DOCSLIB.ORG

University of California Riverside

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
University of California Riverside UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE “Something Terrible Happened Here” Memory and Battlefield Preservation in the Construction of Race, Place, and Nation A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History by Susan Chase Hall March 2013 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Catherine Gudis, Chairperson Dr. Molly McGarry Dr. Rebecca Kugel Copyright by Susan Chase Hall 2013 The Dissertation of Susan Chase Hall is approved: Committee Chairperson University of California, Riverside ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation has been made possible thanks to a number of individuals and institutions. Without their support, guidance, and let’s face it, funding, this research would not have come to fruition! To the faculty and staff of UC Riverside’s History Department: thank you for all you have done to help me out over the last eight years. From assigning deep, thought- provoking readings that changed my world-view to writing last-minute letters of recommendation, you have all been there to push me, support me, and vouch for my credentials as an academic and public historian. Catherine Gudis and Molly McGarry, you inspired me inside and outside of the classroom, encouraging me to open my eyes and mind to a new and theoretical way of exploring Public History. You also encouraged me to pursue any number of practical hands-on experiences that, ultimately, influenced my research. To the National Park Service rangers who welcomed me into their world, thank you. You showed me the passion and commitment necessary to be public historians. For a time, I was lost in my own world of academia. You reminded me of the joys and challenges of preserving a difficult past for a diverse public audience. Even in the midst of budget constraints, you encourage adults and children alike to think outside of the box. The inspiration for my Antietam chapter developed out of my work with the Historic American Buildings Survey and the National Park Service, funded by the Society of Architectural Historian’s Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship. The staff of HABS/HAER/HALS—most notably Lisa Davidson—and the cultural resources staff at iv Antietam National Battlefield—Jane Custer and Kevin Walker—helped me recognize the value and complexity of our built environment. In addition to Antietam, I had the opportunity to work with the NPS staff of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. They graciously let me sift through their files while sitting at the kitchen table of their Chatham Headquarters. At Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, park staff welcomed me to their temporary Visitor Center and headquarters where I glimpsed the trials and pleasures of working for the then-newest NPS unit. The archivist, rangers, and volunteers at the Nez Perce National Historical Site and Big Hole National Battlefield welcomed me in, even in the midst of renovation. Mandi Wick and Robert Applegate, in particular, gave me their insight and the chance to learn about park units in transition. To those who lent me your ears and wisdom out of kindness, thank you. Joan, you are a role model, inspiration, and your park histories are fantastic! Mr. Tallbull, thank you for meeting me and sharing your personal connection to Sand Creek and the Healing Run. Knowing your personal relationship deeply influenced how I interpreted and experienced the plains of eastern Colorado. Funding for my research came from a number of institutions. Sand Creek research in Colorado was made viable in part by a fellowship with the Rupert and Jeanette Costo California Center for Native Nations at the University of California, Riverside. Research for Big Hole National Battlefield in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming was partially funded by a Graduate Student Research Award from the Charles Redd Center of Western Studies at Brigham Young University and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Grant from the University of California, Riverside. Importantly, a solid year of v dissertation writing was achieved as a result of the Dissertation Year Fellowship I received from UCR. My research, travels, and education as a whole would not have been possible without the support of my friends and family. To my Kensington Ladies (Jamie, Sarah, Nessa, Emily, Becky, and Laura), you made life during exams bearable. Thank you for your encouragement, food, and friendship. To Mike, Jason, Sean, Robert, and Graham, thank you for supporting the Public History Ladies in their endeavors. Melissa, Alan, and Buck, thank you for letting me borrow my old car, stay at your house, and feeding me. You were wonderful hosts. To those friends and friendships who may have suffered a bit due to my focus and determination to get this project done, I am sorry! Most importantly, thank you to my family. Mom, Catherine, Ray, Mia, Caden, you put up with my one-track mind for years, indulging my many hours of reading and writing and supporting my many absences while on the road. I missed the birth of my wonderful niece, because of my drive to explore Public History and its many facets. Luckily, I think Mia’s forgiven me. Aunt Susan, Uncle Greg, and Trevor, you were fabulous hosts, pseudo parents, and a great younger brother during my many trips to Washington, D.C. You made my absences from southern California enjoyable and memorable. Without a doubt I consider you my second family, Chevy Chase my second home, and I look forward to returning soon. There’s always research to do at the National Archives! To my husband, Scott, you met me during the peak of my grad school experience and had no idea what you were getting into. Thanks for seeing me through, letting me vi vent during times of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. Our runs provided me the opportunity to talk through key concepts of my dissertation. Thank you for visiting me in Spokane and Washington, D.C. Most importantly, thank you for supporting me and my goals unconditionally. You are the best! To the best road trip buddy a gal could ask for, my dad. Never once in my long education and career as a historian did you question my choices. While other dads may interrogate their daughter’s decision to spend eight years of graduate school in History, you supported me through it all. You accompanied me to Arizona, Montana, and Wyoming. You were there with me to see bullet riddled cars on unmarked roads in southeastern Arizona, cross the continental divide in Montana, and stare a buffalo in the eyes in Wyoming. Together we listened to endless hours of books on tape, worried about rattle snakes, black bears, and winding roads, all because you supported me. Just think; it all started with our first visit to Gettysburg in 1997. Thank you for going on the long, tiresome grad school road trip with me. I am forever grateful. vii ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION “Something Terrible Happened Here” Memory and Battlefield Preservation in the Construction of Race, Place, and Nation by Susan Chase Hall Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Program in History University of California, Riverside, March 2013 Dr. Catherine Gudis, Chairperson This dissertation considers the changing place of race at nationally preserved battlefields from the Civil War and Indian Wars. As sites of contestation and carnage, these preserved spaces serve as strong indicators of the power of place that dominated America’s ethos and national identity during the nineteenth century. The battles themselves resulted from power struggles over land, property, economic expansionism, and race-based debates. These conflicts over place and people did not end with a defeat or victory on the battlefield. They transitioned into a second phase that continued to use battlefields as sites of negotiation over racial entitlement and disenfranchisement. This dissertation argues that preserved battlefields are landscapes expansive in nature, crossing time and space. They are not evidence of one year, one day, or one event. These battlefields actually reproduce historic environments to fit the needs of those preserving and viewing them. In other words, the spaces are cultural landscapes, representing constructed spaces reflecting the processes in which culture—and cultural conflict— manipulates, affects, and frames nature over the long twentieth century (1865-present). viii While contending with the challenges of contemporary America, preservationists and visitors used these battlefields to contribute to the larger national project intent on (re)defining who had the power and access to be included in the national narrative. Historically, the Anglo male dominated collective memory on the preserved battlefields. As such, it is presumed that these battlefields are purely masculine and Anglo in nature. This dissertation indicates that this is not the case. Sentimentalism was a key tool utilized by preservationists to control memories. Through sentimentalism, battlefields became semi-fictitious spaces based on selective and dramatic accounts of the past. They did not preserve a pure narrative of nineteenth century warfare; instead, they preserved desired interpretations of the past to better serve the present. Today, Native Americans and African Americans utilize preserved battlefields to present their own voices, inserting themselves into the nation’s collective memory. It is the ongoing relationship between memory, nature, and nineteenth century warfare that is at the heart of this research. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Prologue ……………………………………………………………………….. xiv Introduction: Love is a Battlefield …………………………………………………………… 1 Chapter 1: Antietam National Battlefield (1862 – 1937) “The Strange Spell that Dwells in Dead Men’s Eyes”: The Civil War Dead and their Powerful Pull at Antietam National Battlefield ………………………….. 59 Chapter 2: Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park (1928 – 1965) Home, Sweet, Home: The Sentimental Power of Home at the Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania National Military Park ………………………….. 131 Chapter 3: Big Hole National Battlefield (1950 – 1992) Family Travels, National Travails, and Consumption of the Big Hole Valley….
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 14 December 2012 Page 1 of 16 SATURDAY 08 DECEMBER 2012 Retire in the Next 10-15 Years
    Radio 4 Listings for 8 – 14 December 2012 Page 1 of 16 SATURDAY 08 DECEMBER 2012 retire in the next 10-15 years. Charlotte Smith visits Exmoor to After a year of protests against President Putin, Steve discuss where that next generation of farmers will come from, Rosenberg finds support for him is still strong -- particularly in SAT 00:00 Midnight News (b01p2sy2) with the National Farmers' Union Uplands Chair Robin Milton. cities away from the capital, Moscow. The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sarah Swadling. Bethany Bell's in South Tyrol where some are angry that the Italian authorities, in the midst of financial crisis, want this wealthy Alpine province to contribute more to the national SAT 00:30 Book of the Week (b01p58n6) SAT 06:57 Weather (b01p2syj) exchequer. The Horologicon The latest weather forecast. The Turks know that the television soap opera's an effective Episode 5 means of extending influence throughout the Middle East. And SAT 07:00 Today (b01p6n7s) the BBC man Rajan Datar gets offered a screen part! As the ploughman drops into the western bay, we offer you Morning news and current affairs with John Humphrys. bene darkmans dear listener. Mark Forsyth is feeling finifugal Including Yesterday in Parliament, Sports Desk, Weather and And they've been harvesting the olives in the hills of Tuscany. as his Horologicon reaches the end of the day. Thought for the Day. Dany Mitzman's been lending a hand and observing that the harvest methods have changed little since ancient times.
    [Show full text]
  • John AJ Creswell of Maryland
    Dickinson College Dickinson Scholar Faculty and Staff Publications By Year Faculty and Staff Publications 2015 Forgotten Abolitionist: John A. J. Creswell of Maryland John M. Osborne Dickinson College Christine Bombaro Dickinson College Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.dickinson.edu/faculty_publications Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Osborne, John M., and Christine Bombaro. Forgotten Abolitionist: John A. J. Creswell of Maryland. Carlisle, PA: House Divided Project at Dickinson College, 2015. https://www.smashwords.com/books/ view/585258 This article is brought to you for free and open access by Dickinson Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Forgotten Abolitionist: John A.J. Creswell of Maryland John M. Osborne and Christine Bombaro Carlisle, PA House Divided Project at Dickinson College Copyright 2015 by John M. Osborne and Christine Bombaro Distributed by SmashWords ISBN: 978-0-9969321-0-3 License Notes: This book remains the copyrighted property of the authors. It may be copied and redistributed for personal use provided the book remains in its complete, original form. It may not be redistributed for commercial purposes. Cover design by Krista Ulmen, Dickinson College The cover illustration features detail from the cover of Harper's Weekly Magazine published on February 18, 1865, depicting final passage of Thirteenth Amendment on January 31, 1865, with (left to right), Congressmen Thaddeus Stevens, William D. Kelley, and John A.J. Creswell shaking hands in celebration. TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword by Matthew Pinsker Introduction Marylander Dickinson Student Politician Unionist Abolitionist Congressman Freedom’s Orator Senator Postmaster General Conclusion Afterword Notes Bibliography About the Authors FOREWORD It used to be considered a grave insult in American culture to call someone an abolitionist.
    [Show full text]
  • Imsk Week for Everyone in the Business of Ivlusic 13 MOVEMBER 1993 £2.8
    imsk week For Everyone in the Business of IVlusic 13 MOVEMBER 1993 £2.8 BPI: pil himnow The music industry has roundly con- Keely Gilbert, of Chris Rea's man- Highdemned Court the judge warning last metedweek to eut alleged by a wasagement able toReal order Life, video says bootlegs the company of Rea's bootleggerCharlesworth, Stephen previously Charlesworth. of Clwyd- threeconcerts months by phone. to arrive "They and took were about rub- guilty in the High Court of breaching judgebish," isn'tshe muchadds. of "A a punishment."warning from a latingan injunction leaflets stopping advertising him from circu-video APUThe on case Designatec's arose from premises a raid inby May, the That,bootlegs Chris of Rea,top artistsand Peter such Gabriel. as Take CharlesworthMr Justice to payFerris the costs ordered of the behalfBPI, which of sixhad memberbrought thecompanies. case on Charlesworth was also wamed that and July 26 the BPI wouid have ceedingsSubsequently for conte. tl : BPI bi CourtStephen last Charlesworth week after heing leaves found the inHigh And warning to pii pirated acts unauthorised Take That_ he videoshad offered and contempt of an injunction restraining "It's laughable," says lan Grant, mai tapesCharlesworth for sale in July. appeared in the High advertisinghim from circulating pirate audio leaflets and hootleg iEVERLEY plainedager of inBig the Country, past of leafletswho has offerin con Court ins Septemberadjourned' for " but s1 the proceed-' until video cassettes. Charlesworth, of video bootlegs of the band. This maki photographerClwyd,
    [Show full text]
  • Baltimore Police Department: Understanding Its Status As a State Agency
    1 The Abell Report Published by the Abell Foundation March 2019 Volume 32, Number 2 The Baltimore Police Department: Understanding its status as a state agency by George A. Nilson Executive Summary remove the Commissioner remained with the Governor. In 1976, the General Assembly In recent years, the Baltimore Police Department transferred the appointment and removal has come under intense scrutiny following the powers to the Mayor of Baltimore. However, in-custody death of Freddie Gray in 2015 and the Maryland General Assembly left intact the the ensuing Department of Justice investigation, State Agency status of the Police Department. which resulted in a Federal Consent Decree. Many This means the General Assembly rather have started calling for turning control of the than the City Council is the legislative body Department back to the City from the State as a responsible for any legislative enactments way of increasing accountability. This report seeks governing the Baltimore Police Department. to understand the history of how the Department became a State Agency 158 years ago and the Throughout this 158-year history as a state implications of changing it now. agency, the funding of the operations of the Police Department has remained almost entirely By 1860, the Know-Nothing Party had taken the responsibility of the City of Baltimore. complete political control of Baltimore City and was abusing its power. The Maryland General While the Mayor and City Council are Assembly reached the conclusion that the Mayor constrained by the remaining Public Local and City Council had proven themselves incapable Laws establishing the Department’s continuing of maintaining order in Baltimore and accordingly status as a State Agency, the Mayor is able enacted Public Local Laws making the Baltimore to impact the conduct of the Commissioner Police Department a State Agency.
    [Show full text]
  • A Guide to the Records of the Mayor and City Council at the Baltimore City Archives
    Governing Baltimore: A Guide to the Records of the Mayor and City Council at the Baltimore City Archives William G. LeFurgy, Susan Wertheimer David, and Richard J. Cox Baltimore City Archives and Records Management Office Department of Legislative Reference 1981 Table of Contents Preface i History of the Mayor and City Council 1 Scope and Content 3 Series Descriptions 5 Bibliography 18 Appendix: Mayors of Baltimore 19 Index 20 1 Preface Sweeping changes occurred in Baltimore society, commerce, and government during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. From incorporation in 1796 the municipal government's evolution has been indicative of this process. From its inception the city government has been dominated by the mayor and city council. The records of these chief administrative units, spanning nearly the entire history of Baltimore, are among the most significant sources for this city's history. This guide is the product of a two year effort in arranging and describing the mayor and city council records funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. These records are the backbone of the historical records of the municipal government which now total over three thousand cubic feet and are available for researchers. The publication of this guide, and three others available on other records, is preliminary to a guide to the complete holdings of the Baltimore City Archives scheduled for publication in 1983. During the last two years many debts to individuals were accumulated. First and foremost is my gratitude to the staff of the NHPRC, most especially William Fraley and Larry Hackman, who made numerous suggestions regarding the original proposal and assisted with problems that appeared during the project.
    [Show full text]
  • A History of Maryland's Electoral College Meetings 1789-2016
    A History of Maryland’s Electoral College Meetings 1789-2016 A History of Maryland’s Electoral College Meetings 1789-2016 Published by: Maryland State Board of Elections Linda H. Lamone, Administrator Project Coordinator: Jared DeMarinis, Director Division of Candidacy and Campaign Finance Published: October 2016 Table of Contents Preface 5 The Electoral College – Introduction 7 Meeting of February 4, 1789 19 Meeting of December 5, 1792 22 Meeting of December 7, 1796 24 Meeting of December 3, 1800 27 Meeting of December 5, 1804 30 Meeting of December 7, 1808 31 Meeting of December 2, 1812 33 Meeting of December 4, 1816 35 Meeting of December 6, 1820 36 Meeting of December 1, 1824 39 Meeting of December 3, 1828 41 Meeting of December 5, 1832 43 Meeting of December 7, 1836 46 Meeting of December 2, 1840 49 Meeting of December 4, 1844 52 Meeting of December 6, 1848 53 Meeting of December 1, 1852 55 Meeting of December 3, 1856 57 Meeting of December 5, 1860 60 Meeting of December 7, 1864 62 Meeting of December 2, 1868 65 Meeting of December 4, 1872 66 Meeting of December 6, 1876 68 Meeting of December 1, 1880 70 Meeting of December 3, 1884 71 Page | 2 Meeting of January 14, 1889 74 Meeting of January 9, 1893 75 Meeting of January 11, 1897 77 Meeting of January 14, 1901 79 Meeting of January 9, 1905 80 Meeting of January 11, 1909 83 Meeting of January 13, 1913 85 Meeting of January 8, 1917 87 Meeting of January 10, 1921 88 Meeting of January 12, 1925 90 Meeting of January 2, 1929 91 Meeting of January 4, 1933 93 Meeting of December 14, 1936
    [Show full text]
  • DAR-Colorado-Marker-Book.Pdf
    When Ms. Charlotte McKean Hubbs became Colorado State Regent, 2009-2011, she asked that I update "A Guidebook to DAR Historic Markers in Colorado" by Hildegarde and Frank McLaughlin. This publication was revised and updated as a State Regent's project during Mrs. Donald K. Andersen, Colorado State Regent 1989-1991 from the original 1978 version of Colorado Historical Markers. Purpose of this Project was to update information and add new markers since the last publication and add the Santa Fe Trail Markers in Colorado by Mary B. and Leo E. Gamble to this publication. Assessment Forms were sent to each Chapter Historian to complete on their Chapter markers. These assessments will be used to document the condition of each site. GPS (Lat/Long) co-ordinances were to be included for future interactive mapping. Current digital photographs of markers were included where chapters participated, some markers are missing, so original photographs were used. By digitizing this publication, an on-line publication can be purchased by anyone interested in our Colorado Historical Markers and will make updating, revising and adding new markers much easier. Our hopes were to include a Website of the Colorado Historical Markers accessible on our Colorado State Society Website. I would like to thank Jackie Sopko, Arkansas Valley Chapter, Pueblo Colorado for her long hours in front of a computer screen, scanning, updating, formatting and supporting me in this project. I would also like to thank the many Colorado DAR Chapters that participated in this project. I owe them all a huge debt of gratitude for giving freely of their time to this project.
    [Show full text]
  • Racial Equity Plan in the City of Boulder Context
    customercustomer service servicecollaboration collaboration innovationinnovation FEBRUARY 2021 respectrespect IntegrityInetgrity Contents Acknowledgements .........................................................................................................3 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................5 — Purpose of The Plan ................................................................................................................6 — Why lead with racial equity? ...................................................................................................6 — A Message From the City’s Racial Equity Guiding Coalition ...................................................7 Racial Equity Plan In The City of Boulder Context ......................................8 — Advancing Existing Goals .......................................................................................................8 — Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan .......................................................................................8 — Human Rights and Human Services.......................................................................................8 — City Vision and Values ............................................................................................................9 — Sustainability and Resilience Framework ...............................................................................9 The Journey Here: Racial History of The City of Boulder
    [Show full text]
  • Miss Manners the Well-Mannered Toddler by Judith Martin
    ----- ---- -----------~-------------------------------- Chicken wings - page 5 VOL XVIII, NO. 24 the indepemknt s!lldent newspaper serving notre Jame and saint mary's WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1983 Labor Union worried; Eastern demands cuts Associated Press San Francisco," said Michael Gerlich of Houston. He and a companion, Continental Airlines resumed Connie Harrison, also of Houston, some of its flights at discount rates were planning to travel from Hous­ Tuesday three days after going to ton to Portland, Ore., one of78 cities bankruptcy court, while a union Continental served until Saturday leader denied claims hy Eastern ·when it trimmed its destinations to Airlines that it must chop wages by 25. 15 percent to avoid Continental's On Monday, Eastern Airlines fate. Chairman Frank Borman said in a The first Continental DC-9 took videotaped message that without off from Houston in the fog at 7:31 across-the-board pay cuts, the a.m. with six passengers aboard. Miami-based carrier will he forced Billie Tafelski, who checked in the to go to bankruptcy court or cease passengers for the flight, said she operations altogether. wished she had .their addresses "so I But Charles Bryan president of the could write them a thank you let- 13,000 member union of Eastern ter." machinists, said: "we do not accept Pilots were working at less than his doomsday remedy." half salary and the airline was flying "We've done extensive research Observer Photo/Hamil Cupero to fewer than one-third of its pre­ at Eastern Airlines and they're not vious destinations. Only 35 percent about to go bankrupt," Bryan said.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Brochure
    Designed exclusively for adults Breaks from £199* per person Britain’s getting booked Forget the travel quarantines and the Brexit rules. More than any other year, 2021 is the one to keep it local and enjoy travelling through the nation instead of over and beyond it. But why browse hundreds of holiday options when you can cut straight to the Warner 14? Full refunds and free changes on all bookings in 2021 Warner’s Coronavirus Guarantee is free on every break in 2021. It gives the flexibility to cancel and receive a full refund, swap dates or change hotels if anything coronavirus-related upsets travel plans. That means holiday protection against illness, tier restrictions, isolation, hotel closure, or simply if you’re feeling unsure. 2 After the quiet, the chorus is becoming louder. Across our private estates, bands are tuning up, chefs are pioneering new menus and the shows are dress rehearsed. And there’ll be no denying the decadence of dressing up for dinner and cocktails at any o’clock. This is the Twenties after all. And like the 1920s after the Spanish flu, it’ll feel so freeing to come back to wonderful views, delicious food and the best live music and acts in the country, all under the one roof. Who’s ready to get things roaring? A very British story Warner has been offering holidays for almost 90 years with historic mansions and coastal boltholes handpicked for their peaceful grounds and settings. A trusted brand with a signature warm-hearted welcome, we’re once more ready to get back to our roots and celebrate the very best of the land.
    [Show full text]
  • Beauty and the Beast
    STOWE 2015-16 mail NEWS HIGHLIGHTS The 2015-2016 season of Robotics at Stowe saw the Junior and Senior teams qualify for the National Finals. Both teams reached the semi-final, but ended up facing each other. The Senior team prevailed and went on to become National Finalists and claim their place among StoweBots 500 of the world’s top teams at the VEX World Robotics Finals. The 2016 World Finals was the biggest robotics competition ever, setting a Guinness World Record with over 1,075 teams from 32 countries, and 20,000 people take on the World in attendance. The scale of the competition and venue was truly astonishing and beyond all expectations. Over the three days of competition the team played ten qualifying matches in the hope of making the playoff games. The team preformed incredibly well, holding its own in each match. Sadly the robot suffered some technical difficulties beyond our control. A change of CPU fixed the problem, but the losses put us further down the qualification ranking than we could have been. The StoweBots finished winning four out of the ten games and were placed 56 out of the 100 teams in their group. However, every single game they played was close despite the difficulties. The other aspect that shows the strength of our performance was the SP score of the team. This is the total score that your opponents achieved in your games; the higher the score the closer and more difficult the games were. The StoweBots SP score was 1658 and tenth highest of the group.
    [Show full text]
  • Gthe Emancipation of Slaves
    The Emancipation of Slaves in Civil-War Maryland: An American Epic Scott Harrison Ness Haverford College Senior History Thesis Spring 2008 Advisors: Emma Lapsansky-Werner and Sharon Ullman Acknowledgements My advisors, Emma Lapsansky-Werner and Sharon Ullman, played integral roles in both the shaping and execution of this thesis. Without their patience and enthusiasm, I would never have made it this far. My parents provided moral support during this yearlong ordeal, without which I would have likely driven myself insane. My father, a former history major himself and knowledgeable about the history of Maryland, provided the initial inspiration to examine this period in the state’s past, and introduced me to the Maryland Historical Society. My mother read every draft before submission and offered constructive feedback and criticism (often deservedly harsh). For this, words cannot express my sincere gratitude. This thesis is lovingly dedicated to my cat Annie. Neither blue nor grey, she is the quintessential lost Marylander who struggled to find a place in the divisive country. 1 Table of Contents Introduction ...………………………………………………...3 Chapter 1 Slavery and Civil War in Maryland: A State Torn …...............................................7 Chapter 2 The Invention of Language ………………...18 Chapter 3 1863: A Turning Point in Maryland Politics ……………………………………...32 Chapter 4 1864: Freedom and Reelection ……………..55 Conclusion …………………………………………………..68 Bibliography ………………………………………………...74 2 Introduction The coming [constitutional and] Presidential [elections are] not…mere [contests] between political parties to determine whose candidate and whose adherents shall exercise power during the next four years. [They are wars] of ideas, [contests] of principles. It is a question of National unity or of dissolution…If the people realize their danger, as we have reason to believe they do, victory will again perch upon the banners of the Union.1 The Baltimore American published this plea for voters to exercise their electoral responsibilities on October 6, 1864.
    [Show full text]