Mapping the Fourth of July in the Civil War Era

 Virginia Center for Civil War Studies

Civil War history lives at Virginia Tech. From its home in Virginia Tech’s History Department, the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies promotes greater understanding of the Civil War era among academics and the public. Whether you’re a student or a professional historian, a serious history buff or someone who just likes to learn, we have something to offer you.

How did Americans celebrate Independence Day as their nation was falling apart? The answer lies in tens of thousands of Civil War-era sources, from newspaper articles and speeches to private letters and diaries. These documents reveal how a wide range of Americans — northern and southern, white and black, male and female, Democrat and Republican, immigrant and native born — all used the Fourth to articulate their deepest beliefs about American identity during the great crisis of the Civil War.

Did you know that many white southerners stopped celebrating the Fourth at the end of the Civil War? Frustrated by defeat and outraged by black commemorations of Independence Day, they did not fully resume their own celebrations for years. Northerners, meanwhile, used the holiday to celebrate Union victory while African Americans embraced the opportunity to claim their place in the national community. For everyone, the Fourth was a day to argue about who counted as an American and what that meant.

Fourth of July celebrations during the Civil War

Lincoln and Grant on July 4th  . . ."What to do as a blog post for a day like this?  I’ll begin with this really magnificent painting of Ulysses S. Grant on July 4, 1863, at Vicksburg.  Called Glorious Fourth, painted by renowned artist Mort Künstler, it captures the second of two great Union victories that signaled the turn of the Civil War.". . .   

. . ."This is essentially a People’s contest. On the side of the Union, it is a struggle for maintaining in the world, that form, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life. Yielding to partial, and temporary departures, from necessity, this is the leading object of the government for whose existence we contend.

…"Our popular government has often been called an experiment. Two points in it, our people have already settled—the successful establishing, and the successful administering of it. One still remains—its successful maintenance against a formidable [internal] attempt to overthrow it. It is now for them to demonstrate to the world, that those who can fairly carry an election, can also suppress a rebellion—that ballots are the rightful, and peaceful, successors of bullets; and that when ballots have fairly, and constitutionally, decided, there can be no successful appeal, back to bullets; that there can be no successful appeal, except to ballots themselves, at succeeding elections. Such will be a great lesson of peace; teaching men that what they cannot take by an election, neither can they take it by a war—teaching all, the folly of being the beginners of a war." . . .

OPINION: Why The Left Truly Is Evil, (Not Stupid!)

 Townhall

". . .Should conservatives any longer give the left the benefit of the doubt as to their policies? Should we innocently believe they are simply misinformed as opposed to radically devoted agents to an agenda that is not only anti-American but that in fact is… evil?"

"In America this minute leftists can no longer be given the benefit of the doubt. They are pushing an agenda that is evil. They are hellbent on accomplishing it and they are saying so publicly.

"The late Charles Krauthammer was the person credited for the intriguing binary observation that “conservatives view the left as stupid,” but that “liberals view conservatives as evil.”

"We see evidence of that second part constantly. The vehement hatred of those who support America First is proven every day. The hatred burns so deeply in fact that they seek out ways to create out of whole cloth imaginative conspiracies of Trump working with Russia and double impeachments based on literally no evidence.

"They justify the advancement of ludicrous stories of deranged presidents lurching at steering wheels—even when one or more secret service personnel were present and are able to testify to the opposite.

"They claim pro-lifers hate women. They claim that parents who don’t want drag queens in their kids’ schools are bigots. And they especially despise people who are faithful to God, family, and nation.". . .

And it’s not just energy, this group doesn’t care if babies have formula, your family has food, or if women bleed out from their monthly cycles.

Babylon Bee satire: Report: Zero Males Affected As Feminists Go On Sex Strike

 

Babylon Bee satire: Report: Zero Males Affected As Feminists Go On Sex Strike  "NEW YORK, NY - After feminists around the country vowed to stop having sex, men across the nation have remained blissfully unaware anything has changed.

""Huh? Who stopped having sex?" responded every man told of the development. "Wow, I had no idea. Good for them, I guess?"

"The so-called 'sex strike' had been launched by leftist women in response to the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade. "The right is trying to create this dystopian world where sex has some connection to pregnancy and babies," explained pro-abortion protester Lona Malachi. "Pregnancy is basically making a woman your slave, just like in The Handmaid's Tale. So as long as sex has anything to do with babies, we simply won't have it!" she exclaimed, before attempting to inhale air without taking in oxygen.

"Despite the clarion call for an end to sex from female media personalities and politicians, surveys have shown that absolutely zero men have been affected. "Our research indicates the strike has not hit the intended target," said sociology professor Sharon Young. "The nation's cats, however, have reported a general increase in angry yelling by their owners."

The Real Reason Washington Ignored Kavanaugh’s Would-Be Killer

 MSN  "In June 8, at about 1:05 in the morning, a taxicab pulled up outside the Chevy Chase home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. A young man dressed in black got out, carrying a backpack and a suitcase. According to an FBI affidavit, he eyed the Deputy U.S. Marshals standing guard outside the house, then turned and walked down the block.

Michael Schaffer, the writer, assigns more danger to the Jan 6 rioters than to this would-be Kavanaugh assassin. He also repeats the meme that several people died because of the Jan 6 incident.

Face Masks Are Ineffective and Do Not Work, They Have Never Worked

And I had thought if one wore swim trunks made of face mask material it would be possible to urinate in a public swimming pool and not affect the water around you. TD

 SGT Report

"The case rate curves for two Californian counties – Alameda County, with an indoor mask mandate, and Contra Costa County, with no indoor mask mandate – are near-identical. Dr. Paul Alexander highlighted the comparison of data from the two Bay Area counties that clearly shows the measure imposed on populations is ineffective and does not work. “Covid [face] masks never ever worked and harmed populations,” he wrote.

"Dr. Paul Alexander has expertise in teaching epidemiology, evidence-based medicine, and research methodology. He is a former Assistant Professor at McMaster University in evidence-based medicine, a former Covid Pandemic evidence-synthesis advisor to WHO-PAHO and a former Senior Advisor to Covid Pandemic policy in the US government, Health and Human Services.  In 2008 he worked at WHO as a Regional Specialist/Epidemiologist in Europe’s Regional Office in Denmark.

"In early June, during an uptick in covid cases, Alameda County was the only Bay Area county to bring back an indoor mask mandate “to limit the impact of a prolonged wave,” according to county Health Officer Dr. Nicholas Moss.  But regional case data provides no discernible evidence that the rule, which was lifted on 25 June, succeeded at that goal.". . .

Biden Looks to Block or Limit New Offshore Drilling, Scaling Back Trump-Era Plan to Pump More Oil

The Epoch Times  "The Biden administration has announced plans to block all new offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, while potentially letting a handful of new leases go ahead off the coast of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico, charting a different course from a Trump-era plan that sought to expand 

offshore drilling to bolster America’s energy security.

"The draft plan, released on July 1 by the Interior Department, lays out several options for public input as to how many offshore oil and gas lease sales should be held over the next five years, ranging from nearly a dozen new leases to zero.

“ 'The proposed plan puts forward several options from no lease sales up to 11 lease sales over the next five years,” said Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “The time for the public to weigh in on our future is now.”

"Open for consideration and public input are ten potential new leases in the Gulf of Mexico and one in the Cook Inlet off the southern coast of Alaska, as laid out in detail in the Draft Proposed Plan (DPP) (pdf).

"Entirely removed from consideration are any new leases in federal waters off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.". . .

If Joe Biden only had a BRAIN in the Wizard of Oz (You Laugh You Lose) "Joe Biden in the Wizard of OZ "If I Only Had a BRAIN! Starring Hunter Biden, AOC, Pelosi, Trump and Let's Go Brandon's Joe Biden."

‘It has no relationship to Buzz’: Tim Allen voices his thoughts on struggling ‘Lightyear’

BPR  "After not reprising his role as the lead character, actor and comedian Tim Allen had maintained his distance from the new Disney Pixar film “Lightyear,” and as the controversial film has struggled at the box office, his decision to finally weigh in was hardly an endorsement of the animated feature.

"Since Pixar’s launch with “Toy Story” in 1995, Allen had voiced the Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear in full-length films, television specials and video games. But, when Disney announced the production of an origin story for the character, actor Chris Evans had been cast to replace the voice of the iconic hero.". . .

. . ."As they promoted their new History Channel show, “More Power,” Allen was joined by costar Richard Karn in an interview for “Extra” where he opened up to Jenn Lahmers on how fans have been upset that he wasn’t a part of it and how he feels, “It has no relationship to Buzz.”

“ 'I’ve stayed out of this cause it has nothing to do, as I’ve said a long time ago, we talked about this many years ago,” he explained. “It came up in one of the sessions what a fun movie that would be…but the brass that did the first four movies is not this, it’s a whole new team that really had nothing to do with the first movies.”

“ 'There’s really no ‘Toy Story’ Buzz without Woody,” Allen went on after recounting that at first he was led to believe the movie was going to be a live-action film and offering no comment on whether his right-leaning opinions were a factor in recasting.". . .

‘Way out of their lane’: Leaked video from new Disney show should have parents of young children concerned https://t.co/vB5gkDtAYR

— American Wire News (@americanwire_) June 30, 2022

White House sparks backlash after saying high gas prices guard 'liberal world order'

 White House sparks backlash after saying high gas prices guard 'liberal world order' | Washington Examiner

Biden Reveals How Long It’s ‘Fair To Expect’ Americans To Pay Astronomical Gas Prices, His Answer Is Infuriating  

"Democratic President Joe Biden made some remarks on Thursday that it was totally fair for Americans to expect to pay the ridiculously high gas prices we’re shelling out big bucks for right now as “long as it takes” for Russia to be beaten by [redacted], despite the fact our gas prices were going up well before the invasion started.

"This isn’t about Russia. It isn’t about [redacted]. It’s about our dependence on foreign oil. If he really wanted to lower gas prices, he could do it by drilling and handing out permits to increase oil production. Open up the Keystone XL Pipeline, which he closed on his very first day in office.

"Gas prices are not something that is deeply connected to what’s happening right now in Europe. It has more to do with the Green New Deal and socialistic wealth redistribution than anything else.". . .

McEnany slams Biden official's remark on 'liberal world order': 'They're admitting it's intentional' (msn.com)  . . ."Outnumbered" co-host Kayleigh McEnany criticized a recent statement from the Biden administration defending inflation and high gas prices as necessary to protect the "future of the liberal world order." McEnany outlined that President Biden is more focused on "intentional" inflation as part of a transition to clean energy than bringing down costs of goods and services for Americans. 

INFLATION IS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S ‘BIGGEST PROBLEM’ BUT NOT HIS ‘HIGHEST PRIORITY,’ DANA PERINO SAYS

"KAYLEIGH MCENANY: You never want to go viral when you're in the White House, particularly if you're someone very few people know, someone named Brian Deese, who's the economic adviser in the White House. Well, he went viral. . . .

"So you're paying more in gas because it's the future of the liberal world order. Okay. He again said what we have heard a few times. We've heard, oh, Joe Biden can't do anything about gas prices. But in their most honest moments, we've heard honesty from the president that when it comes to gas prices, we're going through an incredible transition, an incredible transition as you're pumping your gas at $5 a gallon. Jennifer Granholm said that we're accelerating the move to clean energy. So in their most lucid moments, they are admitting that when you pump your gas, when you see, as I did, you know, 100 something dollars, that's intentional. They want you to get rid of your car. They want you to move to a clean energy vehicle. It's all part of the great liberal transition. So just pat yourself on the back this 4th of July.". . . 

Biden's upcoming SA visit: What will be discussed? - comment

Former president Barack Obama is a pathological narcissist who only cares about hanging out with celebrities and being extravagantly wealthy, regardless of the death and destruction it causes. Nevertheless, he tried to stop Joe Biden from becoming president and made an effort to warn us about his dangerous incompetence.

Jerusalem Post  "After US President Joe Biden vowed to turn Saudi Arabia into a “pariah,” the master of the White House is knocking on the door of Riyadh, asking for more help to solve the energy crisis that is worsening throughout the world, particularly in the West. While many view this as the sole reason for the president’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, I see it as a direct reason behind which lie a variety of other reasons and motivations. 

"Besides his hat in hand, Biden will have a series of supporting files, the most important of which is resetting the relationship between the US and countries in the region, which Washington realizes should begin with Saudi Arabia, especially after Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visits failed to make any significant impact on this front. Meanwhile, the Saudi leadership will be prepared for this opportunity to address and negotiate its own set of issues and interests.

"As such, Biden’s visit is expected to end the political blackmail the kingdom has endured. Having dismantled the international labyrinth that the Saudi leadership was forced into, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman now have an important opportunity to achieve their goal of reestablishing the kingdom’s role as a pivotal regional and international player. 

Please, AOC, Run For President (And Why She Can’t)

There isn’t respect for AOC, she’s an embarrassment who regularly gets the most basic of basics about American government wildly wrong. But to the party establishment she is the ultimate tool; an assassin to keep everyone in line. If she were to run she would lose, and she’d lose badly – even most Democrats see her for the idiot she is. 

 Townhall  "There was a time when the idea of someone with a room temperature IQ running for President of the United States was laughable, the plot to some awful movie. Since Joe Biden, all bets are off. For Democrats, having an IQ larger than your waist line is an obstacle, making it difficult to advocate for policies that have failed everywhere they’ve been tried with a straight face. Luckily for them, there aren’t many Democrats who have a double-digit IQ, so it’s not much of an issue, and their Queen is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

"In what has to be an attempt to see if there is anything a rabid leftist can do to alienate an audience, Stephen Colbert has had an endless stream of progressive politicians, journalists and activists on his show recently. It’s almost like performance art where the artist is trying to see if there is a point at which the audience realizes they’re being played for fools, but they never do. No amount of pandering, however obvious and ridiculous, dents their psyche and registers as mockery. It would make a great sociology experiment, if sociology weren’t a field more worthless than late night “comedy” shows.

"Just as an aside, remember when those comedy shows were about comedy? When hosts told jokes – set up, punchline? Now all of these shows are rejected daytime speeches from the Democratic National Convention. Gone are the punchlines, replaced by applause lines. “Republicans sure suck, don’t they?” and the audience of barking seals claps like they’re hoping to be thrown a fish. Pathetic."

"In the course of doing to comedy what Joe Biden did to Tara Reade, Colbert (who was totally cool with what Joe did, and what Hunter did to all those obviously trafficked Russian girls) had Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and nearly begged her to run for president in 2024.". . .

This White House 4th of July Tweet Didn't Age Well

 PJ Media  "Remember last year when Twitter users relentlessly mocked the White House for letting Americans know their 4th of July barbecue would cost a whopping 16 cents less than the year before? At the time, the slight prick of rising prices was beginning to rear its head, and the official White House Twitter account attempted to put any concerns to bed with this puntastic tweet:

Planning a cookout this year? Ketchup on the news. According to the Farm Bureau, the cost of a 4th of July BBQ is down from last year. It’s a fact you must-hear(d). Hot dog, the Biden economic plan is working. And that’s something we can all relish. pic.twitter.com/7h9qLauIbC

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 1, 2021

" Looking back at that tweet borders on infuriating. The direction the economy was taking at that point was clear. When we talk to our grandchildren about the summer of 2021, we may have to call it the good old days. According to the Farm Bureau:

U.S. consumers will pay $69.68 for their favorite Independence Day cookout foods, including cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, based on a new American Farm Bureau Federation marketbasket survey.

The average cost of a summer cookout for 10 people is $69.68, which breaks down to less than $7 per person. The overall cost for the cookout is up 17% or about $10 from last year, a result of ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation and the war in Ukraine.

"Not 17 cents, 17%. And I don’t know about you, but for me, no summer barbecue is complete without deviled eggs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for eggs are 16.20% higher in 2022 than in 2021. There is no telling when the inflationary trend will end. It might not be a bad idea to grab Tom Turkey now and stick him in the freezer. There is no telling what the cost of your Thanksgiving centerpiece will be by November.". . .

Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger’s Vendetta Politics

The January 6 Committee is running a Stalinesque show trial against Trump and his supporters.

The American Spectator

The all-too-obvious fact is that the January 6 Committee, with the full cooperation and assent of Cheney and Kinzinger, is nothing more than a vitriolic hit job on Trump and his supporters. They are in no way interested in facts that contradict their anti-Trump narrative.

 

"Recently, Wyoming “Republican” Rep. Liz Cheney published a piece in the Wall Street Journal with this amusing headline:

The Jan. 6 Committee Won’t Be Intimidated We are focused on facts, not rhetoric, and will present them no matter what our critics say.

"Facts are stubborn things, as President John Adams famously said. He went on: “Whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”

"No, they can’t. But the disingenuous Cheney is giving it the old college try as she pursues her anti-Trump vendetta.". . .

. . ."Here’s a fact: House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has the authority to appoint the Republican members of the committee. His appointments of Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana were refused by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who then usurped McCarthy’s authority and appointed Cheney and Kinzinger. 

"Why? Because she and her fellow Democrats hate Trump. This tactic is called “stacking the deck,” and Pelosi used it to make sure that the committee delivers an anti-Trump verdict. 

"This immediately established the committee as a Stalinesque show trial. The committee’s investigation is a decidedly un-American proceeding, and Cheney and Kinzinger are active participants.". . .

. . ."The words of President Ronald Reagan about dealing with communists come to mind in looking at the words and actions of Cheney, Kinzinger, and their fellow January 6 Committee members as they go about their anti-Trump vendetta:

They … have openly and publicly declared that the only morality they recognize is what will further their cause, meaning they reserve unto themselves the right to commit any crime, to lie, to cheat.

"Bingo."