Monthly Archives: March 2011

Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1861, is probably best remembered for writing the majority opinion in the infamous Dred Scott decision and its atrocious statement that black people “had no rights which the white … Continue reading →

On March 11, 1861, the Confederate Congress, meeting in Montgomery, Alabama, adopted a permanent constitution for their new nation to supersede the provisional constitutional they had hastily adopted a little over a month before. Civil War Emancipation has already dealt … Continue reading →

In yesterday’s Disunion in the New York Times, Adam Goodheart wrote a highly significant piece related to emancipation. Goodheart relates the story of a young fugitive slave who on March 11, 1861, sought sanctuary by making his way across Charleston Harbor to … Continue reading →

Yesterday’s Disunion in the New York Times has a noteworthy essay by Adam Goodheart on Morris J. Raphall, rabbi of New York City’s B’nai Jeshurun synagogue during the Civil War era. In January 1861, Raphall had delivered and published an address entitled, “The Bible View … Continue reading →

On March 7, 1861, a 22-year-old Kentucky slave, Ambrose Beauford, gained his freedom. He was manumitted in the will of his owner, Susan R. Brent. To see Beauford’s freedom papers, please <click here>. As Beauford’s case demonstrates for some fortunate slaves freedom came … Continue reading →

On March 6, 1861, the Richmond Examiner published a story entitled “Horrible purposes of the party in power.” It related a conversion on February 15 in Washington, D.C., between Salmon P. Chase and a “Dr. Wirt” of “Westmoreland.” Dr. Wirt was almost … Continue reading →

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln at last took the oath as the 16th President of the United States. His first inaugural address has received much analysis over the years. Disunion in the New York Times added to the list … Continue reading →

On March 3, 1861, an event of seismic significance occurred in the history of international emancipation. With the stroke of a pen, Tsar Alexander II freed 23 million Russian serfs. It always has been a point of pride for Russians that … Continue reading →

At the risk as seeming whiny, I have decided to get up on my soapbox and kindly ask the Disunion blog in the New York Times to please not overdo it on Frederick Douglass. As regular readers of Civil War … Continue reading →

On March 2, 1861, with two days left in its session, the 36th Congress rushed to get its business done. Among its actions that day was to approve a constitutional amendment to send to the states.  The amendment simply read: … Continue reading →