T.J.

Blog Assignment #2 – Bouton

1. The historical questions that are being examined are why did people throughout Pennsylvania want to isolate themselves from the rest of the world, in which they depend on for goods and resources? What caused them to have the drive to put so much energy and effort into making multiple rings of protection to ensure their isolation from the rest?

2. Bouton’s main points are the reasons that people throughout Pennsylvania, such as farmers, would want to stop the revolution. He also talks about how farmers and citizens that live in the area are dependent upon outside sources for goods and resources. Bouton’s overall conclusion was that no matter what the farmers and people did that they couldn’t stop the revolution from happening. Efforts were made to try to prevent the revolution but it simply could not be stopped and this is the reason “why so many rural people felt betrayed, rather than liberated, by the Revolution’s outcome”. (Bouton Pg. 887)

3. Some of the most primary sources used in this article were graphs, facts and percentages, and also information from the Whiskey Rebellion and the Fries Rebellion. He also used sources that involved people paying taxes, court conversations or documents, and also by things that had to do with how money was getting around.  A graph on page 856 shows the widespread of the road closing so you can understand how serious and where the road closings were taking place in Pennsylvania. Bouton provides facts and percentages to show how citizens were in great debt and the seriousness of this time period. All these sources play a heavy role in explaining just exactly how people thought about the revolution and what they would do about it.  

4. Bouton’s article supplements the textbook’s presentation of Shays’ Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion by supporting it with some of the same information and also by adding some information to it. In Bouton’s article it tells us in a little more depth about the actions taken to discontinue the auctions of farm land than in the textbook presentation. But also Bouton’s article didn’t provide us with as much information of the Whiskey Rebellion as the textbook did. The textbook went into greater detail about the rebellion; telling us exactly what was happening and why. Bouton’s article addressed Out Of Many’s assertion of “The economic problem became a political problem” by telling us why it became a political problem. “In short, rural Pennsylvanians witnessed the creation of a new government that systematically undermined the democratic society that they were trying to create.” (Bouton Pg. 886). The government created policies that were just concentrated on wealth and political power which bought about a new problem.

5. I found Bouton’s article very well-argued and persuasive because it provided a lot of information from all different sources as well as different perspectives on the topic. The article captured many different view points on the revolution as well as other rebellions that took place. It gave insight on all the different ways of how people would rebel against the government and how people would help others.  “Citing widespread opposition from all quarters, one state judge complained that he could not obtain “clear evidence” to convict anyone in his jurisdiction of crimes committed against federal collectors.” This quote shows how people were doing what they thought was right in situations regardless of who they were up against. I thought that it was interesting how the farmers would refuse to bid to stop property auction and also how they would block the roads and all the different types of ways they would do it.

Blog Assignment #3- Campbell

1.) The historical question that the author interprets in “The Most Diabolical Act of all the Barbarous War’: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Burning of Columbia, February 1865,” is what encouraged Southern women to cross the boundaries of what was expected of women and resist.  Throughout the Burning of Columbia women honor stays present and they begin to do what they think is right. This later brings identification that women are strong and can influence the rest of the nation.

2.) Campbell’s main points in the essay were the story about the Burning of Columbia where she explained the event in great detail so readers would have a clear understanding of what exactly took place; and also why women of the south resisted in which she explains how the resisting started and what made the women resist. In the essay Campbell brings out the bravery and fearlessness that women possessed. The article states, “Despite the terrible suffering she saw around her, people cannot die from fear.” ”Another young woman advised a friend that if a Yankee soldier should ever point a gun at her, she should not be afraid, tis only done to alarm” (Campbell pg. 13). Women were willing to take charge and fight just as their family was for their independence.

3.) Some of Campbell’s most primary sources that she used to support her argument were stories as the burning of Columbia was taking place. She used Emma LeConte many times in the essay, quoting things that Emma would say and the reactions that she had during the burning of Columbia and also the reactions of soldiers as they would enter a home and the women would stand fearless as they destroyed their house. Campbell also uses the information to add to her argument provided by historians such as McPherson, Gallagher, and Faust.  The author also gave us play by play information of the burning of Columbia as to when things were happening such as when Lee’s army surrendered.

4.) Campbell’s article supplements the Out of Many’s insight on the ideology of “true womanhood”, southern white woman’s opposition to the Civil War, and the impact of Sherman’s March to the Sea by adding more information than what was given in the book. Women were very loyal and assured enemies that the side they stood for was that of the Confederates. She talks a lot in the article of how women depended on slaves to go out and bring back goods as well as information and updates. Families that weren’t as wealthy as others experienced more harsh conditions but were still very loyal. Many argued about how wealthy families could act as if they were proud if they weren’t suffering nearly as much.

5.) In Campbell’s article she incorporates the notions of “true womanhood” and “female honor” about the responses of Southern white women to the pillaging and burning of Columbia by showing that the women felt as if they were sacrificing their domain and would cease the invasions. The article states, “…reasons to see themselves as vital players in the southern cause and to identify with the nation state based on their ideology as much as on their concerns for family and household” (Campbell pg. 13). Campbell uses thoughts and reactions from Emma LeConte showing her refusal to give up hope even after Lee’s surrender and believing that in the future the South would be free and independent. I believe that Campbell does not agree with Faust as she talks about how women were fighting a battle at home while the war was taking place but when the end was near they found it more reasonable to put the blame on another source rather than themselves. Sherman’s march brought about “total war” as it is understood today because they destroyed everything that they came upon including households. This brought about a whole new style of war which is being used to this day.