Date of Award

12-2016

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Thesis

Department

History

Abstract

Understanding the complexity of the Battle at Fort Sumter and the changing opinions of Northerners and Southerners acts as means of delving into the deeper roots of slavery, secession, and national discourse that laced our nation’s undeniable history. The first firings at Fort Sumter were the flashpoint of the entirety of the Civil War, triggering the four years of battle, death, destruction, and competing nationalisms that ensued between the North and South. Because the histories of the war—more specifically the battle of Fort Sumter—are biased because they are written from points of views laced with Confederate and Unionist undertones, comprehending the interactions between historical figures that recorded or publicized their changing opinions throughout this nebulous time accurately and without partiality is difficult. By doing so, one can conclude the overall effect the national divide had on the lives and perspectives of politicians, abolitionists, slave owners, and common folk of the national discord of the time.

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