Described as a well-liked African American in the community, Isaac Creek was attacked in his cabin in the middle of the night by a group of armed white men. Creek fatally shot Thomas Lyons after refusing to surrender to the prowlers who attempted to burn down his cabin. The Williamson County Journal's editor reacted with rage at what he viewed as intolerable lawlessness on the part of the...
Led up the stars to the wooden platform, shackled and eerily subdued, two
unnamed African American men marched solemnly to their deaths. The guards shoved them into place while the executioner waited with anticipation for his cue to drop the platforms supporting the prisoners' feet. The sheriff and jailer looked on with authoritative indifference; death for these two men was drawing...
The role of women in antebellum Alabama was ambiguous. Prior to the Civil War, women were keepers of the home. The average, middle-class women raised the children, kept the home and prepared the meals. Both before and after the Civil War, women were subservient to men and their marriages were entirely patriarchal.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule - George Fulgham's wife was...
Political ideologies between the Republicans and Democrats were left in limbo following the Civil War. The Democratic Watchman, of central Pennsylvania printed a call to action for Democrats to go out and vote to ensure a majority for the party across the board of all of the offices.
After the conclusion of the war, Republicans had a strong hold on northern cities, but there were...
On the evening of October 8 1871, a small bright spark quickly engulfed Chicago’s entire West Division. Elias Colbert an editor for the Chicago Tribune newspaper recounts the progress the fire made while peering through his telescope from the rooftop of the TribuneBuilding.
Colbert attempts to gather statistical facts on the losses generated by the great conflagration...
In order for fire to die, there needs to be water, and usually, lots of it. Chicago in 1871 had a serious lack of water and a desperate need for it. It was hot and dry and Chicago was in the midst of a draught; the worst weather for a fire to occur. Early autumn was no different from the previous summer; the hot air still lingered and small fires often started. The draught was so bad that between...
The Peshtigo Fire
On the evening of October 8, 1871 the worst recorded forest fire in North American history, the Peshtigo Fire, raged through Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. The Peshtigo Fire destroyed millions of dollars worth of property and timberland, and took between 1,200 and 2,400 lives. Large numbers of people were found and buried, many of whom were beyond any recognition....
In the wee hours of October 8, 1871, the fire bell peeled again the signal to the weary Chicagoans of yet another fire. The day before, several blocks were destroyed after a large planing mill erupted in flames sending flaming debris all over the immediate vicinity. Sweeping and engulfing the timber structures of the largely wood frame city, the fire moved on at an astonishing pace. According to...
Mrs. Shorey wondered how the ruined remains of most of Chicago could possibly feed the hungry homeless crowding in the streets? Cities all around the Midwest sent cooked food to the survivors in hundreds of carloads for the first few days. A couple of days later, provisions and clothing, as well as money started coming in. The citizens of Chicago were determined to rebuild their lives but to do...
A southern belle was a girl who was expected to grow up into a lady. She was supposed to be fragile and flirtatious while also sexually innocent. She was beautiful but risky to touch, like porcelain. Every southern belle was expected to be up-to-date on the latest fashions, which often proved tricky and expensive because fashion was constantly changing throughout the nineteenth century. A true...