Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 6:37am

American Civil War Fantasy

 

Something for the weekend.  American Civil War Fantasy.  Written in 1971 this piece attempts to convey the emotions of the Civil War.  From a description of the composition:

 

 

American Civil War Fantasy (1971) [arr. JERRY BILIK] American Civil War Fantasy is a musical depiction of the mood of the United States before, during, and after the Civil War.  The Fantasy begins with tunes that were popular during the mid-nineteenth century: Listen To The Mocking Bird, Dixieland (which was from a popular minstrel song), and De Camptown Races.  From a distance, one hears the sound of drums and the strain of John Brown’s Body, announcing the first signs of the coming conflict.  Little whispers of Dixie and The Battle Cry of Freedom become intermingled, and then comes the South’s rallying song, Maryland, My Maryland (O Tannenbaum).  This gives way to the Union hymn, The Battle Cry of Freedom, and then When Johnny Comes Marching Home, representing the young Americans from the North and the South who were called from their homes to fight one another.  The pre-war reverie winds down and weaves through the sentimental tune, Just Before the Battle Mother.  The mood is broken by the thunder of drums as one pictures the first Northern armies on the move, Marching Through Georgia, and then the Southern troops’ retaliation, The Yellow Rose of Texas.  The conflicting musical fragments lead to a cannonade of percussion. The noisy tumult dies away; The Battle Hymn of the Republic appears a Republic restored but not proud of its costly victory.

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Gene Henley
Sunday, April 7, AD 2013 8:43am

I cannot make coherent comments. Not yet. I wonder. Did anyone that heard this,analyze the REAL reasons for that uncivil war?: In the history books?
Not a line! Before you get all teary eyed,and lose yourself in the “freedom”
rhetoric, analyze cause/effect and if/then. Do it with no prejudgement.
Emotion subordinate to reason. Just the facts! Over 600,000 dead for:freedom?
I don`t think so. God Family And then Republic
Gene Henley
Constitution Party New York
Southern by Grace of God
Roman Catholic God Bless America

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Sunday, April 7, AD 2013 4:34pm

This is not an endorsement of slavery.

Two more Reasons: Eli Whitney’s cotton gin and his other (more lethal) contribution to American commerce.

In 1808, Southern human bondage had become unprofitable and was slowly decreasing. Then, Mr. Whitney, a itinerant new englander, invented the cotton gin. This simple machine (so simple and easily copied that he only minimally profited from its patent) caused an immense change. Now, cultivating cotton was hugely profitable, but required low-cost labor. The South’s elites grew around cotton money and planters’ political “pull” expanded. Also, NYC elites profited from factoring cotton trade and shipping it.

Whitney’s second commercial contribution was to northern manufacturing. He invented machinery that permitted mass-production of muskets; and later other manuf. goods. The wealth of the northern industrialists was fostered by decades of protective tariffs borne by Southern planters. The north used the extra-equilibrium (Federal taxation of southern imports made northern, high priced goods competitive with lower-cost English) profits to expand industrialization and fund economic and political power with the national government. The plutocrats also funded terrorist acts aimed at freeing the slaves in order (democrats charged) to expand the labor supply and lower market wages.

Similarly, English abolitionist provocateurs dreamt of keeping Texas independent. The far-fetched plan was to free TX slaves which would cause slave uprisings in the South.

So, Whitney’s cotton gin gave life to “King Cotton”, re-invigorated Southern slavery, and the plantation system; while his mass-production machinery innovations fostered northern militarization, industrialization and wealth, indirectly funding terrorism, e.g. John Brown and bloody Kansas, leading up to the Civil War.

I don’t blame Mr. Whitney. He was trying to make money. However, his contributions to engendering sectionalism, the disparate cultural and economic development in the north and the South, cannot be understated.

Effectively, there existed two nations. One was intent on destroying the other’s economy.

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Monday, April 8, AD 2013 5:39am

Mac,

I was quoting old-time NYC Democrats.

Here is what is ironic. Without the huge “King Cotton” trade profits, the north’s industrial development would have been significantly slower and weaker. They weren’t selling their high-cost goods to England. Their wage slaves were barely keeping body and souls together on their collie wages.

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