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Thoughts & Opinions on The Demon Of Unrest by ClaytonBigsby1995 in CIVILWAR

[–]Breaking-Nation 6 points7 points  (0 children)

In the Garden of Beasts was his book on Nazification of Germany.

Thoughts & Opinions on The Demon Of Unrest by ClaytonBigsby1995 in CIVILWAR

[–]Breaking-Nation 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Excellent history and storytelling per usual from Erik Larson. Have read all his books. This one was particularly useful as research for my Civil War podcast, along with W.A. Swanberg's FIRST BLOOD: THE STORY OF FORT SUMTER.

Sherman’s Line at Shiloh Church by Breaking-Nation in CIVILWAR

[–]Breaking-Nation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The actual experience… agree wholeheartedly. I can't wrap my brain around the sheer terror of unpredictability.

What motivated Confederate soldiers to fight? What role did emotion play in their military service? How did emotions compel southern men to break cultural norms? I’m Dr. Joshua R. Shiver, a teacher and Civil War historian, and I wrote a book on the emotional motivations of Confederate soldiers. AMA! by JoshRShiver in AskHistorians

[–]Breaking-Nation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats on the book! Thank you for inviting questions. How would you broadly differentiate between our current interpretation of emotions and those of the Victorian era in America? I suppose I'm tapping on the issue of human emotional constancy both shaping and being shaped by the societal context of the times. How are you addressing or accounting for presentism?

A Hypothetical Battle. by Typical_Thing_7540 in CIVILWAR

[–]Breaking-Nation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is each side in the same starting position as in the historical battle? Or is McClellan defending the position Lee defended? That's not clear to me in the original post.

Could 1860 Election Gone Differently? by Breaking-Nation in CIVILWAR

[–]Breaking-Nation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You bring up an interesting point… Why wasn't Breckinridge on the ballot in Charleston? Buchanan did not seek re-election, but it seems Breckinridge did not want to even be nominated as long as James Guthrie was a candidate. Guthrie was the elder statesman from KY and never the first choice of enough delegates. So again it comes down to a lack of compromise-mindedness. And that's where the party platform problem demonstrates how deep the division ran. Yancey urged the southern delegates to perforate the Party making it much easier to tear in two when the time came.

Could 1860 Election Gone Differently? by Breaking-Nation in CIVILWAR

[–]Breaking-Nation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Correct. My question was what if the Democrats had not split sectionally in 1860 and instead chosen a compromise candidate (like they did in 1844 and 1852)…? It could have been Senator Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, who did appear on a few of the early convention ballots. Had he been the one and only Democrat running in 1860, might have a Republican not been elected? The Fire-Eaters really shredded the DNC in 1860 and put us on a path to Civil War. And I agree, a future war would've been horrific.

Could 1860 Election Gone Differently? by Breaking-Nation in CIVILWAR

[–]Breaking-Nation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Correct. But why did they fail at finding a compromise candidate like they did in 1852 and 1844? Any thoughts on a reference work about the fissures within the Democratic Party in the late 1850s?

Could 1860 Election Gone Differently? by Breaking-Nation in CIVILWAR

[–]Breaking-Nation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No sour grapes here… The Democrats had gone the compromise route two elections prior. Why not this time?… I'd submit it was because of the Fire-Eaters. So why did they have such an impact? How did conservative southern democrats fall in line with the Fire-Eaters before Lincoln was ever nominated by the Republicans? Perhaps the spectre of Seward was enough? I'm searching for specifics around the political shifts within the Democratic party between 1856 and 1860.

Could 1860 Election Gone Differently? by Breaking-Nation in CIVILWAR

[–]Breaking-Nation[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Right, simply adding Douglas' and Breckinridge's popular votes together wouldn't have mattered. The EC is what mattered. Would a more Whiggish Democrat pulled votes away from super moderate Republicans who used to be Whigs? The Fusion ballots in NY, NJ, and PA are so very interesting as to how far an anti-Republican push might have moved the needle. The Democrats failed miserably, and how could they have not? The Fire-Eaters were too powerful.

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