#americancivilwar — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #americancivilwar, aggregated by home.social.
-
“I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse.”
—Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, vol. 2 (1886), 603
-
“I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse.”
—Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, vol. 2 (1886), 603
-
“I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse.”
—Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, vol. 2 (1886), 603
-
“I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse.”
—Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, vol. 2 (1886), 603
-
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprom...
The #CompromiseOf1850 was a package of five separate bills passed by the United States Congress in September 1850 that temporarily defused tensions between slave and #FreeStates during the years leading up to the #AmericanCivilWar.
Compromise of 1850 - Wikipedia -
Bread Riots and the Limits of Patience
The American Civil War: Civic Life Series (Part 8 of 18)
By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines
August 18, 2026Patience did not fail all at once. It thinned.
For months, civilians endured shortages, inflation, and broken promises with quiet endurance. They adjusted meals, borrowed, bartered, and waited. Appeals were made to merchants and officials. Petitions were written. Sermons urged restraint. The assumption lingered that suffering, if borne long enough, would be acknowledged and relieved.
When that assumption collapsed, crowds formed.
When Need Becomes Public
Bread riots were not spontaneous explosions of lawlessness. They were the visible endpoint of prolonged restraint. In cities like Richmond, Mobile, and Atlanta, women—often responsible for feeding families with dwindling resources—gathered to demand affordable food.
These were not ideological movements. They were practical ones. People wanted bread. They wanted prices lowered or supplies released. When requests were ignored, they took what they needed.
The riots were loud because silence had failed.
Why Women Led
Women were at the center of many bread riots not because they were more volatile, but because hunger had made them accountable. When children went unfed, the burden fell squarely on those managing households. Moral arguments gave way to arithmetic.
Contemporary accounts describe crowds armed not with weapons, but with determination. Threats were direct. Demands were specific. Violence, where it occurred, was targeted at storehouses and merchants, not symbolic institutions.
This was not rebellion. It was desperation made collective.
Authority Under Strain
Local authorities faced a dilemma. Suppress the crowds and risk legitimizing the charge that the state protected property over people. Concede to demands and undermine already fragile control over markets.
Responses varied. Some officials ordered supplies distributed. Others called out militias. Still others attempted a mix of force and relief. None of these responses addressed the structural causes of scarcity.
The riots exposed a painful truth: governance that cannot feed its civilians loses moral authority quickly.
The Breaking Point of Deference
Bread riots marked a shift in how civilians related to power. Deference, long sustained by habit and fear, eroded under material pressure. People who had endured quietly now acted openly.
This shift mattered beyond food. Once crowds learned that collective action could extract concessions—or at least force acknowledgment—the relationship between civilians and authorities changed permanently.
Patience, once broken, does not easily reset.
Community Reactions
Reactions to the riots were mixed. Some neighbors condemned the actions as disorderly. Others quietly approved, even benefited. Many felt both at once. Moral certainty fractured alongside civic trust.
What united these responses was recognition: the old rules were no longer working. Something fundamental had changed.
After the Riots
The riots did not end hunger. They did not restore stable markets. But they did redefine acceptable behavior under stress. Actions once unthinkable became thinkable. Boundaries shifted.
Long after the crowds dispersed, the memory remained. People remembered who stood with them, who opposed them, and who hid behind authority.
Looking Back
Bread riots during the Civil War were not signs of moral collapse. They were signs of a moral system pushed beyond capacity. When patience is exhausted and survival is at stake, restraint gives way to action.
This is the eighth truth of civic breakdown: endurance has limits. When institutions fail to respond, people stop waiting.
The riots were not the beginning of chaos.
They were the moment patience ran out.McPherson, J. M. (1988). Battle cry of freedom: The Civil War era. Oxford University Press.
Faust, D. G. (2008). This republic of suffering: Death and the American Civil War. Alfred A. Knopf.
McCurry, S. (2010). Confederate reckoning: Power and politics in the Civil War South. Harvard University Press.
Rable, G. C. (2010). Damn Yankees! Demonization and defiance in the Confederate South. Louisiana State University Press.
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Civil War diaries and letters. Manuscript Division. https://www.loc.gov/collections/civil-war
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Chronicling America: Historic American newspapers. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov
#AmericanCivilWar #breadRiots #civicBreakdown #civilianProtest #homeFrontUnrest #legitimacyCrisis #publicOrder #socialHistory #wartimeScarcity -
Popular Science featured the Civil War Tails diorama museum; we just visited them while in Gettysburg in July. Amazing battle dioramas with tiny cat soldiers, detailed terrain, including the 11-foot long Little Round Top diorama. A must for #AmericanCivilWar #history buffs and #cat lovers.
-
Popular Science featured the Civil War Tails diorama museum; we just visited them while in Gettysburg in July. Amazing battle dioramas with tiny cat soldiers, detailed terrain, including the 11-foot long Little Round Top diorama. A must for #AmericanCivilWar #history buffs and #cat lovers.
-
Popular Science featured the Civil War Tails diorama museum; we just visited them while in Gettysburg in July. Amazing battle dioramas with tiny cat soldiers, detailed terrain, including the 11-foot long Little Round Top diorama. A must for #AmericanCivilWar #history buffs and #cat lovers.
-
Popular Science featured the Civil War Tails diorama museum; we just visited them while in Gettysburg in July. Amazing battle dioramas with tiny cat soldiers, detailed terrain, including the 11-foot long Little Round Top diorama. A must for #AmericanCivilWar #history buffs and #cat lovers.
-
Popular Science featured the Civil War Tails diorama museum; we just visited them while in Gettysburg in July. Amazing battle dioramas with tiny cat soldiers, detailed terrain, including the 11-foot long Little Round Top diorama. A must for #AmericanCivilWar #history buffs and #cat lovers.
-
"Mary Don't You Weep" (alternately titled "O Mary Don't You Weep", "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn", or variations thereof) is a #Spiritual that originates from before the #AmericanCivilWar. As such, scholars sometimes refer to it as a "slave song", "a label that describes their origins among the enslaved", and it contains "coded messages of hope and resistance". It is considered "one of the most important Negro spirituals".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S18SYKGOSTc -
"Mary Don't You Weep" (alternately titled "O Mary Don't You Weep", "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn", or variations thereof) is a #Spiritual that originates from before the #AmericanCivilWar. As such, scholars sometimes refer to it as a "slave song", "a label that describes their origins among the enslaved", and it contains "coded messages of hope and resistance". It is considered "one of the most important Negro spirituals".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S18SYKGOSTc -
"Mary Don't You Weep" (alternately titled "O Mary Don't You Weep", "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn", or variations thereof) is a #Spiritual that originates from before the #AmericanCivilWar. As such, scholars sometimes refer to it as a "slave song", "a label that describes their origins among the enslaved", and it contains "coded messages of hope and resistance". It is considered "one of the most important Negro spirituals".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S18SYKGOSTc -
"Mary Don't You Weep" (alternately titled "O Mary Don't You Weep", "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn", or variations thereof) is a #Spiritual that originates from before the #AmericanCivilWar. As such, scholars sometimes refer to it as a "slave song", "a label that describes their origins among the enslaved", and it contains "coded messages of hope and resistance". It is considered "one of the most important Negro spirituals".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S18SYKGOSTc -
"Mary Don't You Weep" (alternately titled "O Mary Don't You Weep", "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn", or variations thereof) is a #Spiritual that originates from before the #AmericanCivilWar. As such, scholars sometimes refer to it as a "slave song", "a label that describes their origins among the enslaved", and it contains "coded messages of hope and resistance". It is considered "one of the most important Negro spirituals".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S18SYKGOSTc -
Confederates In The Attic
Just read this wonderful witty + still relevant 1998 non-fiction book written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz which examines The South's ongoing fascination with the Civil War. I couldn't help but feel like it was written with one eye on the future almost 30 years ago ...
#tonyhorwitz #nonfiction #books #mybookshelf #myreadinglist #bookworld #confederatesintheattic #americancivilwar #thecivilwar
-
Confederates In The Attic
Just read this wonderful witty + still relevant 1998 non-fiction book written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz which examines The South's ongoing fascination with the Civil War. I couldn't help but feel like it was written with one eye on the future almost 30 years ago ...
#tonyhorwitz #nonfiction #books #mybookshelf #myreadinglist #bookworld #confederatesintheattic #americancivilwar #thecivilwar
-
Confederates In The Attic
Just read this wonderful witty + still relevant 1998 non-fiction book written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz which examines The South's ongoing fascination with the Civil War. I couldn't help but feel like it was written with one eye on the future almost 30 years ago ...
#tonyhorwitz #nonfiction #books #mybookshelf #myreadinglist #bookworld #confederatesintheattic #americancivilwar #thecivilwar
-
Confederates In The Attic
Just read this wonderful witty + still relevant 1998 non-fiction book written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz which examines The South's ongoing fascination with the Civil War. I couldn't help but feel like it was written with one eye on the future almost 30 years ago ...
#tonyhorwitz #nonfiction #books #mybookshelf #myreadinglist #bookworld #confederatesintheattic #americancivilwar #thecivilwar
-
Confederates In The Attic
Just read this wonderful witty + still relevant 1998 non-fiction book written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz which examines The South's ongoing fascination with the Civil War. I couldn't help but feel like it was written with one eye on the future almost 30 years ago ...
#tonyhorwitz #nonfiction #books #mybookshelf #myreadinglist #bookworld #confederatesintheattic #americancivilwar #thecivilwar
-
A Card-Based Wargame about the little-known story of the Free and Independent State of Scott during the American Civil War. #crowdfundQuest #crowdfunding #kickstarter #flyingPigGames #americanCivilWar
https://www.tabletopsentinel.com/columns/crowdfund-quest/crowdfund-quest-rebels-against-rebellion?utm_source=mastodon -
A Card-Based Wargame about the little-known story of the Free and Independent State of Scott during the American Civil War. #crowdfundQuest #crowdfunding #kickstarter #flyingPigGames #americanCivilWar
https://www.tabletopsentinel.com/columns/crowdfund-quest/crowdfund-quest-rebels-against-rebellion?utm_source=mastodon -
A Card-Based Wargame about the little-known story of the Free and Independent State of Scott during the American Civil War. #crowdfundQuest #crowdfunding #kickstarter #flyingPigGames #americanCivilWar
https://www.tabletopsentinel.com/columns/crowdfund-quest/crowdfund-quest-rebels-against-rebellion?utm_source=mastodon -
A Card-Based Wargame about the little-known story of the Free and Independent State of Scott during the American Civil War. #crowdfundQuest #crowdfunding #kickstarter #flyingPigGames #americanCivilWar
https://www.tabletopsentinel.com/columns/crowdfund-quest/crowdfund-quest-rebels-against-rebellion?utm_source=mastodon -
The Life and Legacy of Confederate Guerrilla Leader 'Bloody Bill' Anderson
📰 Original title: Famous Posthumous Photos of “Bloody Bill” Anderson After Being Killed by Union Solders, 1864
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/the-life-and-legacy-of-confederate-guerrilla-leader-bloody-bill-anderson.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
-
The Life and Legacy of Confederate Guerrilla Leader 'Bloody Bill' Anderson
📰 Original title: Famous Posthumous Photos of “Bloody Bill” Anderson After Being Killed by Union Solders, 1864
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/the-life-and-legacy-of-confederate-guerrilla-leader-bloody-bill-anderson.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
-
The Life and Legacy of Confederate Guerrilla Leader 'Bloody Bill' Anderson
📰 Original title: Famous Posthumous Photos of “Bloody Bill” Anderson After Being Killed by Union Solders, 1864
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/the-life-and-legacy-of-confederate-guerrilla-leader-bloody-bill-anderson.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
-
Albert Cashier
Cashier (1843 – 1915) was Irish-born Jennie Hodgers - an American soldier who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Cashier was one of at least 250 women who enlisted as men to fight. However, Cashier had adopted the identity of a man before enlisting, + maintained it until death. He enlisted in 1862 for a 3 year term + was described as a 5'3" soldier, 29 years old with blue eyes + auburn hair, weighing 110 lbs. Cashier fought in over 40 battles until he was honorably discharged on 1865
After the war, continuing to live as a man, Cashier worked was a church janitor, cemetery worker, + street lamplighter. Living as a man allowed him to vote in elections + to claim a veteran's pension
In 1911, Cashier was hit by a car, resulting in a broken leg. A physician discovered his birth sex in the hospital, but did not disclose the information. No longer able to work, Cashier was moved to a Soldiers & Sailors home. He lived there until a deterioration of mind began to take place + he was moved to a Hospital for the Insane. Attendants at the hospital discovered his birth sex + forced him to wear women's clothes.
Albert Cashier died in 1915 + was buried in uniform with full military honors.
#albertcashier #civilwar #civilwarhistory #soldiers #history #americancivilwar
-
Albert Cashier
Cashier (1843 – 1915) was Irish-born Jennie Hodgers - an American soldier who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Cashier was one of at least 250 women who enlisted as men to fight. However, Cashier had adopted the identity of a man before enlisting, + maintained it until death. He enlisted in 1862 for a 3 year term + was described as a 5'3" soldier, 29 years old with blue eyes + auburn hair, weighing 110 lbs. Cashier fought in over 40 battles until he was honorably discharged on 1865
After the war, continuing to live as a man, Cashier worked was a church janitor, cemetery worker, + street lamplighter. Living as a man allowed him to vote in elections + to claim a veteran's pension
In 1911, Cashier was hit by a car, resulting in a broken leg. A physician discovered his birth sex in the hospital, but did not disclose the information. No longer able to work, Cashier was moved to a Soldiers & Sailors home. He lived there until a deterioration of mind began to take place + he was moved to a Hospital for the Insane. Attendants at the hospital discovered his birth sex + forced him to wear women's clothes.
Albert Cashier died in 1915 + was buried in uniform with full military honors.
#albertcashier #civilwar #civilwarhistory #soldiers #history #americancivilwar
-
Albert Cashier
Cashier (1843 – 1915) was Irish-born Jennie Hodgers - an American soldier who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Cashier was one of at least 250 women who enlisted as men to fight. However, Cashier had adopted the identity of a man before enlisting, + maintained it until death. He enlisted in 1862 for a 3 year term + was described as a 5'3" soldier, 29 years old with blue eyes + auburn hair, weighing 110 lbs. Cashier fought in over 40 battles until he was honorably discharged on 1865
After the war, continuing to live as a man, Cashier worked was a church janitor, cemetery worker, + street lamplighter. Living as a man allowed him to vote in elections + to claim a veteran's pension
In 1911, Cashier was hit by a car, resulting in a broken leg. A physician discovered his birth sex in the hospital, but did not disclose the information. No longer able to work, Cashier was moved to a Soldiers & Sailors home. He lived there until a deterioration of mind began to take place + he was moved to a Hospital for the Insane. Attendants at the hospital discovered his birth sex + forced him to wear women's clothes.
Albert Cashier died in 1915 + was buried in uniform with full military honors.
#albertcashier #civilwar #civilwarhistory #soldiers #history #americancivilwar
-
Albert Cashier
Cashier (1843 – 1915) was Irish-born Jennie Hodgers - an American soldier who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Cashier was one of at least 250 women who enlisted as men to fight. However, Cashier had adopted the identity of a man before enlisting, + maintained it until death. He enlisted in 1862 for a 3 year term + was described as a 5'3" soldier, 29 years old with blue eyes + auburn hair, weighing 110 lbs. Cashier fought in over 40 battles until he was honorably discharged on 1865
After the war, continuing to live as a man, Cashier worked was a church janitor, cemetery worker, + street lamplighter. Living as a man allowed him to vote in elections + to claim a veteran's pension
In 1911, Cashier was hit by a car, resulting in a broken leg. A physician discovered his birth sex in the hospital, but did not disclose the information. No longer able to work, Cashier was moved to a Soldiers & Sailors home. He lived there until a deterioration of mind began to take place + he was moved to a Hospital for the Insane. Attendants at the hospital discovered his birth sex + forced him to wear women's clothes.
Albert Cashier died in 1915 + was buried in uniform with full military honors.
#albertcashier #civilwar #civilwarhistory #soldiers #history #americancivilwar
-
Albert Cashier
Cashier (1843 – 1915) was Irish-born Jennie Hodgers - an American soldier who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Cashier was one of at least 250 women who enlisted as men to fight. However, Cashier had adopted the identity of a man before enlisting, + maintained it until death. He enlisted in 1862 for a 3 year term + was described as a 5'3" soldier, 29 years old with blue eyes + auburn hair, weighing 110 lbs. Cashier fought in over 40 battles until he was honorably discharged on 1865
After the war, continuing to live as a man, Cashier worked was a church janitor, cemetery worker, + street lamplighter. Living as a man allowed him to vote in elections + to claim a veteran's pension
In 1911, Cashier was hit by a car, resulting in a broken leg. A physician discovered his birth sex in the hospital, but did not disclose the information. No longer able to work, Cashier was moved to a Soldiers & Sailors home. He lived there until a deterioration of mind began to take place + he was moved to a Hospital for the Insane. Attendants at the hospital discovered his birth sex + forced him to wear women's clothes.
Albert Cashier died in 1915 + was buried in uniform with full military honors.
#albertcashier #civilwar #civilwarhistory #soldiers #history #americancivilwar
-
A 2-player hex and counter wargame focused on the war in the east from 1861 to 1865. #crowdfundQuest #crowdfunding #kickstarter #worthingtonPublishing #americanCivilWar #wargames
https://www.tabletopsentinel.com/columns/rpg-pdf-spotlight/crowdfund-quest-lees-war-the-war-in-virginia-1861-1865?utm_source=mastodon -
A 2-player hex and counter wargame focused on the war in the east from 1861 to 1865. #crowdfundQuest #crowdfunding #kickstarter #worthingtonPublishing #americanCivilWar #wargames
https://www.tabletopsentinel.com/columns/rpg-pdf-spotlight/crowdfund-quest-lees-war-the-war-in-virginia-1861-1865?utm_source=mastodon -
A 2-player hex and counter wargame focused on the war in the east from 1861 to 1865. #crowdfundQuest #crowdfunding #kickstarter #worthingtonPublishing #americanCivilWar #wargames
https://www.tabletopsentinel.com/columns/rpg-pdf-spotlight/crowdfund-quest-lees-war-the-war-in-virginia-1861-1865?utm_source=mastodon -
A 2-player hex and counter wargame focused on the war in the east from 1861 to 1865. #crowdfundQuest #crowdfunding #kickstarter #worthingtonPublishing #americanCivilWar #wargames
https://www.tabletopsentinel.com/columns/rpg-pdf-spotlight/crowdfund-quest-lees-war-the-war-in-virginia-1861-1865?utm_source=mastodon -
Review of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, by Frederick Douglass
Wow! So this is why Frederick Douglass is so revered!
I first met Frederick Douglass years ago while covering a historical event as a local TV reporter. Okay, I met and interviewed a Douglass impersonator. I think they were rededicating a city park in his name, and this historical interpreter came and made a speech. I remember being absolutely taken by his charisma and command of the podium. It was like being in the presence of the great Frederick Douglass himself. Even though I knew this was an actor, this encounter really started my fascination with the stern and thoughtful-looking man whose 19th-century pictures survive and are well known today.
I started writing novels years later. I’m working on my seventh now. I’ve been reading slave narratives as research, all of which I’ve found well-written, fascinating, and heartbreaking. So far I’ve read Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup, and Henry Watson’s Narrative of a Fugitive Slave, and now The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas.
I was immediately taken by his writing. The descriptions and the emotional depth had me immediately captivated. I think he had this effect on people in general during his life. One of his contemporaries wrote a preface to this work in which he relates his first time experiencing Douglass speak at an abolitionist meeting. He describes how Douglass approached the podium as a humble, mild-mannered man only to be transformed into a passionate, fiery orator who held his audience absolutely spellbound with his harrowing eyewitness accounts and firsthand experiences of American slavery.
This book has the same effect.
Douglas recounts his childhood and the heartbreaking separation he had with his mother. He tells of his upbringing, his string of jobs and masters, and his first escape attempt, which had my stomach tied in knots and my heart pounding as I turned the pages frantically to learn the outcome.
This book is a very compelling read, albeit heartwrenching. However, Douglass’s undying hope, endurance, and sense of self-worth make him a hero you will cheer for. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his tale.
This is just the first of three autobiographies, by the way. He wrote The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass shortly after winning his freedom in 1845. Many in his time said it was so eloquently written that it could not have come from a black man. He wrote My Bondage, My Freedom ten years later, in which, I am told, he goes into much more detail about not only his time as a slave, but his years afterward as an activist during his freedom. He published his third and final autobiography in 1881 and revised it in 1882. In it, he gives the details about his slavery and escape, which he had to leave out of his previous books to protect those who helped him and to also not give away the secrets and routes still being used by runaways during the time he published his previous works.
However, this first book by Douglass is the one most people read in school. It’s a great introduction to this true American hero. It’s also a pretty entertaining thriller worth reading for anybody. I can tell you that my admiration for him has been confirmed by it, and I remain a fan.
Check it out here:
Get a FREE novela from me here:
Check out my latest novel here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT45FFWH
#AmericanCivilWar #bookReview #CivilWar #history #writing -
Review of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, by Frederick Douglass
Wow! So this is why Frederick Douglass is so revered!
I first met Frederick Douglass years ago while covering a historical event as a local TV reporter. Okay, I met and interviewed a Douglass impersonator. I think they were rededicating a city park in his name, and this historical interpreter came and made a speech. I remember being absolutely taken by his charisma and command of the podium. It was like being in the presence of the great Frederick Douglass himself. Even though I knew this was an actor, this encounter really started my fascination with the stern and thoughtful-looking man whose 19th-century pictures survive and are well known today.
I started writing novels years later. I’m working on my seventh now. I’ve been reading slave narratives as research, all of which I’ve found well-written, fascinating, and heartbreaking. So far I’ve read Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup, and Henry Watson’s Narrative of a Fugitive Slave, and now The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas.
I was immediately taken by his writing. The descriptions and the emotional depth had me immediately captivated. I think he had this effect on people in general during his life. One of his contemporaries wrote a preface to this work in which he relates his first time experiencing Douglass speak at an abolitionist meeting. He describes how Douglass approached the podium as a humble, mild-mannered man only to be transformed into a passionate, fiery orator who held his audience absolutely spellbound with his harrowing eyewitness accounts and firsthand experiences of American slavery.
This book has the same effect.
Douglas recounts his childhood and the heartbreaking separation he had with his mother. He tells of his upbringing, his string of jobs and masters, and his first escape attempt, which had my stomach tied in knots and my heart pounding as I turned the pages frantically to learn the outcome.
This book is a very compelling read, albeit heartwrenching. However, Douglass’s undying hope, endurance, and sense of self-worth make him a hero you will cheer for. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his tale.
This is just the first of three autobiographies, by the way. He wrote The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass shortly after winning his freedom in 1845. Many in his time said it was so eloquently written that it could not have come from a black man. He wrote My Bondage, My Freedom ten years later, in which, I am told, he goes into much more detail about not only his time as a slave, but his years afterward as an activist during his freedom. He published his third and final autobiography in 1881 and revised it in 1882. In it, he gives the details about his slavery and escape, which he had to leave out of his previous books to protect those who helped him and to also not give away the secrets and routes still being used by runaways during the time he published his previous works.
However, this first book by Douglass is the one most people read in school. It’s a great introduction to this true American hero. It’s also a pretty entertaining thriller worth reading for anybody. I can tell you that my admiration for him has been confirmed by it, and I remain a fan.
Check it out here:
Get a FREE novela from me here:
Check out my latest novel here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT45FFWH
#AmericanCivilWar #bookReview #CivilWar #history #writing -
Review of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, by Frederick Douglass
Wow! So this is why Frederick Douglass is so revered!
I first met Frederick Douglass years ago while covering a historical event as a local TV reporter. Okay, I met and interviewed a Douglass impersonator. I think they were rededicating a city park in his name, and this historical interpreter came and made a speech. I remember being absolutely taken by his charisma and command of the podium. It was like being in the presence of the great Frederick Douglass himself. Even though I knew this was an actor, this encounter really started my fascination with the stern and thoughtful-looking man whose 19th-century pictures survive and are well known today.
I started writing novels years later. I’m working on my seventh now. I’ve been reading slave narratives as research, all of which I’ve found well-written, fascinating, and heartbreaking. So far I’ve read Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup, and Henry Watson’s Narrative of a Fugitive Slave, and now The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas.
I was immediately taken by his writing. The descriptions and the emotional depth had me immediately captivated. I think he had this effect on people in general during his life. One of his contemporaries wrote a preface to this work in which he relates his first time experiencing Douglass speak at an abolitionist meeting. He describes how Douglass approached the podium as a humble, mild-mannered man only to be transformed into a passionate, fiery orator who held his audience absolutely spellbound with his harrowing eyewitness accounts and firsthand experiences of American slavery.
This book has the same effect.
Douglas recounts his childhood and the heartbreaking separation he had with his mother. He tells of his upbringing, his string of jobs and masters, and his first escape attempt, which had my stomach tied in knots and my heart pounding as I turned the pages frantically to learn the outcome.
This book is a very compelling read, albeit heartwrenching. However, Douglass’s undying hope, endurance, and sense of self-worth make him a hero you will cheer for. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his tale.
This is just the first of three autobiographies, by the way. He wrote The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass shortly after winning his freedom in 1845. Many in his time said it was so eloquently written that it could not have come from a black man. He wrote My Bondage, My Freedom ten years later, in which, I am told, he goes into much more detail about not only his time as a slave, but his years afterward as an activist during his freedom. He published his third and final autobiography in 1881 and revised it in 1882. In it, he gives the details about his slavery and escape, which he had to leave out of his previous books to protect those who helped him and to also not give away the secrets and routes still being used by runaways during the time he published his previous works.
However, this first book by Douglass is the one most people read in school. It’s a great introduction to this true American hero. It’s also a pretty entertaining thriller worth reading for anybody. I can tell you that my admiration for him has been confirmed by it, and I remain a fan.
Check it out here:
Get a FREE novela from me here:
Check out my latest novel here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT45FFWH
#AmericanCivilWar #bookReview #CivilWar #history #writing -
Review of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, by Frederick Douglass
Wow! So this is why Frederick Douglass is so revered!
I first met Frederick Douglass years ago while covering a historical event as a local TV reporter. Okay, I met and interviewed a Douglass impersonator. I think they were rededicating a city park in his name, and this historical interpreter came and made a speech. I remember being absolutely taken by his charisma and command of the podium. It was like being in the presence of the great Frederick Douglass himself. Even though I knew this was an actor, this encounter really started my fascination with the stern and thoughtful-looking man whose 19th-century pictures survive and are well known today.
I started writing novels years later. I’m working on my seventh now. I’ve been reading slave narratives as research, all of which I’ve found well-written, fascinating, and heartbreaking. So far I’ve read Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup, and Henry Watson’s Narrative of a Fugitive Slave, and now The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas.
I was immediately taken by his writing. The descriptions and the emotional depth had me immediately captivated. I think he had this effect on people in general during his life. One of his contemporaries wrote a preface to this work in which he relates his first time experiencing Douglass speak at an abolitionist meeting. He describes how Douglass approached the podium as a humble, mild-mannered man only to be transformed into a passionate, fiery orator who held his audience absolutely spellbound with his harrowing eyewitness accounts and firsthand experiences of American slavery.
This book has the same effect.
Douglas recounts his childhood and the heartbreaking separation he had with his mother. He tells of his upbringing, his string of jobs and masters, and his first escape attempt, which had my stomach tied in knots and my heart pounding as I turned the pages frantically to learn the outcome.
This book is a very compelling read, albeit heartwrenching. However, Douglass’s undying hope, endurance, and sense of self-worth make him a hero you will cheer for. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his tale.
This is just the first of three autobiographies, by the way. He wrote The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass shortly after winning his freedom in 1845. Many in his time said it was so eloquently written that it could not have come from a black man. He wrote My Bondage, My Freedom ten years later, in which, I am told, he goes into much more detail about not only his time as a slave, but his years afterward as an activist during his freedom. He published his third and final autobiography in 1881 and revised it in 1882. In it, he gives the details about his slavery and escape, which he had to leave out of his previous books to protect those who helped him and to also not give away the secrets and routes still being used by runaways during the time he published his previous works.
However, this first book by Douglass is the one most people read in school. It’s a great introduction to this true American hero. It’s also a pretty entertaining thriller worth reading for anybody. I can tell you that my admiration for him has been confirmed by it, and I remain a fan.
Check it out here:
Get a FREE novela from me here:
Check out my latest novel here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT45FFWH
#AmericanCivilWar #bookReview #CivilWar #history #writing -
Review of Narrative of Henry Watson, a Fugitive Slave
A haunting recollection of American slavery from a man who lived it.
This is a short, 46-page memoir from a man who spent 26 years in slavery and ultimately escaped.
Watson recalls his heartbreaking separation from his mother, his string of masters, and the brutal physical punishments they dealt. He gives detailed accounts of what it was like to work in the fields, the masters’ houses, and even as a waiter in a hotel in the city. It’s a fascinating and gut-wrenching firsthand account of antebellum slavery from a man who will tell you, “there is no good in it; and I can never hear any person apologizing for it without pronouncing them to be meddling with that they know nothing of.”
Watson certainly knows plenty, and if you want to know what life was really like for an American slave, he’s certainly one you should listen to.
Check it out here:
Get a FREE copy of my novella here:
#AmericanCivilWar #CivilWar #history #review -
Review of Narrative of Henry Watson, a Fugitive Slave
A haunting recollection of American slavery from a man who lived it.
This is a short, 46-page memoir from a man who spent 26 years in slavery and ultimately escaped.
Watson recalls his heartbreaking separation from his mother, his string of masters, and the brutal physical punishments they dealt. He gives detailed accounts of what it was like to work in the fields, the masters’ houses, and even as a waiter in a hotel in the city. It’s a fascinating and gut-wrenching firsthand account of antebellum slavery from a man who will tell you, “there is no good in it; and I can never hear any person apologizing for it without pronouncing them to be meddling with that they know nothing of.”
Watson certainly knows plenty, and if you want to know what life was really like for an American slave, he’s certainly one you should listen to.
Check it out here:
Get a FREE copy of my novella here:
#AmericanCivilWar #CivilWar #history #review -
Review of Narrative of Henry Watson, a Fugitive Slave
A haunting recollection of American slavery from a man who lived it.
This is a short, 46-page memoir from a man who spent 26 years in slavery and ultimately escaped.
Watson recalls his heartbreaking separation from his mother, his string of masters, and the brutal physical punishments they dealt. He gives detailed accounts of what it was like to work in the fields, the masters’ houses, and even as a waiter in a hotel in the city. It’s a fascinating and gut-wrenching firsthand account of antebellum slavery from a man who will tell you, “there is no good in it; and I can never hear any person apologizing for it without pronouncing them to be meddling with that they know nothing of.”
Watson certainly knows plenty, and if you want to know what life was really like for an American slave, he’s certainly one you should listen to.
Check it out here:
Get a FREE copy of my novella here:
#AmericanCivilWar #CivilWar #history #review -
Review of Narrative of Henry Watson, a Fugitive Slave
A haunting recollection of American slavery from a man who lived it.
This is a short, 46-page memoir from a man who spent 26 years in slavery and ultimately escaped.
Watson recalls his heartbreaking separation from his mother, his string of masters, and the brutal physical punishments they dealt. He gives detailed accounts of what it was like to work in the fields, the masters’ houses, and even as a waiter in a hotel in the city. It’s a fascinating and gut-wrenching firsthand account of antebellum slavery from a man who will tell you, “there is no good in it; and I can never hear any person apologizing for it without pronouncing them to be meddling with that they know nothing of.”
Watson certainly knows plenty, and if you want to know what life was really like for an American slave, he’s certainly one you should listen to.
Check it out here:
Get a FREE copy of my novella here:
#AmericanCivilWar #CivilWar #history #review -
Review of Narrative of Henry Watson, a Fugitive Slave
A haunting recollection of American slavery from a man who lived it.
This is a short, 46-page memoir from a man who spent 26 years in slavery and ultimately escaped.
Watson recalls his heartbreaking separation from his mother, his string of masters, and the brutal physical punishments they dealt. He gives detailed accounts of what it was like to work in the fields, the masters’ houses, and even as a waiter in a hotel in the city. It’s a fascinating and gut-wrenching firsthand account of antebellum slavery from a man who will tell you, “there is no good in it; and I can never hear any person apologizing for it without pronouncing them to be meddling with that they know nothing of.”
Watson certainly knows plenty, and if you want to know what life was really like for an American slave, he’s certainly one you should listen to.
Check it out here:
Get a FREE copy of my novella here:
#AmericanCivilWar #CivilWar #history #review -
Revolutionary Communists of America - Revolutionary Communists of America [Unofficial] @[email protected] ·This Book Will Prepare You for the Next American Revolution
-
Revolutionary Communists of America - Revolutionary Communists of America [Unofficial] @[email protected] ·This Book Will Prepare You for the Next American Revolution
-
Revolutionary Communists of America - Revolutionary Communists of America [Unofficial] @[email protected] ·This Book Will Prepare You for the Next American Revolution
-
Revolutionary Communists of America - Revolutionary Communists of America [Unofficial] @[email protected] ·This Book Will Prepare You for the Next American Revolution
-
Revolutionary Communists of America - Revolutionary Communists of America [Unofficial] @[email protected] ·This Book Will Prepare You for the Next American Revolution
-
Tomorrow afternoon, join us for a conversation with legal historian Gautham Rao whose new book, "White Power," examines the history of policing and slave patrols in the United States and the ways systems of surveillance and racial control shaped American governance and law.
Gautham offers a new interpretation of US history, speaking to the origins of today's persistence of white vigilance, white supremacist militia groups, and white racist cops determined to maintain power over Black people by force. Thanks to a community donor, copies of "White Power" will be available during the event for half price! Additional information about the event and book can be found at https://firestorm.coop/events/3619-policing-american-slavery.html.
#USHistory #PoliceHistory #AntiBlackness #AmericanCivilWar #AmericanSlavery FeministBookstore FirestormCoop (- L)
-
Tomorrow afternoon, join us for a conversation with legal historian Gautham Rao whose new book, "White Power," examines the history of policing and slave patrols in the United States and the ways systems of surveillance and racial control shaped American governance and law.
Gautham offers a new interpretation of US history, speaking to the origins of today's persistence of white vigilance, white supremacist militia groups, and white racist cops determined to maintain power over Black people by force. Thanks to a community donor, copies of "White Power" will be available during the event for half price! Additional information about the event and book can be found at https://firestorm.coop/events/3619-policing-american-slavery.html.
#USHistory #PoliceHistory #AntiBlackness #AmericanCivilWar #AmericanSlavery FeministBookstore FirestormCoop (- L)
-
Tomorrow afternoon, join us for a conversation with legal historian Gautham Rao whose new book, "White Power," examines the history of policing and slave patrols in the United States and the ways systems of surveillance and racial control shaped American governance and law.
Gautham offers a new interpretation of US history, speaking to the origins of today's persistence of white vigilance, white supremacist militia groups, and white racist cops determined to maintain power over Black people by force. Thanks to a community donor, copies of "White Power" will be available during the event for half price! Additional information about the event and book can be found at https://firestorm.coop/events/3619-policing-american-slavery.html.
#USHistory #PoliceHistory #AntiBlackness #AmericanCivilWar #AmericanSlavery FeministBookstore FirestormCoop (- L)
-
Tomorrow afternoon, join us for a conversation with legal historian Gautham Rao whose new book, "White Power," examines the history of policing and slave patrols in the United States and the ways systems of surveillance and racial control shaped American governance and law.
Gautham offers a new interpretation of US history, speaking to the origins of today's persistence of white vigilance, white supremacist militia groups, and white racist cops determined to maintain power over Black people by force. Thanks to a community donor, copies of "White Power" will be available during the event for half price! Additional information about the event and book can be found at https://firestorm.coop/events/3619-policing-american-slavery.html.
#USHistory #PoliceHistory #AntiBlackness #AmericanCivilWar #AmericanSlavery FeministBookstore FirestormCoop (- L)
-
Burning flags, busty blondes and bison skulls: 48 photographs that capture America at 250 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/04/america-250-anniversary-photos-civil-rights-moon-landing-9-11-gold-rush #Photography #AmericanCivilWar #Slavery #Ford #ArtAndDesign #TheKennedys #Woodstock #VietnamWar #GeorgeFloyd #IndigenousPeoples #IceUsImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcement #September112001 #LaurenGreenfield #GordonParks #Jazz #Smoking #Film #RobertCapa
-
Burning flags, busty blondes and bison skulls: 48 photographs that capture America at 250 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/04/america-250-anniversary-photos-civil-rights-moon-landing-9-11-gold-rush #Photography #AmericanCivilWar #Slavery #Ford #ArtAndDesign #TheKennedys #Woodstock #VietnamWar #GeorgeFloyd #IndigenousPeoples #IceUsImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcement #September112001 #LaurenGreenfield #GordonParks #Jazz #Smoking #Film #RobertCapa
-
Burning flags, busty blondes and bison skulls: 48 photographs that capture America at 250 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/04/america-250-anniversary-photos-civil-rights-moon-landing-9-11-gold-rush #Photography #AmericanCivilWar #Slavery #Ford #ArtAndDesign #TheKennedys #Woodstock #VietnamWar #GeorgeFloyd #IndigenousPeoples #IceUsImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcement #September112001 #LaurenGreenfield #GordonParks #Jazz #Smoking #Film #RobertCapa
-
Burning flags, busty blondes and bison skulls: 48 photographs that capture America at 250 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/04/america-250-anniversary-photos-civil-rights-moon-landing-9-11-gold-rush #Photography #AmericanCivilWar #Slavery #Ford #ArtAndDesign #TheKennedys #Woodstock #VietnamWar #GeorgeFloyd #IndigenousPeoples #IceUsImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcement #September112001 #LaurenGreenfield #GordonParks #Jazz #Smoking #Film #RobertCapa