I thought this was interesting so wanted to pass it along. Try to answer the questions before looking at the answers to see just how much you know.
This was by Boyd Miles
Camp Chase Gazette, Dec, 2000, p. 52.
Black Confederate soldier played a vital role in American life for almost 150 years. How much do we really know about the daily life of slaves? What would have been common knowledge to Southerners (and not a few Northerners)?
1. A “slave driver” is:
a. Your sergeant.
b. A slave appointed as foreman.
c. Another term for overseer.
2. The two biggest holidays for slaves were:
a. Christmas and corn shucking.
b. Christmas and Easter.
c. July 4 and New Year’s Day.
3. Most slaves had:
a. classical names, such as Caesar or Cato.
b. Anglo-Saxon names, such as William or Richard.
c. whimsical names, such as July or Monday.
4. Many slaves:
a. had one or more dogs.
b. hunted opossums at night.
c. both A & B.
d. none of the above.
5. Many large plantations provided guns for slaves to:
a. hunt large game.
b. guard the plantation.
c. never happened.
d. both A & B.
6. Most slaves did not work in the fields till age....
a. 8.
b. 12.
c. 6.
7. In general the quality of slave housing:
a. improved in the 19th century.
b. declined in the 19th century.
c. was the same in the 19th century
[as in 18th?? This isn’t clear. --The Editress]
8. Many slaves....
a. raised vegetables in their own gardens.
b. raised less than Jamaican slaves did in theirs.
c. sold produce to their masters.
d. all of the above.
9. Both house and field slave women wore “headkerchiefs”....
a. like hair nets, at their masters’ insistence.
b. as a sign of African pride.
c. to look like Aunt Jemima.
10. “Paddyrollers” were:
a. rolling pins used to make sausage.
b. the night patrol.
c. roving Irish laborers of the 1850s.
Answers to slave life quiz:
1. B
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. D
6. B
7. A
8. D
9. B The Editress would disagree; head coverings had a practical purpose in keeping hair neat during work. (For example, if you worked around open fire you would *not* want your hair to hang down.)
10. B
Well, How did you do?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
From Oxford University Press
I received a very nice comment on my civil war blog from the Oxford University Press so I would like to return the favor by letting you know about their series of post at their site celebrating Lincoln's Bicentennial.
An excerpt from James McPherson's Abraham Lincoln:
A series of FAQ's with Allen Guelzo author of Lincoln: A very short introduction
and here also here
A look at how Lincoln almost failed by Jennifer Webb author of Copperheads: The rise and fall of Lincoln's opponents in the North
A post by Lincoln Prizxe winner Craig L.Symonds comparing Lincoln and Obama
An excerpt from James McPherson's Abraham Lincoln:
A series of FAQ's with Allen Guelzo author of Lincoln: A very short introduction
and here also here
A look at how Lincoln almost failed by Jennifer Webb author of Copperheads: The rise and fall of Lincoln's opponents in the North
A post by Lincoln Prizxe winner Craig L.Symonds comparing Lincoln and Obama
Selma, AL - White-Force Cottage
February 14th my husband and I visited the historical town of Selma, AL. Here is one of the pictures I took. Since it's Lincoln's Bicentennial I though this was interesting.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Abraham Lincoln is born
February 12, 1809
On this day in 1809, Abraham Lincoln is born in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
Lincoln, one of America’s most admired presidents, grew up a member of a poor family in Kentucky and Indiana. He attended school for only one year, but thereafter read on his own in a continual effort to improve his mind. As an adult, he lived in Illinois and performed a variety of jobs including stints as a postmaster, surveyor and shopkeeper, before entering politics. He served in the Illinois legislature from 1834 to 1836, and then became an attorney. In 1842, Lincoln married Mary Todd; together, the pair raised four sons.
Lincoln returned to politics during the 1850s, a time when the nation’s long-standing division over slavery was flaring up, particularly in new territories being added to the Union. As leader of the new Republican Party, Lincoln was considered politically moderate, even on the issue of slavery. He advocated the restriction of slavery to the states in which it already existed and described the practice in a letter as a “minor issue” as late as 1854. In an 1858 senatorial race, as secessionist sentiment brewed among the southern states, he warned, “a house divided against itself cannot stand”. He did not win the Senate seat but earned national recognition as a strong political force. Lincoln’s inspiring oratory soothed a populace anxious about southern states’ secessionist threats and boosted his popularity.
As a presidential candidate in the election of 1860, Lincoln tried to reassure slaveholding interests that although he favored abolition, he had no intention of ending the practice in states where it already existed and prioritized saving the Union over freeing slaves. When he won the presidency by approximately 400,000 popular votes and carried the Electoral College, he was in effect handed a ticking time bomb. His concessions to slaveholders failed to prevent South Carolina from leading other states in an exodus from the Union that began shortly after his election. By February 1, 1861, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas had also seceded. Soon after, the Civil War began. As the war progressed, Lincoln moved closer to committing himself and the nation to the abolitionist movement and, in 1863, finally signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The document freed slaves in the Confederate states, but did not address the legality of slavery in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska or Arkansas.
Lincoln was the tallest president at 6’ 4.” As a young man, he impressed others with his sheer physical strength--he was a legendary wrestler in Illinois--and entertained friends and strangers alike with his dry, folksy wit, which was still in evidence years later. Exasperated by one Civil War military defeat after another, Lincoln wrote to a lethargic general “if you are not using the army I should like to borrow it for awhile.” An animal lover, Lincoln once declared, "I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it." Fittingly, a variety of pets took up residence at the Lincoln White House, including a pet turkey named Jack and a goat called Nanko. Lincoln’s son Tad frequently hitched Nanko to a small wagon and drove around the White House grounds.
Lincoln’s sense of humor may have helped him to hide recurring bouts of depression. He admitted to friends and colleagues that he suffered from “intense melancholia” and hypochondria most of his adult life. Perhaps in order to cope with it, Lincoln engaged in self-effacing humor, even chiding himself about his famously homely looks. When an opponent in an 1858 Senate race debate called him “two-faced,” he replied, “If I had another face do you think I would wear this one?”
Lincoln is remembered as “The Great Emancipator.” Although he waffled on the subject of slavery in the early years of his presidency, his greatest legacy was his work to preserve the Union and his signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. To Confederate sympathizers, however, Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation reinforced his image as a hated despot and ultimately led John Wilkes Booth to assassinate him on April 14, 1865. His favorite horse, Old Bob, pulled his funeral hearse.
On this day in 1809, Abraham Lincoln is born in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
Lincoln, one of America’s most admired presidents, grew up a member of a poor family in Kentucky and Indiana. He attended school for only one year, but thereafter read on his own in a continual effort to improve his mind. As an adult, he lived in Illinois and performed a variety of jobs including stints as a postmaster, surveyor and shopkeeper, before entering politics. He served in the Illinois legislature from 1834 to 1836, and then became an attorney. In 1842, Lincoln married Mary Todd; together, the pair raised four sons.
Lincoln returned to politics during the 1850s, a time when the nation’s long-standing division over slavery was flaring up, particularly in new territories being added to the Union. As leader of the new Republican Party, Lincoln was considered politically moderate, even on the issue of slavery. He advocated the restriction of slavery to the states in which it already existed and described the practice in a letter as a “minor issue” as late as 1854. In an 1858 senatorial race, as secessionist sentiment brewed among the southern states, he warned, “a house divided against itself cannot stand”. He did not win the Senate seat but earned national recognition as a strong political force. Lincoln’s inspiring oratory soothed a populace anxious about southern states’ secessionist threats and boosted his popularity.
As a presidential candidate in the election of 1860, Lincoln tried to reassure slaveholding interests that although he favored abolition, he had no intention of ending the practice in states where it already existed and prioritized saving the Union over freeing slaves. When he won the presidency by approximately 400,000 popular votes and carried the Electoral College, he was in effect handed a ticking time bomb. His concessions to slaveholders failed to prevent South Carolina from leading other states in an exodus from the Union that began shortly after his election. By February 1, 1861, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas had also seceded. Soon after, the Civil War began. As the war progressed, Lincoln moved closer to committing himself and the nation to the abolitionist movement and, in 1863, finally signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The document freed slaves in the Confederate states, but did not address the legality of slavery in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska or Arkansas.
Lincoln was the tallest president at 6’ 4.” As a young man, he impressed others with his sheer physical strength--he was a legendary wrestler in Illinois--and entertained friends and strangers alike with his dry, folksy wit, which was still in evidence years later. Exasperated by one Civil War military defeat after another, Lincoln wrote to a lethargic general “if you are not using the army I should like to borrow it for awhile.” An animal lover, Lincoln once declared, "I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it." Fittingly, a variety of pets took up residence at the Lincoln White House, including a pet turkey named Jack and a goat called Nanko. Lincoln’s son Tad frequently hitched Nanko to a small wagon and drove around the White House grounds.
Lincoln’s sense of humor may have helped him to hide recurring bouts of depression. He admitted to friends and colleagues that he suffered from “intense melancholia” and hypochondria most of his adult life. Perhaps in order to cope with it, Lincoln engaged in self-effacing humor, even chiding himself about his famously homely looks. When an opponent in an 1858 Senate race debate called him “two-faced,” he replied, “If I had another face do you think I would wear this one?”
Lincoln is remembered as “The Great Emancipator.” Although he waffled on the subject of slavery in the early years of his presidency, his greatest legacy was his work to preserve the Union and his signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. To Confederate sympathizers, however, Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation reinforced his image as a hated despot and ultimately led John Wilkes Booth to assassinate him on April 14, 1865. His favorite horse, Old Bob, pulled his funeral hearse.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Lincoln Lesson Plan for Teachers
If you are a history teacher you might want to check this out. History.com is holding a contest for the chance to earn one of three grants and a Lincoln DVD set with curriculum resources from HISTORY. The contest is open to teachers and/or educators of Elementary (K-4th grades), Middle (5th-8th grades), and High School (9th-12th grades) students in public, private, parochial, home schools or after school programs.
Entry must be postmarked no later than April 8, 2009, and received no later than April 15, 2009. You can get more info, entry form and rules by clicking here.
Entry must be postmarked no later than April 8, 2009, and received no later than April 15, 2009. You can get more info, entry form and rules by clicking here.
Lincoln leaves Springfield
February 11, 1861
President-elect Abraham Lincoln leaves home in Springfield, Illinois, as he embarks on his journey to Washington.
On a cold, rainy morning, Lincoln boarded a two-car private train loaded with his family's belongings, which he himself had packed and bound. Mary Lincoln was in St. Louis on a shopping trip, and she joined him later in Indiana. It was a somber occasion. Lincoln was leaving his home and heading into the maw of national crisis. Since he had been elected, seven states of the lower South had seceded from the Union. Lincoln knew that his actions upon entering office would likely lead to civil war. He spoke to the crowd before departing: "Here I have lived a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young man to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being...I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail...To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell."
A bystander reported that the president-elect's "breast heaved with emotion and he could scarcely command his feelings." Indeed, Lincoln's words were prophetic--a funeral train carried him back to Springfield just over four years later.
President-elect Abraham Lincoln leaves home in Springfield, Illinois, as he embarks on his journey to Washington.
On a cold, rainy morning, Lincoln boarded a two-car private train loaded with his family's belongings, which he himself had packed and bound. Mary Lincoln was in St. Louis on a shopping trip, and she joined him later in Indiana. It was a somber occasion. Lincoln was leaving his home and heading into the maw of national crisis. Since he had been elected, seven states of the lower South had seceded from the Union. Lincoln knew that his actions upon entering office would likely lead to civil war. He spoke to the crowd before departing: "Here I have lived a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young man to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being...I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail...To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell."
A bystander reported that the president-elect's "breast heaved with emotion and he could scarcely command his feelings." Indeed, Lincoln's words were prophetic--a funeral train carried him back to Springfield just over four years later.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
This Day in History 1862: Battle of Roanoke Island
Union General Ambrose Burnside scores a major victory when he captures Roanoke Island in North Carolina. The victory was one of the first major Union victories of the war and it gave the Yankees control of the mouth of Albemarle Sound, a key Confederate bay that allowed the Union to threaten the Rebel capital of Richmond from the south.
During the war's first winter, Union strategists focused their efforts on capturing coastal defenses to deny the Confederates sea outlets. In August 1861, the Yankees took two key forts on North Carolina's Outer Banks, paving the way for the campaign against Roanoke Island. On January 11, 1862, Burnside took a force of 15,000 and a flotilla of 80 ships down to the Outer Banks. The expeditionary force arrived at Hatteras Inlet on January 13, but poor weather delayed an attack for three weeks. On February 7, Burnside landed 10,000 on the island. They were met by about 2,500 Confederates. Burnside attacked, and his force overwhelmed the outer defenses of the island. Confederate commander Colonel Henry Shaw retreated to the north end of the island but had no chance to escape. Shaw surrendered the entire force.
The Yankees suffered 37 men killed and 214 wounded, while the Confederates lost 23 men killed and 62 wounded before the surrender. The Union now controlled a vital section of the coast. The victory came two days after Union General Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Henry in northern Tennessee, and, for the first time in the war, the North had reason for optimism.
During the war's first winter, Union strategists focused their efforts on capturing coastal defenses to deny the Confederates sea outlets. In August 1861, the Yankees took two key forts on North Carolina's Outer Banks, paving the way for the campaign against Roanoke Island. On January 11, 1862, Burnside took a force of 15,000 and a flotilla of 80 ships down to the Outer Banks. The expeditionary force arrived at Hatteras Inlet on January 13, but poor weather delayed an attack for three weeks. On February 7, Burnside landed 10,000 on the island. They were met by about 2,500 Confederates. Burnside attacked, and his force overwhelmed the outer defenses of the island. Confederate commander Colonel Henry Shaw retreated to the north end of the island but had no chance to escape. Shaw surrendered the entire force.
The Yankees suffered 37 men killed and 214 wounded, while the Confederates lost 23 men killed and 62 wounded before the surrender. The Union now controlled a vital section of the coast. The victory came two days after Union General Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Henry in northern Tennessee, and, for the first time in the war, the North had reason for optimism.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Can you talk Civil War?
In Use by 1850
Slang:
absquatulate, verb, meaning to abscond, by 1830
cracking, adj, great, by 1830 (adv use by 1870)
doggone, v, (Am) by 1830 (adj/adv use by 1855, doggoned by 1870) kerfuffle, n, (Brit) disturbance, commotion by 1830
katzenjammer, n, hangover [German: tomcat’s howling—cm]
by 1855:
bird, n, man ("woman"by 1915); bud, n, (Am) buddy; card, n, (Am) humorous person; bungle, v, pay; rummy, n, drunk; shenanigan, n, (Am).
by 1860:
beef, verb, as in "beef up"; biz, n, (Am); bust, v, (Am) raid; caught, n,
pregnant; comeuppance, n, (Am); knuckle-duster, n, (Am); lulu, n; pay dirt, n (Am); plug-ugly, n, (Am) tough, hood; sellout, n, (Am); sporting house, n; welsh, v.
by 1865:
buttonhole, v, corner, dressing-down, n; mousetrap,v; reb, n; sandman, n; shebang, n; skedaddle, n/v; up-and-up, n; working girl, n.
Insults:
featherhead, n, by1835
foozle, n, bungler by 1835 ("instance of bungling" by1890; verb use by 1870)
no-account, adj, by1845
hair-splitter n by1850 (hair-splitting by 1830)
skeezix, n, arch. rascal by 1850 [and in use as recently as 1990s---comic strip-cm]
snollygoster, n, shrewd person by 1850
Phrases:
following by 1830, all nouns:
beat a dead horse; blue streak; dead duck (Amer); Dutch uncle; eat humble pie; gone goose (as in dead duck); here and how; jumping-off place; open secret; still and all; trigger finger; upper crust.
by 1840:
better half; clarion call; fine-tooth comb; hook, line and sinker; Occam's razor; tinker's damn; vital statistics; Sunday-go-to-meeting (adj, Am).
by 1850:
exact science; free lunch; hell on wheels; lock, stock and barrel; bitter end; chamber of horrors; hot potato; last straw; old guard; set piece; two cents.
by 1860:
blowhard, n (Am); cheapjack, n, purveyor of cheap goods by 1855, (adj use by 1865); crybaby, n (Am); dope, n; twit by1855 ; guttersnipe, n; weak sister, n.
by 1865:
crackpot, n; gamey, adj; pinheaded, adj (smarty, smart aleck, n (Am)
Interjections:
by 1840:
ouch (American); begorra; thunderation (Am); yep/yup.
by 1850: my word, no siree; yes siree; prosit (toast to health) (Latin via German—cm) sh; shucks; so long.
by 1860: aw; gee whillikins (gee whiz by 1885); lordy; whillikers; upsy-daisy.
by 1865: mazel tov.
Professions or Duties
by 1855: forty-niner, n; occupational, adj; road agent, n; scrimshander, n.
by 1860:
bar girl, n; caretaker, n; contortionist, n; costumer, n; doorman, n; enumerator, n census taker; gas fitter, n; mixologist,n (Am); ragpicker, n; railsplitter, n; shantyman, n lumberjack; shipping clerk, n; shirtmaker, n; stationmaster, n.
Hope this doesn't sound like so much flumadiddle! (by 1855, nonsense )
Slang:
absquatulate, verb, meaning to abscond, by 1830
cracking, adj, great, by 1830 (adv use by 1870)
doggone, v, (Am) by 1830 (adj/adv use by 1855, doggoned by 1870) kerfuffle, n, (Brit) disturbance, commotion by 1830
katzenjammer, n, hangover [German: tomcat’s howling—cm]
by 1855:
bird, n, man ("woman"by 1915); bud, n, (Am) buddy; card, n, (Am) humorous person; bungle, v, pay; rummy, n, drunk; shenanigan, n, (Am).
by 1860:
beef, verb, as in "beef up"; biz, n, (Am); bust, v, (Am) raid; caught, n,
pregnant; comeuppance, n, (Am); knuckle-duster, n, (Am); lulu, n; pay dirt, n (Am); plug-ugly, n, (Am) tough, hood; sellout, n, (Am); sporting house, n; welsh, v.
by 1865:
buttonhole, v, corner, dressing-down, n; mousetrap,v; reb, n; sandman, n; shebang, n; skedaddle, n/v; up-and-up, n; working girl, n.
Insults:
featherhead, n, by1835
foozle, n, bungler by 1835 ("instance of bungling" by1890; verb use by 1870)
no-account, adj, by1845
hair-splitter n by1850 (hair-splitting by 1830)
skeezix, n, arch. rascal by 1850 [and in use as recently as 1990s---comic strip-cm]
snollygoster, n, shrewd person by 1850
Phrases:
following by 1830, all nouns:
beat a dead horse; blue streak; dead duck (Amer); Dutch uncle; eat humble pie; gone goose (as in dead duck); here and how; jumping-off place; open secret; still and all; trigger finger; upper crust.
by 1840:
better half; clarion call; fine-tooth comb; hook, line and sinker; Occam's razor; tinker's damn; vital statistics; Sunday-go-to-meeting (adj, Am).
by 1850:
exact science; free lunch; hell on wheels; lock, stock and barrel; bitter end; chamber of horrors; hot potato; last straw; old guard; set piece; two cents.
by 1860:
blowhard, n (Am); cheapjack, n, purveyor of cheap goods by 1855, (adj use by 1865); crybaby, n (Am); dope, n; twit by1855 ; guttersnipe, n; weak sister, n.
by 1865:
crackpot, n; gamey, adj; pinheaded, adj (smarty, smart aleck, n (Am)
Interjections:
by 1840:
ouch (American); begorra; thunderation (Am); yep/yup.
by 1850: my word, no siree; yes siree; prosit (toast to health) (Latin via German—cm) sh; shucks; so long.
by 1860: aw; gee whillikins (gee whiz by 1885); lordy; whillikers; upsy-daisy.
by 1865: mazel tov.
Professions or Duties
by 1855: forty-niner, n; occupational, adj; road agent, n; scrimshander, n.
by 1860:
bar girl, n; caretaker, n; contortionist, n; costumer, n; doorman, n; enumerator, n census taker; gas fitter, n; mixologist,n (Am); ragpicker, n; railsplitter, n; shantyman, n lumberjack; shipping clerk, n; shirtmaker, n; stationmaster, n.
Hope this doesn't sound like so much flumadiddle! (by 1855, nonsense )
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