Antebellum Era: A History from Beginning to End

by Hourly History

In his Gettysburg Address in 1863, President Lincoln wrote of the birth of the United States that had taken place “fourscore and seven years ago.” Although a broad overview of American history leaps from the surrender of the British at Yorktown in 1781 to the firing upon Fort Sumter in 1861, historians realize that those 80 years in between represent a dynamic but unsung era in the chronicle of the nation’s ancestry.

The Antebellum Era encompasses the period from the first Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 to its more drastic sequel in 1850. It includes the invention of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, which made cotton vastly more profitable to produce, and the expansion of slavery to feed King Cotton, a progression that led to the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861.

The Antebellum Era saw the evolution of a nation with deep agrarian roots to a country that developed a manufacturing presence which competed on the international markets. In the Antebellum Era, those who were judged inferior, whether because of their race, their gender, or their faith, developed the perseverance and commitment to the justice of their cause. It was a period of time in which the mold of the nation’s character was cast. When the Civil War ended, the resurgent United States emerged, resilient and strong, into a new era.

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Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Historical

36 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2020

About the author

At Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.

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Reviews

[Angieleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antebellum Era Explained

The Hourly History novellas are perfect for those who love history, but don't to read hundreds of pages of text to learn about it.

This particular novella captured may attention because I've always enjoyed learning about how America grew and what was the major concerns of that particular era. The antebellum era stained our beloved country with scandal after scandal. People who believed they had the right to discriminate not just against the black community, but of those who emigrated from other countries with differing religious beliefs, accents, and stories of persecution much like the so called "native" Americans who either emigrated themselves or their grandparents/parents did.

History is doomed to repeat itself and commit the same atrocities over and over again, until we finally learn our lessons.

[Timothy Smallwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

quick and easy

Just a taste of history, really. I feel a bit of Liberal slant in this book. I’ll read others before making a full judgement. Still, many things were insightful.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was surprising to hear that the 'antebellum' years started (according to some) in 1789 and (from others) in 1812.  Essentially, they are referring to the years prior to the Civil War.  However, the Antebellum Era, while holding off the war temporarily, "was to nurture the development of American advances in social reform, technology, transportation, and national prosperity." (p. 4) 

Because I have been doing genealogy for about 40 years, I have a very different view of what caused the Civil War.  My father's relatives lived in Winn Parish, LA, and it was the only Louisiana parish to vote against entering the Civil War.  They felt it was a 'rich man's war but a poor man's way to die.' I also argue with a comment on page 8: "Although most Southern farmers had small plots of land and may have only owned a few slaves, ..."  Most Southern farmers did not have any slaves.  Few of the people I've studied in the South were wealthy enough to have slaves.  In Louisiana, the question was states rights, not slavery.  They felt that they had the right to secede from the union.  I have found that to be the reason most of my relatives in Virginia, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana fought in the war.  Maybe I just had strange relatives, but I don't think so.

Abraham Lincoln, when the Union finally won a battle, decided to ennoble the cause by the Emancipation Proclamation.   At that point, the war became a battle over slavery.  I think some of your book is revisionist history.  Now, books drum it into our heads that the Union fought to save slaves from their owners; this certainly ennobles the conflict.  Certainly, there were people on both sides that were fighting over slavery, but the main reason on the South's side, according to my research was 'states rights.'

Just to be clear, I am not espousing the rightness of the South.  I am saying that the South was enraged that the North was forcing them to remain in a Union that did not benefit them.  I enjoy Hourly History books tremendously.  I just felt that this one was a bit skewed.  The information about the changes in transportation and the Industrial Revolution, as well as many other aspects of the Antebellum Period, were first class.

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book defines this period of time in American history as running from 1789 or 1812 up to the start of the Civil War. The country was splitting into two very different parts. The North was industrial, not very supportive of slavery (there were some slaves in the North, though) and focused on the production of goods. The South, meanwhile, was an agricultural economy which required large numbers of workers.

The workers were slaves. They were looked down on, used to profit their 'owners,' and at the same time were feared and kept as ignorant as possible. They received no pay, they had no rights and they weren't even allowed to learn how to read. This resulted in a society which was broken into three groups; the slave owners (rich), poor whites (poor, of course) and slaves (who had virtually nothing of their own.) The North, meanwhile, had its own levels of rich and poor.

The book also covers the abolition movement, the Missouri Compromise, the Fugitive Slave Law, the underground railroad and the effects of technology which included railroad growth, steamboat growth and transportation in general. The book also examines problems with immigration and how the immigrants were received (problems still ongoing today), the place of women in both North and South societies and the effect of Uncle Tom's Cabin on events in general.

It's a very good, concise examination of what led up to the Civil War.

[Μαρία · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο δίνει μια πολύ καλή περίληψη των συνθηκών στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες που οδήγησαν στον Εμφύλιο Πόλεμο, στον διαχωρισμό απόψεων σχετικά με την δουλεία, μεταξύ Βορρά και Νότου, τις οικονομικές και ηθικές διαφορές αναμεσα στις κοινωνίες, περιγράφεται η ανάπτυξη της βιομηχανίας, η εργασία στα χωράφια βαμβακιού και η παραδοσιακή Γεωργία, ενώ γίνεται λόγος και για την πολιτική ένταξης νέων κρατών στην ένωση, τα νέα εδάφη που αποκτήθηκαν από τον πόλεμο με το Μεξικό, η επέκταση του σιδηροδρόμου και η εισροή πληθώρας ανθρώπων από ευρωπαϊκές χώρες, προσδοκώντας να ξεκινήσουν μια νέα ζωή. Ήταν μια καλή ανάγνωση, στα δεδομένα του Hourly History. (3.5/5)

[Apollo Hesiod · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a very interesting & educational book. the only thing you hear about this time is the slavery because this was just before the civil war, but there were a lot of other important events happening in this time that helped shape America. the cotton gin was introduced, the expansion to the west was beginning to happen, women were joining the work force & earning their own money. Granted slavery was a big part of this era but other important facets came about...so there is nothing to be ashamed of during this time. I definitely recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prejudice is an ugly thing

This book broke down the many layers of prejudice in this country. White against black. Male against female. Immigrants from just about anywhere. Protestants against Catholicism. If you were a combination of these things, it got ugly. The emancipation proclamation might have freed nearly 4 million people from bondage but it didn't free them from the evil in the hearts and minds of others. Time to grow up and evolve people.

[David Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The New Antebellum Era

It’s interesting how much that period overlaps with today. The industrial revolution and the information revolution forming anew class of millionaires, Immigration of Irish and Latinoamericanos, and suppression of Afro-Americans. States rights vs strong federal government.

[F. Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable short read. This time seems so long ago, but just a little over 150 years ago. So much has changed in those ensuing years, but so much is still unjust. I am from the South and remember segregated water fountains in Louisiana in the 70’s.

[Barry Jenkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who writes this stuff,,?

I mostly enjoy reading the hourly history books
But I wonder why there is no author listed in the books???
It's easy to have a difficult time believing some of these books since they do not credit the author(s)

[George Polansky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis of the era leading up to the Civil War.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

An interesting read. I would recommend it to students who have little or no knowledge of the antebellum period of American History.

[William O. Robertson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A simplified essay of Antebellum America. Possibly an acceptable overview for someone wanting basic information on the period.

[Victor Alan Reeves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[Al Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

His book was informative but written at a low reading level. Otherwise A good book to know more about the antibellum.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok. Just ok.

The first half was interesting, as was the second half. But, the second half seemed like an add on off a different, tho worthwhile, subject.

[Harry Trumfio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the social and political climate of the US before the Civil War.

[Devrun Ellerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

No photographs

I was disappointed that the book didn’t include photographs, other than what is shown on the cover. Easy to read.

[Kasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, short, comprehensive summary about an important part of the history of USA.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly what it says it is, History in a Hour (or a couple in my case). This is a good introduction to the period, covering social, economic, technological and of course political issues in a readable and accessible way.