History 326 Readings Wiki

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====== The Vacant Chair: The Northern Soldier Leaves Home By: Reid Mitchell ======

===== War as a Rite of Passage =====

In the reading, it is claimed that becoming a solider was seen as a right of passage for becoming a man and these masculine attitudes in the military were further expressed by the north's view of the south as an unmanly, child-like, and non-disciplined portion of the country for breaking off so hastily and that they were a manly and disciplined force ready to fight the effeminate region. Furthermore in the union army, the reading claims, soldiers had dueling ideas of masculinity. One being the ability to enjoy masculine vices like gambling and prostitutes and the other being self control as they thought a man should have in a disciplined union army. (Henry Prior)

Cyrus Boyds ideals of becoming a man is residing temptations like gambling drinking whoring and gaining a sense of self discipline while you're in the military so that it can then be used later. The idea that being in the military is a right of passage for young boys coming of age. (Tea Aliu)

the hardening process- witnessing and coping with death (also not having a huge reaction to it) further reaffirming a boys masculinity. the more comfortable with death, the more hardened as a man. The understanding that men aren't feminized by being hardened, they are simply inhuman. (Tea Aliu)

===== Masculinity in the Union Army =====

Apparent reversal of the masculine ideal between wartime and peace. Women upset that their husbands "won't shed a tear" when they miss their families when showing that kind of restraint makes them a man in the eyes of other soldiers. If a man shows emotion during the war, he is a detriment to his own masculinity as a soldier. But not showing emotions during peace time meant that they were cold people and hardened in a way that didn't constitute them as men. (Tea Aliu)

The Civil War conditioned soldiers and pushed the transition from boy to man to soldier and created connections between manhood, masculinity, and military duty. Many soldiers were young adults in their early twenties and experienced adulthood during their time in the service. The relationship between war and manhood is portrayed when these young men see civilian life as effeminate and make the decision to join the military as a means to prove their masculinity. They saw becoming a soldier as stepping into adulthood where identity and gender roles are shaped. This transition into manhood through war encourages the narrative that masculinity is tied to duty, patriotism, and courage which can all be practiced through becoming a soldier. (Reiley Gibson)

===== War and the Shift in Authority: Fathers to Sons =====

One of the most interesting points made was that "the war shifted moral authority from fathers to sons." Mitchell discusses the way in which boyhood became manhood within a military context that allowed for soldiers to question authority through their earned manhood.They began to question what soldiers were owed as they were no longer boys.It was also interesting that this meant that these men were advocating for more governmental authority when it came to the war, even acknowledging that it would lead to a greater loss of life. (Hannah Covin)

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