Britain and the American Civil War
Battle of Gettysburg by Currier and Ives
Source: Wikipedia
When most people think of the American Civil War, they do not tend to think of the reaction that the United Kingdom had to it. Despite being across the Atlantic, a large number of people in Britain followed the war with great interest. For the most part, their reaction was quite mixed. Some people hoped the Union in the north would win and others had placed their bets on the Confederacy in the south. Many people even had a personal interest in the war. For some, family members had at some previous point emigrated to the United States and were actively involved in the war. Others had business interests in the United States which were greatly affected in this time of intense industrial development in the UK.
While of course impossible to tell what the majority of Britons thought about the Union and the Confederacy, the evidence tends to suggest that a large portion of the population that followed the war in America were pro-Union. England had, earlier in the century, abolished slavery in the British Empire with the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. The Victorians were incredibly proud of this and generally viewed themselves as humanitarians for this reason. Of course because of this, one can deduce that most of the Britons would have sided with the Union which was busy fighting the pro-slavery Confederacy. Another telling piece of evidence is that those who sided with the Confederacy tending not to speak of it. For them, it was a taboo topic which was not discussed, whereas Union-supporters were very vocal about it.
Naturally there were also reasons why many people may have sided with the Confederacy. At this time, England was leading the world in terms of industry. Factories throughout the north of England were producing cotton goods at a rate absolutely unheard of at the time. This was, however, largely possible due to the availability of cheap, slave-picked cotton from the Confederacy, or "King Cotton". At the outbreak of the American Civil War, the Union very quickly setup a naval blockade preventing the Confederacy from exporting cotton to Europe. This outraged many British capitalists who relied on the cotton for their factories and turned them towards the Confederacy's cause. Many Victorians also believed that, with the way the American government was designed and setup, the southern states had every right to secede and that the Union was attempting to suppress this right.
Surprisingly, despite the personal interests of many people in the UK, Britain stayed neutral throughout. Her Majesty's Government did not officially support either side morally, financially or militarily. This is perhaps because of the great diversity of opinions in both the public and Parliament as to why the Government should take one side or the other. Britain had an interest in both the North and the South, making it impossible to pick the better side.
The UK remained neutral throughout the entire war, although they did send reinforcements to the US-Canadian border. Prime Minister Palmerston (1784-1865) feared that the war may spread as far north as Canada with the Union taking advantage of its new military strength to gain more territory for itself. Fortunately this never happened.
One of the greatest ironies of the effect of the American Civil War was on the relationship between Great Britain and the United States. It actually helped mend many old feuds left over from the American War of Independence and the War of 1812. While the United States had to fight to regain its lost half, in the end, it gained an ally in Britain.
Rocky Mountain Mining Towns: South Pass City, Wyoming
South Pass City in 1870
Source: Wikipedia
There are many towns throughout the American west which serve as excellent examples of what a mining "boom town" was like. South Pass City, Wyoming is one such town. It is a relatively rare example, however, in that it has survived practically unchanged into the present and as such can better relate its story to us now.
The story of the town is like so many others of its ilk. In the summer of 1867, gold was found in an area along Willow Creek in the southeastern Wind River Mountains by Mormon prospectors. When the precious ore was found, this part was primarily occupied by Arapaho, Sioux and Cheyenne tribes who fiercely defended their homelands and successfully kept the majority of Anglo-Americans from coming settling there. The whole situation changed though when in 1866, US troops arrived to defend those brave (or stupid) enough to settle the region despite the risks.
People began to flow into the area under the protection of the US troops with the hope of striking it rich. In the same year, a major gold vein was found which would eventually become the Carissa Mine. By 1868, the town proper of South Pass City had been founded and contained 250 buildings and a population of over 1000 people. As with all mining "boom towns", its decline came as quickly as its "boom". By 1869, the population had already begun to decrease and by 1872, only a few hundred people remained.
Esther Hobart Morris
South Pass City continued to be occupied for several more decades by a group loyal to the town, however. The Carissa Mine continued to function on and off until it finally closed down for good in 1949. The last residents left the town shortly thereafter, leaving South Pass City as a ghost town.
Despite being such a small town, South Pass City boasted several people who made Wyoming history. Two such examples are William H. Bright and Esther Hobart Morris. Bright was a saloon and mine owner in the town who served in Wyoming's First Territorial Legislature. There, he introduced the first women's suffrage bill. Once passed, Esther Hobart Morris then became the very first women in the United States to hold public office. She made history when she became Justice of the Peace on February 14, 1870.
The state of Wyoming purchased the town in 1966 as a historic site and has since continued to support its upkeep as a tourist attraction. Many of the original buildings with full original furniture are still standing today and can be visited. The official website for the historic site can be found here.
This post is part of a multi-part series about mining towns in the Rocky Mountains. See the rest of the series either on the Rocky Mountain Mining Town project page or in the category of the same name.
Emperor Norton I – Emperor of the United States
Emperor Joshua A. Norton I
Source: Wikipedia
Joshua A. Norton is a little known figure in American history. He was the first and only self-declared emperor of the United States of America. He styled himself as His Majesty, Emperor Norton I. Most of his contemporaries understandably branded him as crazy, unstable and as having gone off the deep end. Although the majority of people ignored his fantasies, many of the local establishments and friends humored him to the extent that he was, in a way, able to carry out his duties as "emperor."
Norton was born circa 1819 in England. After having spent most of his childhood in South Africa, he emigrated to the United States in 1849 where he worked as a businessman. He lost the small fortune he had acquired through business after investing in rice from Peru. At that time there was a famine in China. When China stopped exporting rice, it caused the price of rice to skyrocket in San Francisco. Norton's idea was to buy cheap rice from Peru and corner the market. Subsequently, he purchased an entire ship full. However, this backfired when several more ships full of rice arrived in San Francisco, causing the price of rice to plummet to unprofitable amounts.
The investment caused Norton to declare bankruptcy in 1858 and leave the city for a while. Upon his return, he began to act eccentrically. He was rather disgruntled with the establishment in the United States and decided to take matters into his own hands by declaring himself "Emperor of these United States" in a letter which he distributed to several newspapers in San Francisco:
At the peremptory request and desire of a large majority of the citizens of these United States, I, Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and now for the last 9 years and 10 months past of S. F., Cal., declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these U. S.; and in virtue of the authority thereby in me vested, do hereby order and direct the representatives of the different States of the Union to assemble in Musical Hall, of this city, on the 1st day of Feb. next, then and there to make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring, and thereby cause confidence to exist, both at home and abroad, in our stability and integrity.
NORTON I, Emperor of the United States.
With this letter, he began what would be a twenty-one year "reign" of the United States. Later, he would add "Protector of Mexico" to his title.
Proclamation by Emperor Norton I
Source: Wikipedia
During his time as "Emperor," Norton issued many decrees -- the vast majority of which were simply ignored. On October 12, 1859, he issued a decree which dissolved the United States Congress and, when Congress ignored his order, he ordered the military to arrest and prosecute members of Congress as traitors. He would attempt to battle the elected officials of the American government throughout his entire reign -- including the abolishment of the Democratic and Republican parties. Eventually, however, he was forced to "accept" the existence of Congress and all other parts of the government.
Although the majority of his decrees were simply ignored, there were a few of them which, albeit well after his death, came true. One such decree was to build a bridge and/or dig a tunnel across the bay which would connect San Francisco with Oakland. Both of these projects were realized in the 1930s.
Despite Norton's eccentric behavior and the fact that he did not have any actual power or political influence, he was loved by the people of San Francisco. He was broke and yet often dined at the finest San Francisco restaurants whose owners often hung up a brass plaque outside their establishment which symbolized that "the Emperor of the United States" had eaten or frequently ate there. Many theatrical productions would reserve a balcony seat for Norton and be honored by his visit to the performance.
The city of San Francisco itself even paid tribute to him in their own way. Among other things was the replacement of his navy-blue military uniform when his old one began to look shabby. Norton issued his own currency to pay for his debts which was often accepted as legal tender. At one point, he was arrested on the charge of being mentally unstable. This caused such an uproar among the citizens of San Francisco that the Chief of Police ordered him released and formally apologized to him, saying that "that he had shed no blood; robbed no one; and despoiled no country; which is more than can be said of his fellows in that line." From then on, police officers saluted to Norton whenever they encountered him.
On January 8, 1880, Norton collapsed in front of Old St. Mary's Church. Before medical help could arrive, the Emperor had died. His obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle was published under the headline "Le Roi est Mort" ("The King is Dead"). His grave, which lies in Woodlawn Cemetery, is inscribed with "Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico."
A 19th Century Journal – William Steinway
William Steinway
Source: Wikipedia
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has just released an online version of the journal kept by entrepreneur William Steinway throughout most of this life. He documented his life in almost daily increments for over 36 years of his life. The journal contains 2,500 pages in nine volumes.
William Steinway was born in 1835 in Seesen, Brunswick, Germany. In 1850 he came to the United States with his father and brothers, Henry and Charles, with whom he then founded a company called Steinway & Sons in 1853. The company, later under the direction of William, setup the Steinway Piano Factory which still operates today.
In 1888, he met Gottlieb Daimler who was behind the production of the then brand new Mercedes automobiles. Later that year, Steinway help Daimler, who until then had just produced Mercedes in Germany, setup the Daimler Motor, Co in New York to help him capture the market in the United States.
After Steinway's death in 1896, his family, who was not convinced by the new "motor car," sold all of his shares to the General Electric Company. Before his death, Steinway also served as head of the relatively newly formed New York Subway Commission.
The journal is a fascinating look into life in 19th century America and particularly that of a German immigrant who was an extremely successful businessman. You can find the diary on the Smithsonian's dedicated website to it.
A politically correct (censored) Huckleberry Finn?
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Source: Wikipedia
As most of my readers probably know, I am a huge fan of Mark Twain. The name of this blog comes from a quote he made about history and a lot of my inspiration comes from his works. The recent news of a Montgomery, Alabama-based publisher publishing a censored version of one of Twain's most famous books, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is really rather sickening to me. The publisher has decided to replace the word "nigger" with "slave" as well as to replace the word "injun" with a less offensive word.
While I certainly understand that these words are not politically correct and are offensive to many in our current times, the words should not be taken out of context when it comes to the story. In Twain's time, both were acceptable words. The novel contains a story which is extremely critical of Twain's own time and racism during that time. People spoke that way in Missouri at that time. That is a fact that will absolutely never change.
I understand the arguments that they want to create a "teachable" version of the novel, but this simply furthers one of the most fundamental problems of the American education system: censorship. Parents and teachers don't want kids exposed to such things even as late as high school. The problem is that they find out on their own anyway. Isn't it better they have the proper training when they discover it rather than not know what to do with it when they run across it for the first time? The same applies to sexual abstinence versus teaching safe sex practices. But I digress.
The novel itself is an anti-slavery commentary. Twain has his main character, Huckleberry Finn, befriend a run-away black slave named Jim. Throughout the novel they share adventures and good (and bad) times. This was a revolutionary idea for the time for most people -- especially in Missouri and the south where the novel takes place.
Racism is still an extremely prevalent problem in our current society. There is no doubt about that. People like the publishers of this hacked up version of Twain's masterpiece, however, only further the problem. The way to combat racism is to teach people about it. Simply sweeping the problem under the rug so that people aren't exposed to it is not going to help anyway. In fact, it is going to make it far worse.
For more interesting commentary on the subject, visit these two sites:
CNN
The Mark Twain House & Museum
Pardon for Billy the Kid?
Billy the Kid
Source: Wikipedia
Update: I have just read that Bill Richardson did NOT give Billy the Kid the long-promised pardon.
While reading the news today, I discovered that the current governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, is considering pardoning Billy the Kid for killing a sheriff. Richardson only has until Friday to decide because that is when his term will end.
The reason behind the possible pardon is based on a promise made to Billy the Kid by then-governor Lew Wallace. In return for appearing before a grand jury in another murder case, Wallace made a deal with Billy the Kid to pardon his crimes. The pardon was never given which is why Richardson argues that Billy the Kid still deserves his pardon even posthumously.
The majority of people support the proposed pardon, but many also oppose it. The family of Pat Garrett, the sheriff who fatally shot Billy the Kid, opposes it strongly by arguing that no matter what promises were made, Billy the Kid was still a thief and a murderer. Supporters argue that a deal is a deal and that Billy the Kid deserves his pardon even if it is well over a century late.
What do you think about this? Do you think he deserves the pardon? I, personally, have mixed feelings about it. Both points are valid in my opinion which makes it quite difficult to decide.
Rocky Mountain Mining Towns: Bannack, Montana
Bannack, MT in the late 1800s.
Source: Legends of America
The first part of the new series about mining towns in the Rocky Mountains will begin with Bannack, Montana. Nothing, but a ghost town now, Bannack was the site of a major gold discovery in 1862. The town was founded the same year as a result of the discovery and is named after the local Bannock Indians. The town officially received its name with the establishment of the post office on November 21, 1863, however, when the name was submitted to Washington DC, the final 'o' was mistaken for an 'a' and therefore it is Bannack instead of Bannock.
Gold was first discovered on July 28, 1862 by John White and other members of the "Pikes Peakers" from Colorado in the creek where the town currently stands. What followed was one of the largest gold mining rushes to happen in the west since the California gold rush of 1848. By October of the same year, over 400 miners populated the new mining camp that was to become Bannack.
Henry Plummer - Sheriff of Bannack from May 24, 1863 until January 10, 1864.
Source: Wikipedia
Many people came to Bannack with gold fever, but most did not strike it rich in mining. In fact, many people who came to Bannack, like many other mining towns, ended up profiting from other sources and other miners. One such example was a physician by the name of Dr. Erasmus Darwin Leavitt. Among one of the town's founders, he gave up his medical practice in New Hampshire in 1862 to prospect for gold in Bannack. He quickly found it was more profitable to give up his mining dreams and practice his trade in Bannack taking care of the residents there. His story is typical of many who came west looking for fortune.
The town was not without its drama. The sheriff, Henry Plummer, was accused by some of leading a gang which were responsible for over a hundred murders and robberies around the west. The town was divided as to whether or not Plummer was guilty. Despite this, he was hung by a group of vigilantes from the very gallows which he himself had built on January 10, 1864.
At its peak, there were about three thousand residents who lived in Bannack, although sources vary as to the exact number. The town mostly comprised wooden buildings built out of logs, however, many of them, as is typical of many nineteenth century western towns, had false fronts. In the town, there were three hotels, three bakeries, three blacksmith shops, two stables, two meat markets, a grocery store, a restaurant, a brewery, a billiard hall, and four saloons.
By May, 1864, the town had grown large enough to become capital of Montana Territory. It lost its title as capital, however, only two years later in 1866 to Virginia City.
The ghost town of Bannack, Montana.
Source: Wikipedia
The early twentieth century saw the end of the once bustling mining town. Most people had abandoned Bannack by the 1930s and, by the 1940s, the town had essentially become a ghost town. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks saved the town, however, by turning it into a state park on August 15, 1954.
The last residents finally left the town as late as 1970. All that remains now is a wooden shell of its former glory. The town has been made into a state park and is visitable as a tourist attraction today. Take a look at Bannack's website for more details on visiting.
To see some modern photos of Bannack, MT, please visit GhostTownGallery.com.
This post is part of a multi-part series about mining towns in the Rocky Mountains. See the rest of the series either on the Rocky Mountain Mining Town project page or in the category of the same name.
Sources
Bannack State Park - FAQ's, http://www.bannack.org/faq's.htm (accessed March 4, 2010).
Legends of America, "Bannack -- Gold to Ghosts," http://www.legendsofamerica.com/MT-Bannack.html (accessed March 4, 2010).
Wikipedia, "Bannack, Montana," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bannack,_Montana (accessed March 4, 2010).
First World War Officially Ends
Treaty of Versailles
Source: Wikipedia
I read something really interesting in the news today that I thought I would share here. According to the British newspaper, Telegraph, the First World War is finally coming to an end today. This past weekend, Germany made it's final payment for the war and thereby finally cleared the debt given to Germany by the Treaty of Versailles.
Here is the article from the Telegraph:
The final payment of £59.5 million, writes off the crippling debt that was the price for one world war and laid the foundations for another.
Germany was forced to pay the reparations at the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 as compensation to the war-ravaged nations of Belgium and France and to pay the Allies some of the costs of waging what was then the bloodiest conflict in history, leaving nearly ten million soldiers dead.
The initial sum agreed upon for war damages in 1919 was 226 billion Reichsmarks, a sum later reduced to 132 billion, £22 billion at the time.
The bill would have been settled much earlier had Adolf Hitler not reneged on reparations during his reign.
Hatred of the settlement agreed at Versailles, which crippled Germany as it tried to shape itself into a democracy following armistice, was of significant importance in propelling the Nazis to power."On Sunday the last bill is due and the First World War finally, financially at least, terminates for Germany," said Bild, the country's biggest selling newspaper.
Most of the money goes to private individuals, pension funds and corporations holding debenture bonds as agreed under the Treaty of Versailles, where Germany was made to sign the 'war guilt' clause, accepting blame for the war.
France, which had been ravaged by the war, pushed hardest for the steepest possible fiscal punishment for Germany.
The principal representative of the British Treasury at the Paris Peace Conference, John Maynard Keynes, resigned in June 1919 in protest at the scale of the demands.
"Germany will not be able to formulate correct policy if it cannot finance itself,' he warned.
When the Wall Street Crash came in 1929, the Weimar Republic spiralled into debt. Four years later, Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany.
City of Gold
This is a very interesting video about a mining town called Dawson City. The film itself is historic as it was created in the 1950s it appears.
I found the video through a post on Soapy Smith's Soap Box.
Life in Nineteenth Century Mining Towns
Bannack: First Capital of Montana.
Source: Distinctly Montana
One of my biggest fascinations with the Old West is with what life in a Rocky Mountain mining town in nineteenth century would have been like. It would have been a life full of filth, rough characters and hard work combined with drinking, fighting and gambling as pastimes. Of course these are stereotypes of any old Wild West town, but were they really true? What was it that these brave, tough and rough souls did when they weren't working in the mines?
These and other questions will be answered in a new series I am beginning here at History Rhymes. I will be exploring several different mining towns throughout the Rocky Mountains in the coming weeks. Some are still active towns, but many are nothing but ghost towns now. I will explore how people lived, what life was generally like in the towns and I will also give a brief history of how each town came to be and, in the case of some of them, came to pass.
This will be a multi-part series. You will be able to see all of the entries in this series in the Rocky Mountain Mining Towns category which can also be found in the sidebar or by visiting the Rocky Mountain Mining Towns project page.
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