On April 12, 1861, the bombardment of Fort Sumter opened the Civil War encompassing the gifted commander in chief Abe's entire term with the terrible price that thereafter persuaded isolationism toward involvement in foreign wars. 




I waited a day posting to continue celebrating ch.com's birthday, but I'd think for this whole year there may be programs revisiting the time.  I wouldn't be surprised if this year's convention site, Nashville had an ongoing display, TN was an important battleground in the war.

Listened to an interview with the author of "1861:  The Civil War Awakening" the other day, and I'm currently re-watching Ken Burns's multi-part documentary about that most terrible of America's wars. 

Despite some minor flaws, Ken Burns's "The Civil War" is a powerful and visceral treatment of those years, and well worth watching if you have not already done so.  It's available by streaming if you're equipped for it.

Best,

George

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care to elaborate?

We'd seen enough to ever involve ourselves in the war affairs of other countries, until it became our affair.  This sentiment was strong, the terror of it not forgotten before entrancing WWI and II.  Had we not well learned this lesson at home, we may have had the oats to be more... gallant-minded earlier, less appraised of its hell. 

Gallant-minded were the French entering WWI, rushing headlong into machine guns shouting "Rosa Pantaloons!"

Yes they charged with bright red pants.  They very soon changed them.

George wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 2:08pm:

Listened to an interview with the author of "1861:  The Civil War Awakening" the other day, ...

Thanks, George.  A new one, I'll look for it.

There may be a couple more to come into print this year, but I like that title, a long simmering to the year it boiled over.

:)

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 8:12pm:

def seen the ken burns thing... but I hardly think that it affected any decisons once that generation was gone..... what about the philipines sp*  we annexed it and they fought

After the Civil War, our army size was greatly drained, state militia volunteers, National Guard, and green recruits were largely used.  The Spanish were in an even weaker position.  We anticipated no world involvement again.

"Remember the Maine" actually helped continue to reconcile lingering North-South differences by presenting a common enemy.

We didn't annex the Philippines, but occupied Manila and the bay pending the disposition of that country.


There is of course more to the Spanish American War.



Domestically, decisions had to be made for over a century after the Civil War concerning the continuous rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan formation immediately following, and civil rights.

"We cannot change the hearts of the south, but we can make war so terrible and make them so sick of war that generations will pass away before they appeal to it."     - William Tecumseh Sherman



He made them not just words.

I thought we were talking about the Civil War???  How the Philipines get into this?    LOL

Josh...the West Wing series was probably the most intelligent T.V. program ever broadcast.  I have the entire series on tape and even though I've seen it in it's entirety several times, there's always something I've missed. 

Kevin you're right.  The PBS documentary of the Civil War by Ken Burns was excellent. 

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 17^th, 2011 at 9:27pm:

Just making a joke... please dont read into it much.. I take it issue by the issue

I guess you had to be watching to get it, or see what it has to do with any Civil War issue, so can't read anything into it.




Should I read anything into this?


Joshl924 wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 8:12pm:

I hate talking about politics as I have a degree in political science

With this as your very next post?


Joshl924 wrote on Apr 17^th, 2011 at 9:27pm:

republicans want a huge well funded army but never want to send it anywhere democrats want a small underfunded army and want to send it everywhere -the west wing

and

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 1:42pm:

isnt your country pretty socialistic when it comes to healthcare/taxes... I know one of your neighbors certainly is...

Linda, I agree, but it was George doing the mentioning.   ;)


George wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 2:08pm:

Ken Burns's "The Civil War" is a powerful and visceral treatment of those years, and well worth watching if you have not already done so.

No Kevin...I was talking about Joshe's comment about the Philipines & what has THAT got to do with the Cilvil War.   lol

   
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what about the philipines sp*  we annexed it and they fought

Kevin_M wrote on Apr 15^th, 2011 at 1:13am:

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 14th, 2011 at 8:12pm: def seen the ken burns thing... but I hardly think that it affected any decisons once that generation was gone..... what about the philipines sp*  we annexed it and they fought After the Civil War, our army size was greatly drained, state militia volunteers, National Guard, and green recruits were largely used.  The Spanish were in an even weaker position.  We anticipated no world involvement again. "Remember the Maine" actually helped continue to reconcile lingering North-South differences by presenting a common enemy. We didn't annex the Philippines, but occupied Manila and the bay pending the disposition of that country. There is of course more to the Spanish American War. Domestically, decisions had to be made for over a century after the Civil War concerning the continuous rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan formation immediately following, and civil rights.

I agree about the Spanish/American War bridging the gap between the North and the South.  I'm not at home and don't have the resource at hand, but one of the officers in the American army in Cuba had been an offecer in the Confederacy.  He got so excited when the Spanish were fleeing toward Guantanamo that he yelled out, "Come on boys, we've got those Yankees on the run." and no one thought anything about it other than to laugh about it later.  I'm sorry I cannot recall the name.

Jerry

Linda, I was referring to this:


Linda_Howell wrote on Apr 17^th, 2011 at 10:57pm:

Kevin you're right.  The PBS documentary of the Civil War by Ken Burns was excellent.

George mentioned the documentary.     :)

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 8:12pm:

I hate talking about politics

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democrats want a small underfunded army and want to send it everywhere

The West Wing comment seemed inapplicable, out of place.  Famously, concerning the Civil War, George B. McClellan kept asking for a bigger and bigger army, but never went anywhere with it.  Abe fired him, twice.  He ran as a democrat against Abe, which is the opposite of both your quote and comment.






Joshl924 wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 8:12pm:

I hardly think that it affected any decisons once that generation was gone.....

Ok, now you. 


Joshl924 wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 1:44pm:

care to elaborate?

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I just dont think it even crossed anyone's mind once when making any decisons for Korea, and onward.

We took a different turn at the Cold War, that's why I mentioned up to WWII.





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Sure we certainly had an isolationist movement prior to being attacked at pearl but I dont think those people thought about the civil war with regards to that...

After Pearl Harbor, it then became our affair.

Even at the outbreak of WWI, France threw over 350,000 into war.  Us being very much larger, would barely be able to muster 200,000 at the time.  Foreign war involvement wasn't anticipated after the Civil War as we looked inward.  Wilson's second term platform was about not sending our boys over there, GDP almost tripled from the dawn of the 20th century to WWI.  America was rebuilding, we had our war and were hopefully done.

They may not have thought about the Civil War at WWII, but the isolation influence was established much prior and wasn't born of itself.

This changed at the Cold War. 



It is difficult to grasp that the Civil War did not affect decisions once that generation was gone.  It laid in the background in other aspects 100 years later through Johnson's administration.

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 20^th, 2011 at 5:50pm:

oh and the ww comment wasnt meant to be wholly  applicable..... I was stearing it more towards today....

This is why I named the thread 150 years ago.



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since we were talking about the effects therefrom about the decisons to deploy or not

I only mentioned influencing isolation pressure up to WWII. 

Joshl924 wrote on Apr 21^st, 2011 at 9:36am:

up to WWII.... gotta be more clear... sorry

Granted, Josh, the original post said


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thereafter

imprecise and vague because it was only an aside comment, so I left it as generally speaking.  However, when you asked to elaborate I gave the more enclosing time in post #3 


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before entrancing WWI and II

meaning from after the Civil War and encompassing up to those two landmark events.



:)





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