Episodes Around: 18590919

  1. A View of Southern Women
    date January 1, 1858 to December 31, 1859map ORANGE, Virginiatags Race-Relations, Slavery, Women

    Fannie Page Hume, a woman from Orange County, Virginia, kept an extensive diary between the years of 1858-1859. She had an entry for each day during these two years in which she talked about such things as her clothing, visits made by family and friends, the weather, and illnesses. Included in her diary were brief mentions of her slaves, who had been recently hired out to other plantation owners...

  2. Portsmouth's Religious Revival
    date April 9, 1858 to 1860map NORFOLK CITY, Virginiatags Church/Religious-Activity, Slavery

    In the early 1840s, sectional conflict threatened to divide two of the South's most influential churches. Members of the Methodist and Baptist Churches, divided over their church's stance on the issue of slavery, quarreled over whether they should support the South's crucial institution. Agreements could not be reached, and, in 1844 and 1845, the Methodist and Baptist Churches split...

  3. A Private Army in Virginia
    date 1859map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Government, War

    In the writings of his autobiography, TJ Macon recorded with great pride,that in 1859, he joined the First Company Richmond Howitzers,a militia artillery unit that drilled in the city and was composed of volunteers from the surrounding area. Macon was also quick to state that he later served in combat with this unit during the war between the states.Serving in such a unit was special to Macon because...

  4. Paternalism and American Slavery
    date 1859map MOBILE, Alabamatags African-Americans, Race-Relations, Slavery

    While on her honeymoon, Mary Norcott Bryan traveled throughout the South with her new husband. On vacation she went to Mobile, Alabama where she met up with her friend Edith Whitfield. Whitfield lived on the plantation of her father, General Nathan Whitfield. In writing about her experience, Bryan described the nearly 900 slaves on the plantation. In her observations, Bryan decided that the slaves...

  5. Toy Advocates Colonization of Liberia
    date 1859map BALTIMORE, Marylandtags African-Americans, Migration/Transportation, Race-Relations, Slavery

    Before the American Civil War a movement sprang up in abolitionist circles around the nation that to many represented an ideal solution that would end slavery without introducing millions of freed blacks into American Society. Colonization, as the name implies, had the goal of colonizing slaves in Africa in a country called Liberia. As such, there were numerous attempts to convince Africans to willingly...

  6. Little Giant Defends Giant Doctrine: Stephen Douglas on Popular Soverienty
    date 1859map UNORGANIZED TERRITORY, Territorytags Slavery, Politics

    Senator Stephen Douglas, the "Little Giant" from Illinois, wrote an article for Harpers Magazine in 1859 entitled "Popular Sovereignty in the Territories." Harpers and Brothers Publishers subsequently printed it in pamphlet form. In the article, Douglas defended his opinions on the much derided and disputed issue of popular sovereignty.

    He explained his interpretation of popular sovereignty...

  7. Cape Lookout Lighthouse
    date September 19, 1859map CARTERET, North Carolinatags Economy, Science/Technology

    "Official information has been received at this office from Captain W. H. C. Whiting, corps of engineers United States army, that the new lighthouse at Cape Lookout has been completed." The new lighthouse had the shape of a cone made of brick, with an iron lantern as the light. The tower rose 156 feet above sea level. The light was a "fixed" light that could be seen up to 22 nautical miles during...