Illustrated periodicals like Harper's Weekly were popular with Americans in the middle of the 19th century. After southern states formed the Confederate States of America, residents there could not easily receive newspapers and magazines printed in the northern states. The Southern Illustrated News was founded in 1862 in Richmond and remained in print, with some interruptions, until 1865. Illustrated periodicals often included political cartoons, which were popular and provided a visual way to express opinions and concerns. They are often satirical, using humor, exaggeration, irony, and ridicule to persuade a reader to think about current events from a particular point of view.
This political cartoon lampoons Lincoln’s revolving door of United States Army generals who had faced—and been defeated by—Confederate forces in Virginia. After General Winfield Scott retired at the beginning of the Civil War, several generals had been placed at the head of the Army of the Potomac or in charge of armies attempting to secure the Shenandoah Valley. In the cartoon, the “toys” have been stripped of their army general uniforms and located on a shelf with other former generals. Lincoln is shown holding the latest general puppet, Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker, who commanded the Army of the Potomac from January to June 1863.
The generals depicted are:
Winfield Scott, who was Commanding General of the United States Army until resigning in November 1861.
Brigadier General Irvin McDowell, who commanded the Army of Northeastern Virginia when it was defeated at the First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) in 1861.
Major General John C. Fremont, who commanded the Mountain Department and was unable to defeat Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign in 1862.
Major General Nathaniel Banks, who was also unable to defeat Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign in 1862.
Major General John Pope, who commanded the Army of Virginia at the time of its defeat at the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) in 1862.
Major General George B. McClellan, who commanded the Army of the Potomac during the failed Peninsula Campaign to capture Richmond in 1862.
Major General Ambrose Burnside, who succeeded McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac but was relieved of command after his costly defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862.
Major General Joseph Hooker, who took command of the Army of the Potomac in 1863, but was defeated at the Battle of Chancellorsville two months after this cartoon appeared and resigned his post.
Citation: “Master Abraham Lincoln Gets a New Toy,” Southern Illustrated News, 28 May 1863, Richmond, Va.: Ayres & Wade, 1862-1865. Special Collections, Library of Virginia.
Preview Activity
Take a Look: Look at the political cartoon, what do you notice about the image? What does it tell you about the subject of the image?
Post Activities
Analyze: Explain the imagery and title of the cartoon as a tool of criticism. How might this depiction have influenced readers of the paper?
Social Media Spin: Create a social media post in which you create a meme or political cartoon based on the same events for a modern audience.
Another perspective: Write a response to the political cartoon in which Lincoln’s struggle to retain generals is seen in a sympathetic light. Be sure to present your information in a way which would persuade others to support Lincoln.
Cape Charles Lighthouse, Smith Island and Chesapeake Bay, circa 1890
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses. They serve as beacons for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, and rocks, and allow for access to safe entries into harbors. Lighthouses have been used for thousands of years and the oldest one still standing dates to the 1st century C.E. Known as the Tower of Hercules, it is located at La Coruna harbor, in northern Spain, and has a cornerstone indicating that it was built using an ancient Phoenician design and was built to honor the Roman God, Mars.
Lighthouses, like the Cape Charles Lighthouse, have a long history of being used to guide mariners along the coastal waterways up and down the east coast of the United States. Three lighthouses have provided sailors safe entrance to the southernmost harbor on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The first lighthouse at Cape Charles was a 55-foot masonry tower that was in use by 1828. Shortly after going into operation, the lighthouse was deemed too low in height and had poor visibility from the Chesapeake Bay. As the location is important to mariners and has shallow areas which could easily set a boat aground, it was decided a new lighthouse would be needed. Erosion also took a toll on the 1828 structure, and it became unsafe for regular use. In 1864, the second lighthouse was built. Located about a mile southwest from the original lighthouse, it was built 600 feet from the shoreline and tidal areas to help prevent erosion damage to the structure. The 150-foot-tall tower also had better visibility and was painted white with a brown lantern room to make it stand out from its surroundings. In 1892, a 25-foot red band was painted 60 feet from the base and around the middle of the tower to make it more visible during the day as shipping traffic increased. By the late 1890s, the lighthouse was under threat from tidal erosion. Jetties of sand and other materials were built into the bay, but the jetties failed and the lighthouse ended up 300 feet from the water with the shoreline eroding at a rate of 37 feet per year. After having served as an observation tower during World War I the second Cape Charles Lighthouse finally toppled into the ocean on July 2, 1927.
In 1895, the current Cape Charles lighthouse wss built on a marsh three-quarters of a mile inland. The design was dramatically different. The tower consists of a central iron tube surrounded by eight massive legs. A central spiral staircase of 216 steps leads to the generator room. Above the generator room is the watch room. The tower is painted white while the upper rooms are painted black. During World War II, three cement observation towers were constructed near the lighthouse to look for any German U-boats that might approach the Virginia coastline.
A brush fire on July 13, 2000, burned down the 1895 head keeper's dwelling, a wood outbuilding, and a storage shed. The two assistant keepers' dwellings were torn down about 1960, prior to automation of the lighthouse, but the head keeper's house, along with an oil house and generator building, were taken over by The Nature Conservancy in 1995. Although the Cape Charles lighthouse is visible from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, its remote location on a marshy barrier island makes it inaccessible except by shallow draft boat. It sits on land that is part of a nature preserve and is not open to the public. No longer maintained by the Coast Guard, the lighthouse is in poor condition. The number of operational lighthouses in the United States has declined as a result of maintenance expenses and with the advent of cheaper, more sophisticated and effective electronic navigational systems.
Citation: Cape Charles Light, 1890. Eastern Shore Public Library (Accomack, VA.). Eastern Shore Virginia Room.
Image is available through the Library of Viriginia online catalog.
Social Studies: VS.1, VS.8, VS.10, USII.3, VUS.8, CE.1, COVT.1
Earth Science: ES.1, ES.10
Physics: PH.1, PH. 4
Preview Activity
Look at It: Look at the photograph, why might a lighthouse be necessary? What function do they serve?
Post Activities
STEM STAT: The Cape Charles lighthouse was rebuilt twice due to erosion issues. What factors might have been considered when it was built? How would have modern technology made the risk assessment easier and more accurate. Provide an example.
Current Connection: The abundance of natural resources found in the Eastern Shore region is still a factor in economic and public policy decisions today. Identify three competing interests from the perspectives of an environmentalist who wants to protect natural resources and from those in industries seeking to use the natural resources.
STEM STAT: The current Cape Charles Lighthouse is not easily accessed and lies within a nature preserve. How does the limited accessibility help preserve the environment? Why is important to protect watershed areas such as the low-lying marsh areas found along the Eastern Shore?
Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation, 1775
John Murray, fourth earl of Dunmore, was the last royal governor of Virginia. Assuming office in September 1771, he won support during what became known as Lord Dunmore’s War in 1774. Ostensibly to protect white settlers in the Ohio Valley region, claimed by Virginia, militia forces defeated a Shawnee and Wingo force at the Battle of Point Pleasant (in present-day West Virginia) in October 1774. Dunmore negotiated a treaty prohibiting the tribes from settling or hunting south of the Ohio River, thus clearing the path for expanded white colonial settlement.
The impulsive Dunmore’s popularity began to wane in 1775, as he alienated key politicians. As tensions between the colony and Great Britain increased, Dunmore, citing rumors of an impending rebellion by enslaved persons, removed gunpowder from the public magazine in Williamsburg in April. Facing withering criticism from the colonie's political leaders, he sent his family back to Britain, fled Williamsburg early in June, and tried to gather Loyalist supporters in Hampton Roads.
On November 7, 1775, Dunmore proclaimed martial law and offered freedom to enslaved people and indentured servants who agreed to fight for the king. His offer of freedom to slaves to fight against white Virginians and his recruitment of a regiment of Black soldiers alienated the remaining influential planters and political leaders who until then had stayed loyal to the Crown. Thomas Jefferson included "prompting our negroes to rise in arms against us" among the grievances against the king in his draft of the constitution adopted by Virginia in June 1776.
Dunmore’s proclamation sparked a flood of enslaved persons to escape (as many as 2,000 reached the governor) and raised widespread fear of a slave rebellion. Dunmore took the offensive at the Battle of Great Bridge in December 1775, but was so soundly defeated that he ordered his ships to fire on Norfolk and his troops to burn warehouses on the wharves. In 1787 Dunmore became governor of the Bahamas, during which time he fell from royal favor. He died at his home in England in 1809.
Citation: By his Excellency the Right Honorable John Earl of Dunmore . . . A Proclamation, 1775, Broadside 1775 .V852 FF, Special Collections, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Learn more about Lord Dunmore in the Dictionary of Virginia Biography.
VS.6, USI.6, CE.2, CE.7, VUS.5, GOVT.2, GOVT.3
Preview Activity
Think About It: During the American Revolution who do you think enslaved Virginians might have sided with: the British or the American colonists? What advantages/disadvantages could each side offer them?
Post Activity
Analyze: Draw a conclusion about the intent behind the language Thomas Jefferson's grievance in Virginia’s 1776 Constitution and its relationship to Dunmore’s Proclamation.
Form An Opinion: Thomas Jefferson included this grievance in his original draft of the Declaration of Independence, but it was struck out of the final, approved copy. Develop a hypothesis explaining the reasoning of removing this charge from the final Declaration.
During World War II, the United States Army established a unit that enabled women to fill non-combat roles. Prior to the creation of this unit women mostly served as nurses supporting combat troops. In May 1941, Rep. Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts introduced a bill to establish a women's corps of the U.S. Army. The bill gained support after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, becoming law on May 15, 1942.
The law established the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC), which provided official status and salary, but few of the benefits afforded to male soldiers. In July 1943, after thousands of women had enlisted, the Army changed the name to the Women's Army Corps (WAC) and granted members full military benefits. Despite initial public resistance, the WAC succeeded in taking over clerical, radio, electrical, and air-traffic control positions. More than 150,000 American women served in the Women's Army Corps during World War II. In 1980, 16,000 women who had joined as WACs were granted veteran's benefits.
Second Lieutenant Alice C. Thompson was one such woman who served in the WAC unit. She is shown in the image with her Women's Army Corps Honor Platoon. The platoon received Good Conduct Ribbons during WAC Day on February 19, 1944 in Newport News. The ribbons were awarded to enlisted personnel who had completed at least one year of exemplary behavior while serving in the United States Army.
Citation: United States Army Signal Corps. 2d Lt. Alice C. Thompson, L-201903. Newport News, Va.: U.S. Army Signal Corps, Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, 1944. Prints & Photographs, Special Collections, Library of Virginia.
Preview Activity
Scan It: Look at the photo of the WAC soldiers and examine their uniforms, posture, and facial expressions. What does this image reveal about the women and their roles during World War II?
Post Activities
Up for Debate: The WAC is not always mentioned in textbook accounts of America during World War II. Do you think that textbook publishers should make a more concerted effort to portray women in the military? Write a short opening statement in which you express your views. Be prepared to share with the class or in small groups.
Form an Opinion: Write a letter home to your parents or a friend as if you were a member of the original WAAC who was not receiving the full benefits granted to your male counterparts. In your letter include why you are entitled to equal benefits, what you would like to be seen done to remedy the situation, and how your family might support your efforts to get benefits.
By 1775 more than half a million Black Americans, most of them enslaved, were living in the thirteen colonies. Thousands participated in the American Revolution. They gave their loyalty to the side which offered the best path to freedom from enslavement or the side which had the best prospects for their future lives, although for most the words of the Declaration of Independence, that “all men are created equal,” offered a promise of freedom that they never obtained.
In 1781, Billy, an enslaved man owned by the estate of wealthy planter John Tayloe, escaped from Prince William County. He was captured and indicted for "feloniously and traitorously" joining the British. He pled not guilty at his trial for treason, testifying that he had been forced against his will on to a British warship. He argued that he had never taken up arms on behalf of the king. However, Billy, who was also known as Will and William and whose surname does not appear in any official records, was convicted and sentenced to death. Within a week of the sentencing, two dissenting judges of the county court made their case to Governor Thomas Jefferson that an enslaved person could not commit treason since an enslaved person did not constitute as a citizen. Jefferson postponed the execution. Shortly afterwards, Mann Page, the executor of Tayloe's estate, successfully petitioned the General Assembly to grant Billy a pardon on the grounds that a slave could not commit treason. What happened to Billy after his pardon is unknown.
Billy's trial was not unique, but the case is important because the trial forced white leaders to confront slavery and Virginia's law of treason. Billy was an enslaved person tried for disobeying the law, yet he was shielded from execution because he was not accepted as a citizen and therefore Virginia's law of treason could not apply to him.
CE.2, VUS.3, VUS.4, VUS.5, GOVT.2
Preview Activity
Scan It: Scan the transcript of the document. What information does it provide about the basis for the petition?
Post Activities
Analyze: How does this case show the contradictions in Revolutionary thought, such as the Declaration of Independence stating that "all men are created equal?"
Food for Thought: What does it mean to be a citizen of the United States? What rights and privileges does it convey?
Another Perspective: During the American Revolution, why might an enslaved person want to fight on the side of the British or the Americans or neither?
By 1775, approximately half a million enslaved Americans were living in the thirteen colonies. During the American Revolution, thousands of Black Americans participated. Some joined the British, while others fought with the Americans depending on who they believed offered the best path to freedom. Virginia's royal governor, Lord Dunmore, promised to free any slaves who abandoned their Patriot owners to fight for the king. Hundreds joined him and thousands more enslaved men and women fled to British lines and were eventually sent to Canada or other locations.
When Virginia began drafting soldiers in 1777 to fill its quotas for the Continental Army, free Black men were included. Some owners of slaves also provided an enslaved man as their substitute in the army, although the Virginia legislature technically forbade enslaved men from serving. Hundreds of Black soldiers were part of the Continental Army during the brutal winter at Valley Forge in 1777–1778, including dozens in the Virginia Line. Over the course of the war, thousands of Black men, including Nansemond County farmer James Bowser, fought for American independence, although those who had been enslaved did not all gain freedom as a result.
In 1783, Virginia's General Assembly acknowledged that owners of some enslaved soldiers had attempted to "force them to return to a state of servitude, contrary to the principles of justice" and despite promises of freedom. The assembly passed a law "Directing the Emancipation of Certain Slaves who have Served as Soldiers in this State." It authorized that any enslaved man who had enlisted at the request of his owner or who had served as a substitute for his owner and fulfilled the terms of his service was to be freed. It is not known how many men actually received their freedom as a result of this act.
Preview Activity
Scan It: Scan the document. What is the purpose of this law? Why is this significant?
Post Activities
Think About It: Why would the Patriots be reluctant to allow enslaved people to join their army? Why would the British offer freedom to enslaved people?Women played many roles during the American Revolution, but only a few are known to have disguised themselved as men and participated in battle. The penalties for being discovered could be severe. Women who fought in the army tried hard to keep their identities a secret to avoid punishment and it may never be known how many fought in the American Revolution or received a military pension for their services. One example is Anna Maria Lane who was one of the few women to receive a military pension for service as a veteran.
Anna Maria Lane was a native of Connecticut who followed her husband, John Lane, who had enlisted with the Continental Army in 1776. Female camp followers supported the soldiers by doing laundry, cooking meals, and repairing uniforms and other fabric items. It is not known why Anna Lane chose to disguise herself as a soldier or if her husband was aware of her actions. Anna and John Lane fought in military campaigns in Georgia, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. During the Battle of Germantown near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 3, 1777, Anna Lane sustained a severe injury that affected her ability to walk for the remainder of her life. It is believed that she refused treatment for her injury out of fear of being discovered. She continued to follow the troops and fight with the men, even as her husband re-enlisted with the Virginia Light Dragoons, a calvary unit, which saw action in many decisive battles during the Revolution. Anna Lane was with her husband when he was wounded in the wiege of Savannah, Georgia, in 1779.
After the Revolutionary War ended in 1781, Anna and John Lane lived in Fluvanna County where he found work at a state arsenal. They later moved to Richmond, where he joined the public guard. Anna Lane volunteered at a military hospital tending the injured and sick. There she met Dr. John H. Foushee, who asked the governor to pay her for her work. In 1807, Anna Lane was too frail to continue working as a result of her war-time injuries. Early in 1808, Governor William H. Cabell requested that the General Assembly provide pensions for soldiers who had sustained lasting injuries in the war. Anna Lane proved that she had fought in the war and was destitute, as she could no longer work. Governor Cabell wrote a letter to the House of Delegates giving Anna special mention for her acts of service during the war.
Anna Lane was commended for her bravery and extraordinary services to the military. The General Assembly gave John Lane $40 a year for life, but Anna Lane received $100 a year for life for her remarkable courage as a solider. Anna Maria Lane died on June 13, 1810. In 1997, a state historical marker honoring Anna’s remarkable story was placed in Richmond near the bell tower in Capitol Square.
Citation: Letter, William H. Cabell to Speaker of the House of Delegates, Jan. 28, 1808, Governor’s Office, Executive Letter Books, William H. Cabell, 1807–1808, Record Group 3, Acc. 35358, Library of Virginia.
Related Entry: Molly Pitcher at the 1778 Battle of Monmouth
VS.1, VS.9, USII.1, USII.4, VUS.1, VUS.8
Preview Activity
Look at it: Look at the letter's comments about Anna Maria Lane. What do you notice about them? What does it tell you about Anna?
Post Activities
Analyze: General George Washington established the rule that women could be punished for dressing as and fighting as soldiers just prior to the Battle of Germantown in 1777. Why do you think he established this rule? What impact might the rule have had on the women who were camp followers?
Food for Thought: Why would a woman, such as Anna Maria Lane, decide to become a soldier? List 3 or 4 reasons with explanations.
Artistic Expression: Create an image of Anna Maria Lane that depicts a moment from her story. Be sure to write a caption for your image that describes the basis for your depiction.
World War I brought about great shifts in American society. As the nation was gripped by war, the entire population was mobilized to produce weapons and supplies for the troops. The outbreak of war sent many men off to fight overseas which opened opportunities for women to enter the workforce. The promotion of war stamps was common during World War I. The Department of the Treasury established the War Savings Organization to encourage people to buy several kinds of war stamps through marketing to different groups in American society. Children were encouraged to participate by buying war stamps with their nickels, dimes, and quarters. There were also massive campaigns to recycle materials which children were given the opportunity to participate in to earn money which could then be used to purchase war stamps. The hope was to encourage people to invest in the war effort by purchasing war bonds and war stamps. The whole country was encouraged to be part of the overall effort to help win the war. Posters like this, using patriotic imagery, was meant to inspire participation in investing in the war effort.
As part of national campaign, posters like this one would have been seen in Virginia. They might be found in post offices, stores, train stations, and in other public areas to ensure that they would be seen by a wide audience.
Preview Activity
Look at It: Look at the poster, what do you think is the message of this poster? Who is the intended audience?
Post Activities
Analyze: This poster reflects ideas about gender which are consistent with the World War I period, but which today we may find outdated. Specifically, Uncle Sam appears to have a very different relationship to the boy featured in the poster from that of the girl. What message do you think was being sent about gender roles? Why would this type of imagery be used in this type of poster?
Social Media Spin: Create a social media past, tweet, or short video describing the poster and why they were produced during World War I.
Current Connection: Posters were a popular way to encourage people to participate in the war effort. How do you feel about this poster and its message? Are there examples of how multimedia is used today to encouraged to support a national cause? List three and explain how they encourage people to support a national cause.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a major event of the Cold War that took place during John F. Kennedy’s presidency. In October 1962, a United States spy plane captured evidence of the Soviet Union (present day Russia) moving nuclear weapons into Cuba which lies 90 miles away from the coast of Florida. Upon hearing this news President Kennedy had to made plans within seven days, in secret, before word of this potential international issue was released to the public. President Kennedy met with his most trusted advisors, including his brother Attorney General Robert Kennedy, to create a plan of action.
President Kennedy announced to the world that they had discovered nuclear missiles were being transported to Cuba. The U.S plan of action was to impose a naval blockade to prevent further shipments to Cuba. While the blockade was successful in stopping additional nuclear weapons from entering Cuba, the missiles already in Cuba were in the beginning stages of becoming operational. President Kennedy seemed to be facing two options: attack or accept the presence of Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba. Kennedy, however, choose to reject both options and proposed a policy that the U.S would not invade Cuba if the Soviet Union removed all nuclear weapons from Cuba. Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to this deal, partly due to a secret clause that the United States would also remove U.S missiles from Turkey within six months of the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba.
Many people feared the world was on the brink of nuclear war, and the now famous "duck and cover" drills became a reality for many Americans during this time period. There was also a booming market for bomb shelters that average citizens could install on their own property. Various government agencies put out reports on how to differentiate between chemical and nuclear attacks. Pamphlets, bulletins, and brochures were also developed about the standards of bomb shelters which would often show schematics and provide information of what nuclear fallout would mean for those who might be impacted by such an event.
Citation: Federal Civil Defense Administration. Civil Defense Technical Bulletin, May 1958, Prints and Photographs, Special Collections, Library of Virginia.
Preview Activity
Scan It: Scan the document and list words or phrases which indicate why it was written and what information it would provide.
Post Activities
Artistic Exploration: Design posters that may have hung in schools and workplaces addressing the issues in this bulletin.
Up for Debate: Do you think this format was the best way to get the message to citizens? How might you have done things differently?