Category Archives: Postbellum Society

“the cereals of August”

A recent post was about a medallion and monument related to the American Civil War that was found on a single page in a newspaper from 150 years ago. And, mirabile dictu, the editors at Harper’s Weekly packed even more … Continue reading

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going way back

150 years ago Harper’s Weekly noticed some Civil War-related items that were associated with earlier times in American history. From its August 23, 1869 issue: THE AMERICAN TRIUMVIRATE. A MEDALLION has been recently published by W. MILLER & Co., Artists … Continue reading

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Bullets Met at Gettysburg

On the sixth anniversary of Day 1 of the Battle of Gettysburg a monument in the National Cemetery on the battlefield was dedicated. The Soldiers’ National Monument hadn’t been quite completed, but a reported 15,000 people showed up for the … Continue reading

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“Summer of Peace”

150 years ago this week a National Peace Jubilee was held in Boston, Massachusetts at the Coliseum, a temporary structure built especially for the Jubilee. In its May 22, 1869 issue Harper’s Weekly anticipated the big event: THE NATIONAL PEACE … Continue reading

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At the junction …

… Promontory junction North and South America had been a big impediment to free-flowing and relatively quick world trade. Even though way back in 1513 an expedition led by Vasco Núñez de Balboa discovered how near the Atlantic and Pacific … Continue reading

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good question

Way back in its October 24, 1868 issue Harper’s Weekly seemed a bit miffed by a letter from Georgia, which asked a question: if universal suffrage for black men is such a good thing, why doesn’t the North adopt it? … Continue reading

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feeding frenzy

You could say it’s a (very brief) tale of five Union generals. When Ulysses S. Grant became President of the United States in March 1869 he promoted his friend William T. Sherman to be the Commanding General of the U.S. … Continue reading

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cabinet kerfuffle

In its March 5, 1869 issue The New-York Times kept coverage of Ulysses S. Grant’s inaugural address off its front page, unlike the previous two inaugurations. The times were certainly different, relatively crisis-free. After all, in 1861 a couple weeks … Continue reading

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nothing to hear here?

Back around the New Year a couple New York City periodicals seemed to be eagerly awaiting the March 4th 1869 inauguration of President-elect Ulysses S. Grant “with the guarantees of future peace and prosperity and of a final settlement of … Continue reading

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civvies lesson

According to the February 23, 1869 issue of The New-York Times Washington’s Birthday 150 years ago was kind of a humdrum day in the great metropolis, a day that “had the air of something that has missed fire. It was … Continue reading

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