2008 Woodie Awards
Anniversary of Antietam battle sparks intrigue
Benjamin Billman
Issue date: 9/17/07 Section: Intermission
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When people are asked to think of the Civil War, typically Gettysburg is the first thing that comes to mind, followed by slavery, followed by the Confederacy.
The educated also come up with such things as the Emancipation Proclamation, States Rights and cotton.
Rarely, however, do people mention the most important and influential battles of the war, namely the siege of Atlanta, Sherman's March, Fort Sumter, and finally, Antietam.
What makes Antietam so important is that it was fought 145 years ago today. It was the first major defeat for the Confederacy, causing Great Britain to withdraw support and let the young nation split itself apart. Most importantly, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in the south directly after the battle.
Antietam was also the bloodiest day in U.S. history, with more than 23,000 deaths, Union and Confederate.
That is why it is so important this battle be remembered, especially on its anniversary. There are many who do remember this battle, including a small group of people known as re-enactors.
Re-enactors see it as their mission to teach history, not by boring school textbooks, but by acting out the whole thing, in full battle dress, period costumes, civil war customs and much more.
Kelsey Korabik, a private of the 7th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, said history is a hard subject for a lot of people to find interesting in school.
"I think part of it comes from the way that it is taught," Korabik said. "History is very much about people, and people are dynamic, they are not meant to be represented in such a way as they often are in history books like they are remote figures with whom it is hard to draw connections."
She also said if it could incorporate a bit of living history with a reminder the people you're reading about were actually real people who made mistakes and had feelings, it certainly would make those figures seem much less like a name on a white textbook page.
The educated also come up with such things as the Emancipation Proclamation, States Rights and cotton.
Rarely, however, do people mention the most important and influential battles of the war, namely the siege of Atlanta, Sherman's March, Fort Sumter, and finally, Antietam.
What makes Antietam so important is that it was fought 145 years ago today. It was the first major defeat for the Confederacy, causing Great Britain to withdraw support and let the young nation split itself apart. Most importantly, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in the south directly after the battle.
Antietam was also the bloodiest day in U.S. history, with more than 23,000 deaths, Union and Confederate.
That is why it is so important this battle be remembered, especially on its anniversary. There are many who do remember this battle, including a small group of people known as re-enactors.
Re-enactors see it as their mission to teach history, not by boring school textbooks, but by acting out the whole thing, in full battle dress, period costumes, civil war customs and much more.
Kelsey Korabik, a private of the 7th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, said history is a hard subject for a lot of people to find interesting in school.
"I think part of it comes from the way that it is taught," Korabik said. "History is very much about people, and people are dynamic, they are not meant to be represented in such a way as they often are in history books like they are remote figures with whom it is hard to draw connections."
She also said if it could incorporate a bit of living history with a reminder the people you're reading about were actually real people who made mistakes and had feelings, it certainly would make those figures seem much less like a name on a white textbook page.