Learn the individual stories of men and women who were involved in major events leading up to, during and after the The Civil War (1861-1865).
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In this first segment on Civil War piano music, Dr. David B. Thompson briefly discusses the life of African American composer Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins, and plays one of his works.
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Dr. Thompson outlines the importance of Confederate music publishers, and how they played a crucial role in distributing music throughout the South. He then discusses the different styles of music...
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In this segment, Dr. Thompson analyzes how songs composed during the war reflected Southern virtuosity: writing and naming songs for Confederate heroes.
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Dr. Thompson explains how families loved their pianos, and often-times, pianos would be center-pieces in peoples' lives.
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Dr. Thompson goes into how many composers during the Civil War would write variations on classic songs during the period. He plays several examples of arrangements of “The Bonnie Blue Flag,” and...
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Dr. Thompson details South Carolinian composers and publishers during the Civil War. One such composer was from Columbia: Lizzie C. Orchard, and Dr. Thompson plays an excerpt from “Major General Wade...
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Dr. Symonds discusses what life was like for the typical Union and Confederate sailor during the blockade.
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The Battle of Mobile Bay takes place during the 1864 election, which the Confederacy hoped to disrupt. Union Admiral David Farragut engaged Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan’s fleet, and scores...
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Another tactic the Confederacy used against the Union was deployment of “Sea Raiders,” or privateers, whose mission was to raid Union ships in an attempt to disrupt the North's economy. Dr. Symonds...
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In this first segment on the war at sea, Dr. Craig L. Symonds outlines the war on the coast in four parts: the legality of the blockade, whether or not the blockade worked, how effective it was in...
