in the years leading up to the Civil War.  For this blog, lets consider exactly how the North and South were different. The Civil War was also made possible because both regions were basically two separate countries already.  They had different demographics, economic systems, major political parties etc.  Please visit this website to begin to get a feel for how the regions were different.  After you've read the main page, be sure to read AT LEAST three of the links under the heading "History Articles" on the right hand side of the page to deepen your knowledge of the conflict.  In the comments section highlight what you've learned and be sure to touch on what made the North and South so different.