Mary Brown's Diaries

For my episode #3, I went to the Winter Park Public Library and chose to write about Mary Brown's diary of 1886. What I find fascinating about historical diaries is that the history is being interpreted by one person (not by a newspaper). She wrote a few diaries which all look similar on the outside but all hold different aspects of her life in Winter Park. The reason I chose her 1886 diary was because she noted on August 31st 1886 the earthquake she felt. Though is sounds like Winter Park had an earthquake - it turns out that the earthquake she felt that day was in Charleston, South Carolina! Further research showed that the earthquake is the most damaging in Southeast America and reached as far as Boston and Chicago. It is interesting that Mary's small note in her diary conveys how such an intense earthquake reached as far as Winter Park, Florida.

How Official was the Emancipation Proclamation?

Upon hearing the lengthy tongue twister that is the "Emancipation Proclamation", I used to envision somber slaveholders holding their front doors open while their slaves poured out. This couldn't be further from the truth. What the proclamation really said was that the slaves located in the northern Union territories were free. It did not free any slaves from southern states under Union control or any of the border states. As the war concluded, there was question to whether the proclamation had actually made the abolition of slavery permanent. The question remained (in states like Kentucky and Delaware) until it was resolved in late 1865 by the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.

Mobilization of the Union and Confederacy

The Ken Burn's movie touched on that one reason why the Union and Confederate armies were able to gain support for their armies was due to organization within local communities in addition to the transformation to a wartime economy by both the North and the South. For the North, the war effort was driven by the industrialization of Northern cities, which not only produced weapons for war but created jobs for Northern citizens as well. However, the South's economy was based on the exports and imports they received for their agricultural products. Because the South's economy was not as domesticated as the North's, the North was able to blockade southern ports in an effort to freeze the southern economy. This is the result of the total war tactics employed by Union generals. This tactic was at the forefront of the Anaconda Plan, originally conceptualized by Winfield Scott.

The Blue & the Gray

I believe you can sum up the civil war in a simply a few words. The south didn't agree with the North so in the first few years of the war they fought several indecisive battles until the South ran out of resources and men. Then the South was over run by the Northern army and burned to the ground. Sad to say but that it pretty much the gist of the Civil War. Now Im not saying that the war was pointless, or all of the soldiers died in vein. The civil war had a purpose, it established national supremacy, freed the slaves, and subjugated the states for the next century. I just feel that the war could have been completed faster. Now I know neither side was prepared for war and they had to gather resources, supplies and train soldiers, but seriously four years from 1861-1865 seems a bit much considering how under supplied and under prepared the Confederacy was. The war simply seems like it dragged on and lasted to long. 

Heres a picture of Lego Civil War with a Union mortar canon. Oh capitalism!

Lee's Decision to Serve Confederacy

The Ken Burn's movie the class watched on the opening battles of the Civil War detailed the decision of General Lee to join the Confederate Army. His decision to rebel against the Union epitomized the feelings of individual southern states towards the Union. Ultimately, Lee decided to put his state above the Union; Lee felt that he could not bear arms against his native state of Virginia, which seceded from the Union. Lee abandoned his position in the US military and accepted the command of Virginia's military forces. Lee was unquestionably the most notable American general during that time period and the South was at clear strategic advantage having Lee as their commander and chief. One possible reason the why the war lasted as long as it did is due to the strategies employed by Lee.

The Growing Awareness of Slavery

Studying for the exam tomorrow, I've found that the increase of American culture made white Americans more aware of slavery in a negative manor, whereas the economy made slavery evident in a positive way. For example, the white men weren't aware of the emotional suffering of black slaves if Harriet Beecher Stowe's hadn't written "Uncle Tom's cabin". On the other hand, the development of the railroad was beneficial to the majority of Americans, however the fact that the north railroads connected cities and the south connected farms and rural areas further exploited the differences between the north and the south; as the south primarily used the trains for transporting cotton made by the slaves. Also, the seems to be a correlation between an American 'Panic' and an American 'revival' of religion. This correlation shows the neediness of American's to better their situations and lives when in face of crisis. Ultimately, the emergence of American culture and development of technological advances show the increasing amount of attention paid to the issue of slavery that had been looming over America ever since the Deceleration of Independence. American culture shows support of the abolitionists whereas the success of the cotton industry, despite the increased number of slaves needed to make cotton, diverted the attention paid to slavery to focus more on their high cotton market. The need for religion during times of economic panics despites America's dependence on the booming economy to sustain a long desired Utopian society.

Oops typo...and Turtle Mound

I meant to say "FLAGLER did so much for Florida." I spelled my title wrong.

This post is about my other topic, Turtle Mound. The reason I was so amazed by Turtle Mound, which is located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, is that I had never heard of it until now. It is a very historical site. It is the largest and one of the oldest mounds in the entire nation. I have been to New Smyrna Beach so many times and I never heard about, or saw for that matter, Turtle Mound.

There is a boardwalk that climbs the fifty-five feet it takes to reach the top. Along the boardwalk there are facts about Turtle Mound and lots of interpretative information. It is crazy to me that there are so many historical sites all throughout our nation, and most people don't even know they exist. I am sure most people living in Florida would have no idea what Turtle Mound is or why it was historic and important. Hopefully my episode will bring a little more attention to Turtle Mound.

Flager did so much for Florida!

When researching, I stumbled over the Ponce de Leon hotel in St. Augustine, Florida. This topic interested me a great deal, mostly because of the man who built it. Henry Flagler decided when he came to Florida he wanted to make it a place where people would want to come and visit. He built this absolutely amazing hotel (that is now Flagler College) and all of the sudden, tourism in St. Augustine increased 3 times more than what it had been. He seemed to be this man who suddenly had ideas and just ran with them. He was also the one who built a railroad down into South Florida because he wanted an easier way to get there. He had a great deal of wealth and he spent a large portion of it on Florida. Without him, Florida would not be what it is today.

Prominent Guests at the Flagler Memorial Church Opening

One of the most famous buildings in St. Augustine is the Flagler Memorial Church, also called First Presbyterian Church. As many other buildings of the city it was built by Henry Flagler, the most prominent person in Florida's development.
Flagler ordered the construction of the church in 1889, shortly after his daughter had died on March 25 that same year. The church was finished within a year, and the opening ceremony held on March 16,1890. While researching the church I came across the interesting fact that the guests of the opening ceremony also included Mr. Benjamin Harrison (the First Lady) and the United States Vice-President Levi P. Morton. This can be explained by the fact that Flagler was a very popular and influential man even in the north. However, I still found it rare that the church dedication would include such prominent guests.