O, Im a Good Old Rebel by Major James Randolph - Term Paper Example

Introduction The document chosen for analysis is an 1860 Southern song called, “O, I’m a good old rebel.” It appears as the second document in the class reader and shows a different side to the Civil War. Most historical accounts tend to focus on the victor’s point of view. However, Southerners also had their own opinion about what had happened. This particular poet was a white Southerner who had much to suspect about the Reconstruction and life after the Civil war. The author’s background The author is Major James Randolph; a white Southerner, who is singing the piece after defeat in the Civil war. In the eighth stanza, Randolph laments that he cannot take up the musket and fight anymore.1 The word “anymore” illustrates that he probably took part in the recently ended war. The conflict was bitter and quite biased against the North, so he views the Republic and the constitution as mere instruments from the latter region. His biases have thus caused him to speak against critical principles of the US like freedom. Southerners were regarded as masters by their slaves; not only were they going to lose this status, but they now had to submit to the North. The hatred and bitterness should not come as a surprise as the defeat had adverse consequences. It is these sentiments that informed the writer of the song. He probably detested the fact that he now had to play to demands from the ‘Yankees’. He has a rebellious character in the song because he lost so much. It is for this reason that he does not care for their pardons; he boldly claims that he wishes he could kill some more Northerners, but the law does not allow him. Background about the document The song was written in 1860 immediately after the Civil war; the South had lost, and one of the terms of the war was to integrate them into the Union. A lot of losses had been reported and it was clear that the people were devastated. In the period just before composure of the song, an appalling loss of lives had been recorded. It is estimated that approximately 20% of the adult white male population had been wiped out in the South. Therefore, the men were physically and emotionally wounded. Farm buildings in the region had been fully ruined. Additionally, work animals as well as the machinery used for in economic activities were destroyed. The value of everything within the Southern states was low because of the War. In fact it is estimated that even 10 years after the Civil war, all the assets in the South were still 30% less than their former value. The people left behind would soon have to tackle a long road to economic recovery. Furthermore, they needed to do it, not according to their own capacity, but in accordance to terms from North. In addition to all the losses in the war, the aftermath was that many of the Southerners had invested heavily in confederate bonds. Now that the Union was a reality, their life savings has become worthless, as the bonds were no longer recognized in the larger area. After homes were destroyed and all manner of assets lost, some generals from the war found themselves with nothing more than debt. A reasonable number even had to live in their slaves’ cabins. This dramatic sense of loss and bitterness was harbored against the Union, and thus motivated the author to write the song. He was trying to vocalize the resentment he felt against the North, which he believed had led to his current predicaments. What was occurring when the document was written? It is also critical to note that at the time preceding 1860, there was an intense ideological debate happening between the North and South. A number of candidates represented both the Republican and Democratic sides. Abraham Lincoln did not support slavery, so the Southerners were apprehensive that under his watch, they would have to abolish slavery. A defeat in the civil war became a direct pathway to abolition. Later that year, Lincoln would win the elections with a resounding victory. Some Southerners were in denial about his candidature before the elections; they even refused to acknowledge his presence on the ballot boxes. It is likely that many of them were fearful of their loss of control after the elections and hence the abolition of slavery. These groups of people were angry and uneasy about the time to come, so the songwriter captured this mood through the song. It is a cry of the heart from a Southern who feels disaffection for the Unite States. David Blight explains that the greatest challenge for the nation was reconciling notions of justice and healing since a lot had happened at once. The reunion had occurred so swiftly and sacrifices had to be made among the winners and losers. Whites in the South felt like they had lost everything save for their notion of white supremacy, hence the sense of loss in the song.2 The audience It is likely that the hatred and the resentment in the song were meant for the North as a war with them is what led to the prevailing circumstances in the South. The author laments that he is unable to go to war again to fight the North, but he admits that he will never like or support them. The author could not do anything violent against his enemies, but at least he still had the option to sing. Therefore, he chose this channel in order to let the Northerners know that their agenda was not welcome in the region. Their principles meant nothing to the white Southerners, and they believed that all was lost in that era. Historical significance of the document Songs sung during certain periods in time have a greater power than essays and analyses on the subject. At the time when this material was written, the author and others like him were very passionate about the goings on in their surrounding (albeit negatively). If the sentiments they felt were written in academic format, it is likely that they would not have captured the mood as the song did. Such Civil war era songs are an important chronicle of the events that had taken at that time. For instance, one glance through the poem shows that the war is over; 300,000 Northerners have been killed, the Union has been enforced and reconstruction is about to occur. Furthermore, one can also deduce there probably is a schism in the political arena. The declaration of Independence and the constitution are symbols of national unity, so when someone says that they hate these aspects, it illustrates that there must have been a division that occurred at the time; that is secession. Therefore, this song plays such a critical role in the study of history because it captures most of the events surrounding that period. Nonetheless, it still manages to convey the personal sentiments held by the people who lost the war. It is often difficult to determine the nature and extent of the political passions within a certain period. However, through certain cultural productions like songs, one can have a rough idea of these sentiments. From this song, it is evident that the division between the Democrats and Republicans today is nothing new. In the 1850s and 1860s, opinions were so sharply divided that they had the potential of splitting the nation. Steven Hahn explains that deep divisions and hence radicalism would prevail in the South due to a combination of arrogance, vindictiveness and agitation among African Americans. 3 This vindictiveness has already been captured perfectly in the song. This song serves to point out the diversity of opinions concerning the civil war not just in the whole country but even in the Southern region as well. The songwriter represents one such perspective, but African Americans had a totally different view of the loss because they knew that it would be a pathway to freedom. Additionally, other white Southerners did not seem to mind the result in the war because they embraced their conquerors and went ahead to live fulfilling lives in the Union. It is likely that former Confederates felt that perpetual hatred between themselves and the North would lead to no successful outcomes. This song is not representative of all white Southerners’ opinions, but it captures a sentiment that is often relegated to the sidelines in historical discussions; that is the losing side. Conclusion The document chosen for analysis was intended for the ‘conquerors” of the Civil war right after the South had lost. Its writer was a Southerner who had participated in the war and probably lost a lot of his assets due to the conflict. This song captures the passion and the hatred that several white Southerners felt after losing in 1860. Additionally, it chronicles several events that had just occurred at the time. It is quite helpful in showing how history is personally experienced. Bibliography David Blight. Race and reunion: The civil war in American memory. Cambridge: Mass: The Belknap Press, 2001. Randolph, James. “O, I’m a good old rebel.” The American Catholic. Last modified 2011. http://the-american-catholic.com/2011/06/11/o-im-a-good-old-rebel/ Steven Hahn. A nation under our feet: Black political struggles in the rural South. Cambridge: The Belknap Press, 2003. Read More