How to Appreciate the American Civil War
Four years and 618,000 total killed... not to be forgotten.
[edit] Steps
- Understand what the United States would have been like if slavery had never been abolished. The war was necessary and unavoidable.
- Get to know more details about the battles fought. You do not have to become an expert on the military tactics, just have a basic knowledge. Research on the Internet and check out books from the library, as well as buy some novels based on that time.
- Consider visiting some of the battlefields as your summer vacation.
- Listen to some music from that time. Some battle drum and fife tunes would be good. Also, there are some modern rock songs based on the Civil War, such as "High Water Mark" by Iced Earth.
- See some movies. The 1989 film "Glory", with Denzel Washington, is about the 54th Massachusetts regiment — the first all-black regiment, and shows their attack on Ft. Wagner.
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See some reenactments! Whether it is based on a particular battle or not, it is fun to watch.
Union troops in a reenactment.
[edit] Tips
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Remember that the American Civil war was really not so long ago. It was one of the first major American wars to be photographed. This was also one of the first battles to have iron-clad ships. Weaponry was also more advanced, rifles had rifling (grooves) in the barrel and some had telescopic sights (scopes). Some Confederate troops had sniped Union officers from distances up to 800 yards!
He Saved The Union - For the South, it was a rich man's war and a poor man's fight. Most Confederate troops did not even own slaves.
