66 the complete idiot’s guide to u.s. history, graphic …...66 the complete idiot’s guide to...
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the complete idiot’s guide to u.s. history, graphic illustrated66
Lincoln made sure theydidn’t die in vain.
four score and seven
years ago our fathers brought
forth on this continent a new nation,
conceived in liberty, and dedicated to
the proposition that all men
are created equal.
now we are engaged in a great
civil war, testing whether that nation, or
any nation, so conceived and so dedicated,
can long endure. we are met on a great
battle-field of that war. we have come to
dedicate a portion of that field, as a final
resting place for those who here gave
their lives that that nation might live. it
is altogether fitting and proper
that we should do this.
but, in a larger sense,we can not dedicate -- we can not
consecrate -- we can not hallow -- thisground. the brave men, living and dead,
who struggled here, have consecrated it, farabove our poor power to add or detract. theworld will little note, nor long rememberwhat we say here, but it can never forgetwhat they did here. it is for us the living,
rather, to be dedicated here to theunfinished work which they who
fought here have thus farso nobly advanced.
it is rather for us to behere dedicated to the great task
remaining before us -- that from thesehonored dead we take increased devotion
to that cause for which they gave the lastfull measure of devotion -- that we here highly
resolve that these dead shall not have diedin vain -- that this nation, under God, shall
have a new birth of freedom -- and thatgovernment of the people, by the people,
for the people, shall not perishfrom the earth.
part two: a house divided 1815-1865 67
Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamationdid allow blacks to enlist in the UnionArmy. Almost 200,000 did just that.
The North used black troops. TheSouth wouldn’t. The North had amillion immigrants during the war.The South had a blockaded coastline.
The Confederacy tried to break the blockadewith an ironclad ship. The North trumpedthat with their own.
The Civil War was turninginto the first modern war.
Troops traveled by railroad.
Orders traveled by telegraph.
And on the road to Richmond,nothing traveled at all. Trenchwarfare was being invented, too.
The Civil War had allmodern conveniences.Mass conscription,mass media …
… and masstaxation.
\’ve got
an idea -- let’s
have a war to end
slavery!
\ like the
way you think,
brother.
which of
us is the
MONITOR?
\’m the
MERRIMACK--
\ mean, the
VIRGINIA.
\ thought
| was the
MERRIMACK.
everyone say
“technology!”
“over the side,
boys!” hmmm. no.
“up to the top!”
no, not quite…
filthy
rioting scum
hate freedom.
it’s
unconstitutional!
\’ll start a riot!
DAMMIT …
MCCLELLAN …
MOVE …
YOUR …
LAZY …
the complete idiot’s guide to u.s. history, graphic illustrated68
In 1864, Grant put his friendWilliam Tecumseh Shermanin charge of bringing modernwar to the Deep South.
While Grant tried to bringthe fight to Robert E. Lee.
Grant steadily forced Lee southward –but at a steadily rising price.
The Democrats, at least, were tired ofpaying that price. They proposed anarmistice at their 1864 convention, andnominated General McClellan as theircandidate for president.
To his credit, McClellan was as slow to fight for surrender ashe was to fight for victory.
Then Shermantook Atlanta.
And General Sheridancleared out theShenandoah Valley.
And the voters decidedthey weren’t quite readyto quit just yet.
The soldiers weren’t, either – over 70% of the army voted for Lincoln.
you cannot qualify
war in harsher terms than \
will. war is cruelty, and you
cannot refine it; and those who
brought war into our country
deserve all the curses and
maledictions a people can
pour out.
don’t you
think it sends
kind of a mixed
message?
who has
more experience
not fighting the
civil war than
he does?
the union
is the one condition
of peace. we ask
no more.
THREE
good yankee
generals?
unfair!
part two: a house divided 1815-1865 69
Sherman kept marching throughGeorgia, reached the sea, and thenturned north into South Carolina.
Grant just kept the pressure on. When Sheridan’smen joined Grant’s forces in March, Lee was caughtin a trap. He surrendered at Appomattox CourtHouse on April 9, 1865.
The Civil War was over.600,000 men were dead.And the South had lost.
the complete idiot’s guide to u.s. history, graphic illustrated70
But John Wilkes Booth, America’smost famous actor, had a planto reverse the defeat.
Lewis Powell botchedthe killing of Seward.
Instead of killing Johnson,George Atzerodt just gotdrunk and wandered off.
The Confederacy stilldied in flames.
So did Booth.
And Abraham Lincolnbelonged to the ages.
It didn’t workout that way.
… LEWIS will repay
SEWARD in blood, and
GEORGE will heroically
assassinate vice president
JOHNSON. And thus
inspired, the south
shall rise AGAIN!
SIC
SEMPER
TYRANNIS!
O WWW
how about
that? this neck
brace WAS good for
my health!keep it
down, mac.
you’ll wake
him up.
lemme tell
ya, shome one
HIC oughta kill
the VISHE PREZDET
HIC