A Time to Honor

It is fitting that we celebrate Memorial Day as we conclude our study of the Civil War. Memorial Day was first observed in 1866 as a day to honor soldiers who died in the Civil War. In the South this day has been known as Decoration Day and is a time to place flowers and flags on the graves of fallen soldiers. Over time, Memorial Day has become a time to honor all those who have given their lives for their country. The President traditionally places a wreath of flowers on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington cemetery and local communities observe the day with parades and the reading of the Gettysburg Address. Next week we will read the address and see if the message Lincoln delivered in November 1863 still holds meaning for us today.

As we have an extra day off this weekend to relax, please take a moment to think about all of the people who have given their lives so that we can live in a free country. This holiday has a special meaning for us in 2007 as our soldiers face danger in Iraq. We have lost over 3,400 soldiers in this conflict and each one of them had families, hopes and dreams. Let us honor their courage and commitment!

The Civil War Packets

In an effort to allow you to pace your reading, you have a packet of assignments on the war. You have target dates for completion of the various sections and if you use your class time wisely you should cut down or eliminate home work.

This week we read a portion of the Emancipation Proclamation and discovered that this document did not unconditionally free all slaves. Lincoln’s attitude towards slavery had changed over the course of the war. The Proclamation was a clear announcement that once the war was over, Lincoln would free the slaves. The Proclamation was focused on the states that were in rebellion but made no mention of freeing the slaves in the border states, as Lincoln needed to keep them in the Union. He was reported to have said, “I may need God on my side to win this war, but I know I need Kentucky on my side to win this war.”

In Doris Kearns Goodwin’s award winning book “Team of Rivals,” she writes about Lincoln’s political genius and ability to change his views as he comes to understand the complexity of issues. By 1863, Lincoln’s initial goal to save the Union is joined by his determination to end slavery.

As part of our study of the war, we are fortunate to have access to Ken Burn’s award winning PBS special on the Civil War. This is a multi-disc series and while we will only have time to view limited segments, I would encourage all of you to check out the web site or view more of the series. Copies are available at MHS library and most public libraries.

Reconstruction

As we complete the Civil War packets, we will next turn to rebuilding the country during a ten year period called Reconstruction which then leads us to the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age is an especially important time for local history as this is the age when the mansions on Bellevue Avenue in Newport are built. The profits from war and the investments in new technology created our first class of millionaires and they spent some of their astronomical earnings on the palatial homes found in Newport. While this was happening, labor unions were just starting to form to help defend the rights of workers and monitor working conditions. Did the men who built these mansions earn their money fairly or did they exploit the laborers who worked for low wages and in dangerous factories? This will be for you to decide.


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