American Civil War...?

Greetings from Germany!

Today, on the german TV, there was 3-hours long documentary about the killing of Abraham Lincoln, highly focused on John Wilkes Booth, the assasin.

I am not very focused about the American Civil War, myself more specialized in the WWI, and WWII, would you please be so kind, to share some internetsites, or weblogs concerning your former American Civil War...?

The very early photos in the doc. from the battle of Gettysburg were horrible, the fallen soldiers made me speechless, I avoid most of these photos...

We Germans started two World Wars, for the hell on earth, America had the Civil War, Korea, Vietnam, and now Iraq, what a waste of human life.


Michael

We're still fighting it.

"We're still fighting it."

Bill, what does this mean, still two apart brothers, hating and loving each other?

Tell it to the german dumbass...?


Michael

Wikipedia has a decent summary of the Civil War at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War
 
I am sure you could devote half your life just reading details of the Civil War on the internet.  Practically any site devoted to Abraham Lincoln contains material about him in relation to it.  For a Civil War timeline, go to  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/tl1861.html or  http://www.historyplace.com/civilwar/index.html or  http://americancivilwar.com/tl/timeline.html
 
I am so sorry you don't live in the U.S., since the (relatively) new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield (IL) has, among other things, a large United States map that constantly changes to show the complete Civil War in about 5 minutes while you stand there watching it (including all the battle lines and battles). http://www.alplm.org/home.html

I think Bill is refering to the fact that there are still many people both in the north and the south that cannot see eye-to-eye with each other without any prejudice.

Michael_Germany


"We're still fighting it."

Bill, what does this mean, still two apart brothers, hating and loving each other?

Tell it to the german dumbass...?


Michael

America is still a work in progress, and the divisions from that seminal conflict flare up today.

Get together, folks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4s0nzsU1Wg

Michael

While the legalities of the Slavery issue were resolved by the War and the Reconstruction period after, it has taken generations of political and social actions to achieve what we have so far in actually "practicing" what that issue brought out dealing with equality. We obviously have a long way to go , but at least this country acknowledges the issue and acts towards that goal. Many other countries seem to "sweep those issues Under the Carpet"!!

The issue of "States Rights" which was a Major Factor in that conflict was decided by the action of the Nation as a whole during the War. However the 'fine-line' definition of which level of government is responsible for which social or economic issue is the target of much discussion in every election. Does a certain problem belong to a City/Cpunty or State or Federal agency for resolution?? I don't see that happening in many other counties when problems arise.

Good luck with your historic research. That certainly is a very interesting time-period in our history to investigate.

I thought Bill was referring to the culture war going on.  Conservative vs. Progressive.  I don't think that will ever be sorted out.  Forever a see-saw.

In the long haul the Progressives always win. Conservatives (better labeled Reactionaries to preserve the good name of most Conservatives)  can prevent change over years or even generations, but a time comes when progressive change happens. 

Our Civil War (War Between The States, War of Northern Aggression, etc.) was not really progressives vs conservatives - it was much more complex than that. Surely, freeing the slaves was a progressive move, but that's not really what the war was fought over. The North wanted to preserve the Union - the South wanted to exercise what they saw as a constitutional right to secceed (based on a principle of "nullification")from the Union and form an independent nation with an economy based on slavery even though just about everyone , except the reactionaries, realized that slavery had become uneconomic and could not be sustained much longer.

The end of the war brought about a long era of economic progress while social progress was spotty, at best. Racial segregation became the norm throughout the nation - with its most extreme form evolving in the Old South while progressive democratic policies became the norm in the rapidly settling West. 

The end of the war also saw a disastrous reactionary policy of punishment and impoverishment of the Southern States. We called it "Reconstruction", but it was anything but that - it was punishment pure and simple  when we should have developed a policy of economic aid, enforcement of civil rights, education, and reconciliation. To this day there is resentment for the Reconstruction policy, a resentment  that frequently takes the form of disdain for and opposition to the Federal government.

Cheers, John    

You are right, seafarer, that the war was not over slavery, but over States Rights. That part of the struggle endures. As shown recently at Town Hall type meetings, a great many people are not willing to have the Federal Government make all of the decisions  about their daily lives.

Moin Forum!

Thank you all for your contributions and links in this topic.

Between the lines, I think there are still many open wounds between the South and the North, caused by this horrible American Civil War.

I like to dedicate my fav. german anti-war-song to all of you, it is a song about the fallen young soldiers of WWI, 1914-1918.

Hannes Waader "Es ist an der Zeit..." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsWOLMpVUAg

Waader/Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannes_Wader

Kind regards

Michael

I guess mbrooks is referring to health care reform.

As a person well over 65, I've enjoyed the benefits of  medicare for a good many years.
No one  from the federal government has ever attempted to come between me and my doctors - in fact all I hear from the Feds is a report now and then letting me know how much they paid my doctors for specific visits. I go to  the doctors of my choice and get the treatments they prescribe - all without any interference from the federal government. 

If the various levels of government, my doctors, my family, and the media are all trying to influence my decision to quit smoking, lose weight, exercise, eat a health diet, etc. , then all I can say is thanks for the advice. The only lifestyle decision the feds ever made for me was when they , through my local draft board, chose two years in the USArmy  for me. And, while I never was a happy soldier, I sure was happy when the federal government financed a good part of four years of college for me.


Cheers, John  

Moin Forum!

If you ever have the chance, to visit the battle fields of WWI, and WWII over here in Europe, just do it. Our great grandfathers, our grandfathers, our fathers, brothers, uncles, and sons, fallen soldiers, they rest here, for ever.

I used to visit very many war cemetaries of WWI, and WWII all over Europe, it was very important to me, to understand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYnxLSwQSeI

Michael

Seafarer John, I'm within a few days af medicare myself, and I am looking forward to some relief. That is not what I meant.
In order not to get this forum (or at least my posts) blasted, I'll just say "read the bill." It is not medicare.
 

John, My Friend, We differ on many parts of the political spectrum, but on the Medicatre issue we paddle the same canoe !! While I have purchased a 'supplement' program from a health insurance company, I really like the no co-pay, no debuctible, no other costs that result from that.  We have closely watched our monthly expenses re-health care for the two years since reaching Medicare age. About half of the monthes we could have saved a little by buying the cheaper supplement and paying the co-pay etc fees as we went along....however having everything taken care of with no flood of associated paperwork and duplicate billings to keep track of, makes paying for the 'super-supplement' well worth the $100 a month it costs.

Now Back to the Topic at hand--- I have been on the Gettysburg Battlefield at dawn on a July day. Warm sticky weather with mist rising off the fields as daybreak lit the area.  One cannot be in that environment without feeling the emotion of the wounded and dying that permeates the atmosphere there. It is spooky, but it is as real as it can be for the visitor.

We visited the site of the OK City Bombing just three weeks after the incident happened. I cannot describe the 'spiritual/emotional pallor' that clung to that site at the time. One was surrounded by the feeling of horror and sadness that resulted from that terrible incident. All three of us  Myself, Janet and my Mom walked around the fenced in crater , with the twisted traffic signals and boarded up windows for blocks around, tears flowed down the cheeks of everyone we saw that morning. It was an amazing experience.  We have returned to the site that is now a memorial park...The feeling has faded, but it is still a very special place.

mayor, I got the same feeling visiting ground zero in NYC. I was also hoping to get down to Gettysburg this summer, but doesn't look like it's in the cards, maybe mid-Fall.

Books on the Civil War always seem to reflect the predominant political feeling of the current time by the historians reporting it. The book, LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME by James Loewen has some very useful info on that war.

Al & mbrooks: As long as we can agree to disagree on politics and social issues, all is well. That and our mutual regard for good food...

Cheers, John 

Greetings!

Which is the the most worth reading book (english language) about the American Civil War?

Please be so kind to share a few links, amazone, etc.

Thank you!

Kind regards

Michael

Michael, the American Civil War defined the United States as a country where a strong national government was a given, much like Chacellor Bismarck's unified Germany. Both nations became international powers as a result of this unification. The American Civil War ended slavery and the slave economy but did not end racial conflict in the United States. It also was the first war to combine 19th century medicine with 20th century killing technology. And the siege warfare in Richmond was a precursor to the 20th century trench warfare of World War I.

To My German Friend-
  I would suggest that the series published by the American Heritage Company, Written mainly by Bruce Catton would be a fairly readable history of the conflict. It has 5 or 6 volumes arranged chronologically. It is a standard part of every school and college library collection.

I would also suggest Shelby Foote's 3 volumes on the war...
The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. I...Fort Sumter to Perryville
The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. II...Fredericksburg to Meridan
The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. III...Red River to Appomattox

Greetings Al!

This one? http://www.amazon.com/Ame...ABRIDGED/dp/0786186933

Or this one? http://www.amazon.com/Ame...ry-Civil/dp/0517385562

I would prefer a text-based work, there are more than enough picture site on the net about the Civil War...

Thanks again, kind regards from Germany

Michael

Michael,

  Using the Amazon Search you will find two or three "sets" of three volumes of Bruce Catton's work on the Civil War.  You are correct the large single volume of the American Heritage is more illustration than text...But the trilogies by Catton are definitely text-oriented, with few or no illustrations other than relevant maps. I suggest the trilogies, but also recommend the volumes specifically targeting U S Grant. They make fascinating reading for visitors to any of the locations where the War was decided.

Moin Al!

Thank you very much for your advice, I will look for the books by Catton...

Earlier this year, on the french/german TV channel arte, there was a 9 part documentary about the American Civil War, too sorry, I have no DVD-Recorder...

Links:

http://www.arte.tv/de/Die...rgerkrieg/2436586.html

http://www.arte.tv/de/Der...rgerkrieg/2447646.html

Thanks again!

Michael

Might I reccommend the Shaara's father-son "Killer Angels" which deal with the Battle of Gettysburg told from the commanders' points of views and following it up with son Jeffrey Shaara's expanded story with his prequel, Gods and Generals and sequel, The Last Full Measure.
bkk

Moin, Big Kahuna!

Thank you very much for your links, at this time, to start my "research", I will not concentrate on novels, maybe in later times...

I remember Cold Moutain (Book/Movie) very well,  the book was far better than the movie, in some chapters very harsh, but I liked to read that novel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Mountain_(novel)

Thany you all very much again, for all your efforts in this topic!

Kind german regards

Michael

Michael---for great book on Lincoln assassination -------------------The Day Lincoln Was Shot by Jim Bishop. For a great read of historical fiction try Gore Vidal's LINCOLN-------------both good reads-----------see if you can find at a libraryor school THE CIVIL WAR multi episode documentary by James Burns---well worth tracking down.
 
Good Luck and All Best----------------------Russ

Russ-  I think you meant the Civil war Documentary by KEN Burns. You are correct it was outstanding. 

Michael, you Must get a DVD player !
AL