Editors’ Introduction

Abstract

Editors’ Introduction Thomas D. Beal, D.L. Noorlander, and Susan Goodier This spring marks the 155 year anniversary of the start of the American Civil War. On April 12, 1861 Lt. Henry S. Farley of the Confederate States of America and Edmund Ruffin, the well-known Virginia secessionist, fired the first mortar and cannon shots on Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina. The shots not only marked the end of a period of political, social and cultural conflict, stretching back to at least the Missouri Compromise (1820) and perhaps to the ratification of the United States Constitution (1788), but also the beginning of one of the most significant moments in American history. It was not until April 16, 1861 that newspapers in New York published word of the attack on and surrender of Fort Sumter. The news left the State’s residents immobilized by fear and uncertainty. By April 18, those emotions gave way to an outburst of patriotism; for example, on that day over 250,000 people filled the air in New York City’s Union Square with patriotic shouts and vows to defend their nation’s government. Many volunteered to put down the insurrection that had divided the nation. By the time the war to reunify the nation ended, New York would provide more troops than any other state and New York City would become the nation’s magazine of material and arms.1 During the American Civil War, New York played a crucial role in reuniting a divided nation. As historians we research, write and teach about moments like the Civil War, and encourage students of history to critically examine the forces and issues that cause such divisions. There is no denying that our nation is once again at odds; evidence of political [End Page 120] and cultural conflict is ubiquitous. It is altogether fitting, then, that we offer these essays that explore the theme of dissent. In “Upstate New York on the Brink of War” Nick Thony examines the actions and ideology of one group of abolitionists, who were both celebrated and attacked (physically and verbally) during a series of lectures they staged across the state in 1861. In “From Home Front to Battlefront,” Jeremy Youngs explores the experience of soldiers who had the privilege of fighting alongside a brother during the Civil War. Bullets, battlefields, capture and death often separated brother from brother. In his “Pelts and Prosperity” Nolan M. Cool describes how geography, culture and the search for trade required colonial New York’s merchants and Native Peoples to negotiate a borderland ripe with conflict. Finally, Inmaaculada Lara-Bonilla’s “Crafting a Latina/o Higher Education Rights Discourse in New York” casts Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College as a crucial site of urban intersectionality. Along with a large number of book reviews we offer readers these thoughtful essays on New York’s history. Producing each issue of New York History is a privilege and a challenge. The Editors have come to rely on colleagues, friends and especially a hardworking and committed group of Research Assistants. Budding historians Michael Speziale, Orlanzo Wright, Alexandria Robison, Cody Martel, Hunter Reed, Natalie Newton, Sam Benedict, and Zachary Utter helped us produce this issue. During their time as Research Assistants, they shared our commitment to expanding the reach, influence and quality of each issue of New York History. We thank readers who have sent words of criticism or encouragement; they help us produce a better product. If you have questions or comments about the journal’s contents, we encourage you to contact us by electronic mail at publications@nysha.org. [End Page 121] Footnotes 1. James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (New York: Oxford University Press, 1988), 234–275; Robert Lebby, “The First Shot on Fort Sumter,” The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine 12 (1911): 141–145; William R. Taylor, Cavalier & Yankee: The Old South and American National Character (1961, reprint; New York: Harper & Row, 1969), 60, 61, 62, 65, 114, 296; New York not only led the way in volunteerism, but also it lost more men than any other state in the Union. See, Frederick Phisterer, comp., New York in the...