• Home Page
  • Analysis Of Illinois Germans And The Coming Of The Civil War By Christine Bearden-White

Analysis Of Illinois Germans And The Coming Of The Civil War By Christine Bearden-White

Improved Essays
Show More
1. What is the thesis of the article? Christine Bearden-White’s article, “Illinois Germans and the Coming of the Civil War: Reshaping Ethnic Identity,” which is found in the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society talks about factors such as “unique settlement patterns” that helped the German immigrants who settled in two areas in Illinois to 1. develop a national identity, and 2. To overcome their differences and unify as a community in support of the Union, Abraham Lincoln and cause against slavery. According to Ms. Bearden-White, there was no unified nationality among Germans back in the German States in Europe because of their differences in their country of origin, religion, politics, ideology. These tensions showed in American …show more content…
She researched original German-language documents including “diaries, letters, and regimental histories,” to support her thesis. She looked at the activities and documents produced by the early German-American organizations that formed in St. Clair County called the Giessen Emigration Society. She looked at the activities of German leaders like Gustave Korner and the writings of J. Englemann, and writings to relatives by Johann Dieden called, “The Know-Nothing Mayor.” . She supported her thesis with the writings by Albert B. Gaust’s, The German Element in the United States” which talks about the German-American Union Officers who called themselves the …show more content…
I believe Christine Bearden-White proved her thesis effectively. Looking paragraph by paragraph shows she used statistics, original personal letters and documents, historical documents, census and other historians to support her ideas and conclusions. She used original documents, articles in historical papers, and writings by other historians to prove that the majority of Germans in Illinois settled in two areas, that Germans enlisted and joined mainly German infantries, and German Americans in Illinois gravitated to the Republican party, and believed that slavery was wrong, that it was an immoral act, that they did not want to see wrongs done in the German homelands to continue in

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Patrick J. Buchanan's Article: What Does It Mean To Be An American
    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Patrick J. Buchanan's Article: What Does It Mean To Be An American

    He argues that there is no singular national identity and that citizenship is the unifying force of society. Although both authors raise practical arguments,…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Living In Bridgeport
    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of Living In Bridgeport

    In 1836, Bridgeport was born with the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. This alone “guaranteed Bridgeport's position as an industrial center,” as it encouraged the creation of lumberyards, manufacturing plants, and packing houses (Bridgeport, Encyclopedia of Chicago, 1). Due to the steady access to employment during this time, many immigrants began to settle and search for work in the neighborhood. This translated into a growing foreign ‘white’ population, as it “stood as a bastion of white ethnic communities” (1).…

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Dbq Unification Of Germany Analysis
    • 2227 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Dbq Unification Of Germany Analysis

    The unification of a country requires a lot of diligent work from the people, and an overall great desire to achieve greatness. In order for a country to unify and work together from another, multiple components are required of the people and nations involved. They must be able to avert crisis, war, violence, and be capable of constantly working and sticking together. Not only are these necessary, but there are also times when a country MUST be unified in order to have some sort of significance and prowess in the eyes of other countries. In the midst of the German peoples sense of national and pride as well as Prussia’s political desire, an essential need for the unification of Germany was created.…

    • 2227 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Civil War Confederacy Analysis
    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Civil War Confederacy Analysis

    The third and final question was (War has been termed the continuation of politics by other means. Judging by these documents, what key political conflicts shaped the Civil War? After reading the weekly readings, I chose to answer the second question,…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    The Role Of Sectionalism In The Civil War
    • 151 Words
    • 1 Pages

    The Role Of Sectionalism In The Civil War

    The Civil War was inevitable in many ways, Sectionalism is one. Sectionalism created conflict between states during this time period. Also, the Compromise of 1850, caused California to become a free state. New Mexico and Utah also could then vote on slavery. There was also a border dispute between Texas and New Mexico.…

    • 151 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Confederate Reckoning
    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Essay On Confederate Reckoning

    Many know the story of the Confederate States of America and how this nation was created by slaveholders who wanted to protect their property. From the novel Confederate Reckoning: Power and Politics in The Civil War South we are able to gain an insight on how the ideologies that the confederacy were based on contributed to its downfall. These slaveholders might have created a powerful empire but they did not realize that they had excluded most of their population of white-women and slaves. The confederacy tried to succeed and they failed and what we see from Confederate Reckoning: Power and Politics in The Civil War South is that in this political battle women and slaves played a huge role in the confederacy and its fate and also played a…

    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Propaganda In Ww2
    • 1888 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Propaganda In Ww2

    The idea that all Germans are automatically evil and heartless develops through these visuals presented in propaganda. “Seeing negativity in the media could affect the way we live our lives and feel emotions but this effect will only be enhanced by our limits and boundaries.” ( Meter, Minnaugh) This statement proves how being surrounded by negative propaganda towards other countries can psychologically alter one’s way of thinking. The propaganda creates an environment full of negativity which spreads from one person to another eventually changing every individual’s mindset to conform to expectations and the expectation presented in the propaganda is what to expect from every German.…

    • 1888 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Lincoln And The North After The Civil War Essay
    • 719 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lincoln And The North After The Civil War Essay

    Abraham Lincoln inherited the United States when the division caused by secession was one step behind of starting the war. Even though he vowed to uphold the Union and defend the Constitution, he believed that some rules had to be broken. The President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, believed that secession was an act of self-defense in disagreement with the Black Republicans. The goal of this essay is to compare the South who was a supporter of slavery and the North who stood against it, the war that ended thousands of lives, and the ambivalence of the people who wanted to do the right thing.…

    • 719 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Heinrich Von Treitschke The Greatness Of War Analysis
    • 1437 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Heinrich Von Treitschke The Greatness Of War Analysis

    Heinrich Von Treitschke: Warfare and Nationalism to gain Liberation Germany faced the worst era of political imperial leadership, which suppressed the economy. During the nineteenth-century, Europe had many historical nationalists who studied their history and then glorified their nation's past (Kohn 21). A historian named Heinrich Von Treitschke vastly influenced Germans through his, political speech, named “The Greatness of War” shifting Germany’s perspective on the needs of the citizen’s committing to the country’s needs before theirs. My goal in this paper is to elaborate on how Treitschke impacted Germany’s view and nations mission by providing background history of Germany during the nineteenth century and connecting it to how Heinrich was glorious in bringing…

    • 1437 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    Civil War: The Reconstruction Era
    • 78 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Civil War: The Reconstruction Era

    The reconstruction was the era between 1863 to 1877 that was used to help rebuild the damage done by the South in the Civil War. The reconstruction tore America apart because they were mostly focused on trying to help African Americans become accepted in modern society. The era in America was killed because of the violence towards blacks in the Klu Klux Klan. The reconstruction era would still be going on if it were not for the South.…

    • 78 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Inevitability Of The Civil War
    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Inevitability Of The Civil War

    The Civil War was an inevitable incident. For decades, the North and South had been splitting apart due to their differing economies, beliefs regarding slavery, and political views, including states ' rights. While there were efforts to resolve the issues, primarily the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, these were failed endeavors and did not stop the forthcoming events. The South had an economy that heavily relied on agriculture as the primary form of income while the North was becoming an industrial society. With Eli Whitney 's invention of the cotton gin in the early 1790s, many plantations in the South essentially made the switch to produce more cotton.…

    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    American History: Reconstruction After The Civil War
    • 1531 Words
    • 7 Pages

    American History: Reconstruction After The Civil War

    After a war that divided the nation into two and claimed the lives of thousands of men, the country was devastated. The relations between the North and South had crumbled, causing the country to desperately need reunification. Many changes were made in American society after the Civil War in an attempt to reunify the United States and improve the country as a whole; however, these changes were primarily detrimental to society. These changes developed across eras in American history, including reconstruction, westward expansion, and industrialization. The following periods American history incited an incorrigible level of exploitation that ultimately governed the rest of the country during the respective period and afterwards: reconstruction…

    • 1531 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Reconstruction: The Reconstruction Era Of The Civil War
    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Reconstruction: The Reconstruction Era Of The Civil War

    When the Confederates surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865, it was evident the road to reformation was going to be a problematic one. The two conflicting regions, the North and the South, both had very different ideas for what they believed the ideal American country should be. The North yearned for industrialization and dependency on business while the South wished to stick to agriculture, as they had for decades. On top of that, the issue regarding slavery was still not resolved in any shape or form. The period following the Civil War was called the Reconstruction Era and it was filled with clashing ideas on how to unify the country again.…

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Analysis Of The Klan's Fight For Americanism
    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analysis Of The Klan's Fight For Americanism

    In 1915, the Ku Klux Klan was reborn in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The group had accumulated over three million members and they were determined to help solve America’s immigration crisis. In the 1920’s the Klan felt as though the “Nordic race” was facing major obstacles. The population of immigrants in America had increased and their presence had instilled a fear of foreigners across the nation. Hiram W. Evans addressed the situation in “The Klan’s Fight for Americanism.”…

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Analysis Of Race And Reunion: The Civil War In American Memory, By David Blight
    • 1665 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Analysis Of Race And Reunion: The Civil War In American Memory, By David Blight

    The book, Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory, by David Blight, characterizes America’s memory of the Civil War conflict. Blight establishes the battle for reform between Northerners and Southerners differences in beliefs. The North and South, reunion after the Civil War, had three major topics, reconciliation, white supremacy and emancipation, Blight, addresses the foundation our Unions firm grasps for freed slaves with emancipationist. Restore the Union and reunite the states after the Civil War, why injustice against African Americans is put on hold, and fueled the reconciliation. Blight stresses that it was at the expense of the freedom of African Americans and gaining their equal rights.…

    • 1665 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings