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.

Winter Park Railroad Development

As I worked on the history engine projects, I did a lot of research on the development of railroads in Central Florida. My specific topic was the Orlando - Winter Park Railroad, as I had found an original ticket to the railroad as my primary document.
The railroad had first been organized in 1887, but the railroad was not formally opened and did not operate until January 2, 1889. Construction was often difficult, since the Florida soil would partly be to muddy and sink away. Therefore the tracks weren't considered to be laid in the highest quality and the train became known for its many failures.
As I was doing research, I came across two interesting facts. Firstly, the railroad left a considerable impact on the Rollins college students population. They now could take the train to school, which made their lives considerably easier. The Orlando - Winter Park Railroad was subject in many of their songs or even Sandspur writings. They eventually nicknamed the line "Dinky Line", representative of the railroads unreliability and loud noises. The community of Winter Park, actually found the railroad a nuisance not only an improvement since it made so loud noises.
Additionally, I found out that the railroad was used as a warning system to advise local farmers of a cold front that might harm their crop. In that case, the train would blast its horn several times, allowing farmers to take appropriate measures to save their crop from the freeze.

History Engine Part I

My history engine project was on a letter that I found in the archives from a wealthy woman of Winter Park. In her letter, she was asked by a northerner to donate a sum of money to a scholarship foundation. Her response to this is a long overview of the greater need for education in the South, particularly to the African American community. She details on the injustices prevailed to them such as the removal of Hannibal Square, which was predominantly African American, in order for their votes to not count in the Winter Park elections. The Blacks lived in the poorest section in Winter Park with one school and two teachers. She explains her experiences in attending a Baptist Church mass where its members would break into chants and songs of the holy spirit. This letter is really interesting because it shows the impact that slavery had here at home. This is something that many people get to read in books but very rarely get to learn about in a more local level.

Everglades

This type of history project I find much more interesting than just reading the history book, because you can get a glimpse of how individuals are reacting to historical events. The journal entries from the Everglades Expedition were especially appealing because they talked about the expedition making their way to Fort Myers, my hometown. It was also amazing to imagine how they described Fort Myers in the 1890’s compared to what it is now; it still had Indian tribes living in the area. I found the other history engines to be remarkable. For example, the one about the old Rollins football team and how the opposing team left the Rollins football field covered in sandspurs, which later caused boils.

Preston Brooks v.s. Charles Summer: Fisticuffs!!

While reading tonight's assignment I found one passage particularly interesting. The passage describing Preston Brook's attack on Charles Summer in the U.S. Senate. I would have never guess that an attack that debilitated Summer for two years who what been allowed to happen right in the middle of the senate floor. Are these men not states men who believe in the codes of chivalry and the power of compromise over violence? After the attack was Brooks allowed to continue his duties as a senator? Today if John Mccain got into a fist fight with Hilary Clinton in the middle of the senate floor both of their political careers would be instantly over. Yet in the 19th century nothing happened to Brooks. Either the people of the South advocated this type of behavior or they truly hated the Northerners. 

Connections

The old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" always kind of irritated me. But, after using a picture as my primary source for the history engine episode, I guess I will give in to the saying. When sifting through the archive, I impetuously chose a picture of an orange grove, mainly just satisfied with the fact that I finally found something from the nineteenth century. I didn't think much of this picture at the time, but after researching a bit, it seems to be connected to a lot of topics we have covered in class and our reading. Turns out this picture of a frozen orange grove is a resulting action of a mass citrus culture that defined the settling of Florida stretching from the late seventeenth century until the late nineteenth century. The history includes many characters we have touched upon: Native Indians, Spanish inhabitors, and English planters. And while we think of oranges as a distinctly Florida commodity, it all spurred as a bi-product of the Columbian Exchange. I guess there is always more than meets the eye.

The 1830's-50's weren't a total waste of time!

Although it has been difficult for some to read both chapters 11 and 12 this week - those people have missed out on, in my view, one of the most important aspects of history; the people. The Americans of the 1830's to 50's, despite not fighting any international wars, dealt with national crises resulting in expansion of technological knowledge. With the publication of books, they were able to spread around the country by means of train, telegram and boat! If it weren't for America's focus on itself rather than other nations, they would not have been able to develop speedy means of travel and a development of it's own culture. Issues, such as slavery were acknowledged thanks to the printing of books, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe's books. They consisted of stories of her servants in Cincinnati and shocked white American's of the violence and abuse they inflicted on their slaves. It was writers such as Stowe, Hawthorne, Melville and Whitman who were able to depict American life into powerful literature to convey messages to the American people.

Minstrelsy

The Crisis of 1850 resulted in widespread anti African-American sentiment especially in the South and reinforced the patterns of repression of slaves in the southern region. With an increase in popular culture and high culture many of these sentiments found expression in artistic movements. One of the most dominant outlets of anti-Black sentiment was the practice of Minstrelsy, a form of play in which white men would mimic Southern slaves in blackface.
Our history book states that this form of acting would serve to "simultaneously ridicule and pay homage to the creativity of African Americans." While I can definitely see the part that ridicules African Americans, I have a hard time understanding how this practice would honor African American culture in any form.
When you look at the practice of minstrelsy, you can see how it was outright racist. It was a crude form of parody where whites would exaggerate African American features by giving the impression of big eyes and big lips. The part of big lips would be especially emphasized by not painting a certain part around the lips so that there would be a big white frame, drawing even more emphasis to the mouth.
Minstrelsy created many stereotypes of African American culture and served to reinforce white superiority. In these performances, they also criticized anti-slavery movements and civil rights movements. While early minstrelsy shows allowed blacks to perform, they were later prohibited to do so.
Even though minstrelsy included certain parts of African American culture such as traditional music, I do not agree with the textbook in that it can be "a homage to African American creativity." It was solely used by Whites as a form of entertainment that would ridicule and stereotype African Americans in a crude and racist way.

Reference: American Passages p.364
Picture: http://www.iath.virginia.edu/utc/minstrel/gallmitxtf.html

Know Nothings

It is ironic to imagine that a party named the "know nothings" that supported such fervent racism towards immigrants could become such a dominate force in politics in the 1850's. You could easily compare this hatred of immigrants who "increase our taxes, eat our bread, and encumber our streets" with the hatred of Mexican immigrants in todays society. Are the so called militia men who stand at the boarder armed with riffles any better than the malicious party of "know nothings" from the 1850's? 

The History Engine vs. Seminoles: Round I

Im going to be honest here, chapter 11 is a long read. But before I get into the semantics of what is known as chapter 11 I will begin by discussing the History Engine Project. I first started the project with little to no interest, just another project to complete get an A and move on. But i must say that my topic on Seminole Indians is quite intriguing. My source is a journal of an American captain sent to Florida to help remove the Indians. In the journal he basically spells out how the indians died and were removed. It is interesting to note that in the journal he has no passion or emotion. The journal is very dry and straightforward much like a newspaper article. To me this lack of humanity came off as heartless and cruel. I believe this says a lot about the American culture of the time and how the Native Americans were viewed. Chapter 11 discussed economic crisis, change in political atmosphere, and forward advancement of culture and civil rights. To me this chapter felt as precursor for chapters to come, mainly because nothing major happened.