Arts in the Antebellum Era: Frederic Church

Frederic Church was an American painter born on May 4, 1826. He was widely known for creating panoramic portraits of nature, such as mountains, sea shores, and natural wonders. As he traveled, he would paint things that were striking to his eye, commonly having an emphasis on light, along with intricate detail. This can be shown in the portrait above, known as Aurora Borealis. In this picture, it was most likely painted at night, which is shown by the darkened landscaping. The emphasis in this is obviously the Northern Lights, which are painted with bold, bright colors, and is also being reflected on the water.

Causes of the Civil War: Uncle Tom's Cabin

In 1852, Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The book was an anti-slavery novel, and was later known to be a catalyst to spark the tensions between the northern free states and the southern slave states. The book allowed the readers to take a glimpse at the horrors of slavery, and it showed the brutality forced upon slaves. Once it was published, it quickly grew to fame. After the first year, 300,000 copies were sold, and it infuriated the Southerners, who fully supported slavery and tried to present a different approach, that the slaves were treated with care and that the mentally challenged would try to escape. When meeting Abraham Lincoln, he immediately addressed her as "the little lady who wrote the book that started the Civil War." The book introduced and popularized many stereotypes about slaves while also rejecting the idea of slavery as a whole. Today, it is seen to be a necessary tool for the abolitionist movement, and without it, the fuel to start the antislavery movement may have never began.

A Poem on The War of 1812:

It all started in 1809 when the embargo was replaced,
So the US could resume all their trade.
Because trade was such a need,
France decided to drop their decrees.
Then a warrior named Tecumseh wanted his culture to be saved
In 1811 when William Henry Harrison came to invade.
The Americans burned Prophetstown,
And the Natives lost some momentum when it went down.
Then the War Hawks came to be,
And wanted war against the British to drive out thee,
Which led to Mr. Madison to tell
And urge the Congress to declare war in 1812.
The invasion of Canada then fails,
Because he thought his larger population would prevail.
America then captured four British ships,
And with Tecumseh's death, the script did flip.
From Baltimore to New Orleans,
To the White House burning down,
The Americans showed their pride
And wanted to be the toughest ones around.
The battle of New Orleans was our greatest victory,
But bloodshed was tragic because it occurred after the treaty.
Delegated later met in Hartford to make a separate peace,
Unfortunately by 1820, the Federalist Party was deceased.
Then settlers poured into Florida and made the population grow,
Along with fugitives seeking safe havens wanting no one to know.
All these people caused tensions to rise,
And the Spanish decide to make a compromise.
The US decided to keep everything fair,
And signed the Adams-Onís Treaty to leave Texas there.