On page 27, Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery. What did he mean by that? How does what Chamberlain thinks, feels and says – to himself and to the Maine men – reflect the Free Soil ideology that we have talked about in class? (See notes for 11/12/08 and 11/13/08). If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, which party would he have voted for? And why?
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119 comments:
Marie Kegley
Period 6
When Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery he means that it would be better for America to have slaves that to have a feudalism system. The Union Colonel feels that what the south wants to do to America will not make the country equal, but that they will become like Great Britain, whom they wanted freedom from. The South was described as, “…forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men, and Chamberlain had come to crush it” (pg 27). Michael Shaara continues by describing Chamberlain as, “…fighting for the dignity of man and in that way he was fighting for himself” (pg 27). Chamberlain did not believe in the unequal opportunities for men with more money or higher status. He believed in the dignity of all man and that all men rich or poor, black or white, should have the same opportunities in life as anyone worthy of nobility.
What Chamberlain says to the Maine men reflects the Free Soil ideology in the issue of slavery. It seems by his comment that Chamberlain was opposed to the westward expansion of slavery like Free Soilers believed in. The Free Soil Party had a slogan that read “Free soil, free speech, free labour, and free men.” The last idea of free men goes along with his comment that the curse of nobility is far worse than slavery. If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren, a Free Soil candidate. Even though Van Buren did not win, Chamberlain would have accepted the presidential elected Zachary Tyler, a Whig who also opposed westward expansion of slavery. Chamberlain agreed with the ideas of the Free Soil Party and the Whig Party.
Testing, testing...
Lauren Ezell
Period 6
On page 27 when Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery he was referring to how the South is recreating a society equivalent of Englands, which is exactly what America is against. He’s saying that everyone in America has a new start and must earn their honor or reputation, not merely be born into it. Chamberlain did not want a variation of aristocracy, but freedom and equality among men. As he said, “…the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land” (27).The fact that the South had taken away the dignity of slaves, who too were human beings, was in fact inexcusable, but their ideals of the upper class ruling Americans was worse. Overall, Chamberlain was against everything the South was for.
Chamberlain’s feelings and words reflect much of the Free Soil Party ideology. For instance, a main idea of the Free soil party is that slavery undermined the dignity of human labor. As Chamberlain is talking to his Maine Men, he tells them that they are not fighting for land, or property, but for each other and the freedom of man. His belief in the respect for each person, no matter their previous life, is important and he infers that slavery is keeping capable people out of work while hurting African Americans. Also, a free soil ideal is that slavery is keeping poor whites as well as slaves in ignorance. Chamberlain’s words reflect this statement in that if one is an American and has freedom because they live in this country, then each and every person should have that right. Had Chamberlain voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted Martin Van Buren because he was the only candidate to address the issues of slavery and of the Free Soil Party.
On page 27 when Chamberlin says that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, he is referring to how the South was recreating a society that America was against; Grat Britian. Chamberlin feels that if they do not stop the recreation of the society, then America will be no better than Great Britian. Also, Chamberlin believed that all men were equal. no matter who you were. "If men were equal in America, all these former Poles and English and Czechs and Blacks, then they were equal everywhere.."(27). Not only was Chamberling fighting to stop the recreation of a Great Britian society, he was fighting for human dignity. "...But he was fighting for human dignity of man and in that way he was fighting for himself" (27). In the end, chamberlin was fighting for human dignity. He was fighting for the equality and nobility of all people.
The things that Chamberlin says to the Main Men reflects the Free Soil idealogy. When Chamberlin mentions that they are not fighting for loot or land, but they are fighting for freedom of man he is say that slavery is wrong. The Free Soil party also believes that slavery is wrong. It believes that it causes human dignity to be deminished. Chamberline believed in equality of men as did the Free Soil Party. If Camberlin voted in 1848 he would have voted for Martin Van Buren, because He was the only candidate of the election of 1848 that adressed the issues of the Free Soil Party and slavery. Martin Van Buren he believed in the same things that the Free Soil Party did, as did Chamberlin.
On page 27 when Chamberlain says “the curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is comparing the issue of slavery to the old way of life in England. America, he said, “was the first place on earth where the man mattered more than the state.”(27) In England, the people were dictated and controlled by superior power. It was for that reason that the people left and came to the New World. It’s true that slavery in the south was a horrific matter, but for a class of nobility to dominate entirely, was even worse.
The Free Soil ideal was against slavery. Chamberlain’s stand was clear, “he believed in the dignity of man.” (27) Therefore, he was against slavery and inequality among people. He believed that royalty no longer mattered in America; “here we judge you by what you do, not by what your father was.”(30) These words were spoken to the Maine men when he was explaining the importance of the Union army’s cause. In the election of 1848, the Free Soil party was attempting to get enough votes away from Lewis Cass in order to have Zachary Taylor elected. However, if Chamberlain could’ve voted in the election of 1848, he would’ve voted for Martin Van Buren because he was against slavery, and involved in the Free Soil Party. Even though Van Buren did not win, Taylor was an ideal candidate as well.
Nathan Luebbehusen
Period 1
Chamberlain’s “curse of nobility is worse than slavery” statement on page 27 is comparable with Chamberlain’s cause for fighting in the first place. The “curse of nobility” is a class system, where every “citizen” has different rights and a different role in society. Chamberlain says that this nobility curse is worse than slavery because it contains many levels of discrimination whereas slavery only separates society into two levels: slaves and free people. Chamberlain says this because he is scared that America is heading down the path towards nobility. If there was one social division, this could easily develop into many classes. “[The southerners] were forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men, and [he] had come to crush it.” Chamberlain fights to destroy this emerging disease on American society. Chamberlain believes that “…slavery upon this incredibly beautiful, clean earth was appalling but more even than that was the horror of old Europe.” By declaring this, Chamberlain expresses that there is bountiful, beautiful land for each and every American. Just like the Free Soil Party, Chamberlain believes that every American has the right to liberty and property.
In the election of 1848, Zachary Taylor ran for the Whigs and Lewis Cass ran for the Democrats. Chamberlain would probably have been an out spoken Democrat because of the parties views on land and expansion. Chamberlain’s Free Soil Ideology most closely fits the Democratic Party’s views of a simplified agricultural society, and westward expansion. In the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for Lewis Cass.
When chamberlin says "curse of noblity is worse than slavery" he is rerfering to how bad a feudal systyem is. America fought a hard and against the odds type of war to seperate from England, a feudal system. In this system there was an upperclass that had control and power over the lower class. Chamberlin believes taht each person has to earn their reputatino and they are not merely born into their role. He believes in complete freedom of every person.
"..forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glitterin men, and Chamberlin came to crush it" (27). This quote demonstartes how the South was basically becoming a feudal system. Int the South only .01 percent of the popoulation could even afford any type of education. This percentage could also only afford health care and were not suffereing form terrible diseas such as ring worm. In this system these few white people were bascially nobles compared to the uneducated white people along with the slaves. Chamberlin would have been for the Free soil party because a part of the free soil party was the belief that slavery was keeping blacks and whites down. Slavery drove out free labour for whites and gave the rich whites reason to keep their "peculiar institution" running. They were making money and hurting the blacks as well as the other whites. The free soil party was against this. In the election of 1848, Chamberlin would have voted for Martin Van Buren because he addresed these harsh side affects of slavery as well as Free Soil idiology.
Chris Chasteen
Period 1
Nobility is not freedom it is fulfilling your inheritance based on bloodline. For the first time in the history of the world a country was going to be based on ideals and principles of freedom by free men. Chamberlain’s ideology was rooted in the fact that he did not want this fragile emergence of freedom to end. The confederates and the democrats of the time of 1848 were indirectly opposed to this “freedom ideology.” Whether consciously understood or not, they were in fact recreating a new form of nobility. This nobility would be based not on bloodline; instead it would root from greed, power and firmly be divided by race.
This greed was instituted for the purpose of making money. As for power, it was easily created by tricking the extremely poor whites into the thought of being more powerful than they were. This inequality was the necessary key to the south’s success. Rich white slave owners could manipulate the meaning of equality by using race to identify with the poor white non-slave owning population. Whites felt their status elevated in comparison with the black slaves, who were in practice bought and bred like horses and completely left out of the equation. Mr. Chamberlain, being of the north and not only opposed of the south for obvious reasons, not the least of which was the ongoing war, but also because of their denial of true freedom. It is hard to say who he would truly voted for, but it is easy to say who he would not have voted for, Lewis Cass, the democratic candidate.
In my personal opinion I would infer that this intelligent man would have voted for Zachary Taylor. The reasoning behind my view is because it was obvious that some of the extremist views held by Martin Van Buren, the free soil candidate, would not have been victorious. He may have agreed more so with Martin Van Buren but being the brilliant fellow that he was, he would have casted his vote in a way that would have ensured the win of a viable candidate and therefore further assuring the defeat of the candidate he would have so vehemently opposed.
Bringing in an example from recent history, people respecting the views held by Ralph Nader might not contribute to one person’s actual vote. They will vote for the party that is main stream enough to be considered legitimate. This is also a reasonable assumption in the case of Chamberlain’s vote explaining why he would not vote for the seemingly obvious choice of the Free Soil candidate, Martin Van Buren. I personally believe he would have weighed in with a vote for the Whig party candidate, Zachary Taylor.
When Chamberlain says the course of nobility is worse than slavery he is talking about the South transplanting the evils of Europe to the United States. Chamberlain talks of the numerous men who gave their lives to escape the tyranny of Europe. He reminds them of why so many people escaped to American and that the south was developing the same ideals which drove the founding fathers to declare war. “This was the place where no man has to bow” said Chamberlain. He is saying that in this new nation no man is superior to another. Chamberlain means that the south is destroying everything the founding fathers had worked so hard to achieve. “The fact of slavery upon this incredibly beautiful clean earth is appalling” This refers to the free soil ideology because chamberlain states that the south is regressing back to the old ways of Europe and the free soil ideology is totally against everything old Europe represented. The free soil thinkers that no man was above labor and the southern slave holders felt that they were too good to do certain work and that slaves were beneath them. If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848 he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. Van Buren was a free soil candidate who was against slavery in the new western territories
Chamberlain says this for many reasons. His main reason as stated in the book is this: he believed in the dignity of man. In this, he grew up believing in an America in which anyone, not only those born into well off families, had a chance to succeed. "This was a land where no man had to bow". Unlike in Europe and elsewhere around the world, nobility didn't mean a thing. Chamberlain believed that, in America, success didn't depend on who a person's father was, but what that person does during their life. This is why he hated nobility more than slavery. He felt the south was trying to reestablish the "curse of nobility", and he had come to crush it. This also reflects the Free Soil Ideology. Slave labor was driving out free labor from every territory where slavery was permitted. With regard to Chamberlain, this was crushing any attempt for an honest American man to better his life. This would make it nearly impossible for someone to find a paying job to support their family. If allowed, this would destroy America as "The Land of Opportunity". Chamberlain would have voted for Martin van Buren from the Free Soil party. This party objected any extension of slavery into the territories, something Chamberlain would have agreed with entirely. The Free Soil Party would have obliterated any chance of slave labor forcing out free labor in the territories.
On page 27 when Chamberlain says the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is making reference to a fear that he has. Chamberlain fears that the South will bring and invite Great Britain back to the newly won land of America. He believes that even though slavery undermines one’s human dignity no matter what color your skin, that reinstituting the previous monarchy of England would be fatal to America’s prosperity. The South kept close ties with England represented by the Englishman Fremantle “of Her Majesty’s Coldstream Guards” (56). During these relations there were negotiations and pleads to possibly bring England back, only onto the Southern side of the Civil War. Thereby taking away what was previously won in 1776 and potentially giving Great Britain back old land.
The Free Soil ideology that Chamberlain expresses in his own thoughts and in his speech to the Maine men, reflects how both agree that westward expansion of slavery was wrong. The slogan “Free soil, free speech, free labor and free man” adopted by the Free Soilers, is the embodiment of that disdain for slavery. Had Chamberlain been able to vote in the election of 1848, he surely would have sided with Martin Van Buren. Martin Van Buren was a Free Soiler candidate who was against the westward expansion of slavery and shared the same beliefs as Chamberlain.
In Chamberlain's display of inner character on page 27 he clearly articulates his ideas not only against slavery but against the curse of nobility as well. By saying "The fact of slavery upon this incredibly beautiful new clean earth was appalling, but more even than that was the horror of old Europe, the curse of nobility, which the south was transplanting to new soil." Chamberlain elucidates to the Maine men and the reader that the worst part about what the south is doing is that they are recreating the harsh nobility system that was established in Europe years beforehand. Chamberlain says "this was the first place on earth where men mattered more than the state." and now this blessing, this truth, that the framers of America had worked so hard for, had given their lives for, was being destroyed by the greed of the south. Throughout this paragraph on page 27, Chamberlain’s creed of dignity for all men reigns throughout. His expression that all men should have equal opportunity is quite prevalent.
Chamberlain's speech also reflects his beliefs in the Free Soil Ideology in that he does not support slavery. He tells his men that they are not fighting for land or for property, but for each other, for freedom and dignity. His words deeply support the Free Soil Ideology when he says "this right here is free ground...no one has to bow...here you can be something...it's the idea that we are all worth something." (Page 28)This quote shows us that Chamberlain opposed slavery and the fact that there are opportunities out there to work for white men that black men are taking for free. Chamberlain is also obviously against the expansion of slavery into the western territory because that would also eliminate the opportunity for paid work for white men and women. This issue in the 1860's is similar to some of the issues Americans face today with the growing problem of Mexican immigration. Some people think that if a large portion of Mexican and other South Americans immigrate to the United States than the value of American labor will decrease.
Also, had Chamberlain voted in the election of 1848, being the supporter of the Free Soil Ideology that he was, he would have most likely voted for Zachary Taylor. Taylor was a Whig candidate and a vast majority of the Whig party and the Republican Party shared the same views against slavery, and for increasing the opportunities of white men. Taylor also did not support slavery and stood for the preservation of the union, making him the logical choice for Chamberlain.
When Chamberlain talks about the idea of nobility in America becoming worse than slavery, he is referring to the aristocracy of England. Chamberlain, having grown up learning about the harsh and bloody conditions of Europe, believed in the equality of mankind. When the idea of the “curse of nobility” comes into the question, this is the whole reason why he is fighting in the war. Michael Shaara states that Chamberlain had felt that “This was the place where no man had to bow. In this place, at last man could be free from the past...” (pg27). When he refers to the “past”, he is talking about the ties with England and their nobility ruling all men living there. It was Chamberlain’s passion in the war to make America a place unlike all else. He felt that if slavery be allowed in this new and beautiful land, than it would turn into the very thing that he was fighting against.
Chamberlain’s beliefs strongly reflect the ideals of the Free Soil Party. The Free Soil ideology was that they were against the expanding of slavery to the western territories. They instead felt that they would gain the western land and keep it free for all men, even blacks and slaves. This is the very ideal that Chamberlain fights for in the novel. He speaks of the equality of all men and the idea that he is fighting for the dignity of mankind. If Chamberlain voted in the election of 1848, he would have obviously voted for the Free Soil candidate of Martin Van Buren. The Whig party also opposes slavery and the idea of autocratic rule. Although the Free Soil candidate lost, this would have been okay because a Whig (Zachary Taylor) ended up winning the election.
Nick Schwartz
Period 4
On Page 27, Chamberlain states that the curse of nobility is worse than slavery. What he is referring to is that the United States is becoming more like England more and more. Chamberlain’s belief is that, “The Frenchman may fight for France, but the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land” (27). What he is saying is that other countries like France, and Great Britain might fight for the nobility, their land, but the way America was founded and should be kept is by fighting for freedom and what is right. Chamberlain believed, that in America it shouldn’t matter what family you were from or whom your father was for you to be successful, but that success comes with what you make and do during your time on Earth. This is the reason that Chamberlain hated nobility more than slavery. To affirm this belief, he even states, “This was the land where one man had to bow” (27). Believing this, he felt that the South was trying to establish this mindset of nobility in America, and he would have to demolish it. All men were created equal and that’s how it should be.
Chamberlain says that America is a beautiful and bountiful place that should be shared with every American and/or foreigner. This statement reflects the ideas of the Free Soil Party of the Election of 1848. In regards to the election, Chamberlain would have voted for Martin van Buren, because he was of the Free Soil Party, which shared his beliefs of America, and he was against slavery. These were both things that Chamberlain despised more than anything, so it is only logical for one to think that he would have voted for Van Buren.
When Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery he means that it seems the South is slowly trying to get the U.S.to go back to the British form of government. He says that it is worse than slavery because the Founding Fathers developed a government to try to get away from the oppression and tyranny of the British monarch. “forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men, and Chamberlain had come to crush it” (pg 27), this example of the South’s growing Aristocratic tendency’s shows that the South cared more about the levels of social classes than they did about the common good of the U.S. Chamberlain believed that the poorest slave should have the exact same rights as the President of The United States. He believed that you have to earn the respect and honor of your peers rather than receive it at birth.
Chamberlains words to the Maine men show many examples of Free Soil Ideology. He tells them that they are not fighting for land, but for the freedom of mankind. This reflects Free Soil Ideology by the fact that he is referring to the war as a war for human dignity. If Chamberlain would have been able to vote in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. He would have voted for Martin because he was a member of the Free Soil Party, and Chamberlain shared many of the same views as the Free Soil Party. Even thought Martin did not win Taylor was a good candidate to help try to fix the slavery quarrel.
Ian Huston
Period 1
Chamberlain’s statement that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery shows that he believes that the feudalistic system is more detrimental to governments and individuals than even the slavery way of life. With slavery already a blemish on America‘s society, he says that nobility is worse and implies that neither one is beneficial. In America, then and now, a person was and is still able to make their life whatever they want it to be. However, with feudalism, he complains that a person is born into what they are and that they will never have a chance to make their own life. When Chamberlain speaks to the Maine men he mentions that “The Frenchman may fight for France, but the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land” (27). Chamberlain compares the men that fought for the French and how they fought to make sure their king, queen, and government were safe while showing that American men fight for rights and individualism. While saying this he is quiet, and almost tears up as he realizes how true his message really is.
Pertaining to the Free Soil ideology, Chamberlain understands the true battle between free and slave states and the underlying conflict that nobility is present in slavery. As noted later in the book, Fremantle states that all of the Southerners are Englishmen; and that Lee even belongs to the Church of England. While the Southerners are discussing possibly joining the Queen and giving back all the land won in the Revolutionary War, Chamberlain mentions that the Union Army is the only army in the history of the world to fight for other men’s freedom. The Free Soil ideal of “Free soil, free speech, free labour, and free men.” was meant to harness the American ideal of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” If Chamberlain would have been able to vote in the 1848 election, it is obvious that he would have voted for the Free Soil Candidate, Martin van Buren. With Zachary Taylor claiming that election, he would’ve been content with that as the Whig and Free Soil parties views were practically the same. This is evident because the Free Soilers would eventually join the Whigs.
Jeff Keyler
Period 2
On page 27, when Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is referring to how the south is incorporating the ideas of old Europe into society in America. He means that if the South keeps supporting England and what they stand for, America will soon become a society just like that of Great Britain. Many people came to the Americas to start new life and to get away from being controlled by “nobility” in England. “In this place at last a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become” (27). No matter what family one grew up in, how poor or rich they were, one could work hard and become anything they desired. Chamberlain is a strong believer in human dignity and knows that slavery takes that from anyone, no matter what color skin. Although he clearly states that he is against slavery, he believes that the “curse of nobility” is worse. He did not want America to become a new aristocracy just like Great Britain. Because of this, he was fighting. Not only was he fighting for the dignity of all mankind, he was fighting for the freedom of all people. True freedom had begun in the United States and Chamberlain was going to do everything he could to keep that freedom alive. Unlike any other army, Chamberlain and his men weren’t fighting for themselves or the country, but for the equality of mankind.
In Chamberlain’s speech to the Maine men, he shares his ideas with them which strongly reflect the same ideas of the Free Soil party. Not only did Chamberlain and the Free Soil party agree about how slavery undermines the dignity of humans, they also agreed that the westward expansion of slavery was erroneous. The Free Soilers wanted westward expansion; however, they wanted all the land to be kept as free land. They knew that if slavery went into the westward territories, free labor would be out. They believed that free labor was more efficient than slave labor which is why they wanted to keep the westward territories as free territories. If Chamberlain voted in the election of 1848, I believe that he would have voted for the Free Soil candidate, Martin Van Buren. Van Buren and Chamberlain possessed many of the same ideas which is why I feel that Van Buren is the most logical choice for Chamberlain. Even though Zachary Taylor won, he wanted to stop slavery. He also had many other same ideas that Chamberlain had. Because of this, I believe that Chamberlain would have been fine with the outcome of the election.
Although elementary school students are taught that the Civil War was about slavery, that is not entirely true. The Civil War was about much more than that: the North was fighting for the dignity of a man & the South was fighting to preserve the way of life they had so carefully constructed. With gentlemen, ladies, and an hierarchical society based on wealth and property, the South lived in their own world.
A little less than one hundred years before the Civil War, a revolution was fought between the United States and Great Britain. The citizens of the United States were attempting to free themselves from the overbearing power of nobles. In just the same way, Northerners of the Civil War fought to end a "curse of nobility" that had begun again in the South. The "curse of nobility" is the way of life the South bared that so closely resembled the aristocracy of Britain.
Even though Chamberlain had never laid eyes on a black man until right before Gettysburg, he believed in the dignity of all men--no matter their color. He was "...fighting for the dignity of a man..." (p27). Chamberlain's ideas closely reflects ideology of the Free Soil party. They believed that slavery should not expand because it undermined the dignity of all men-both black and white.
If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have
voted for Martin Van Buren. The Free Soil party was a forerunner of the Whigs--both parties that would have been supported by Van Buren. The Free Soil party was dedicated to preventing the spread of slavery to the territories which is something Chamberlain would've readily voted for.
When Chamberlain states that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, he means that slavery would be better in the country than aristocracy. Chamberlain sees "the fact of slavery upon increidbly beautiful new clean earth was appalling, but more even thatn that wasw the horror of old Europe" (pg 27). America had fought for independence from England and the South was now returning back to their system. The South seemed to be striving for an unequal society, displayed in slavery. On the other hand, the North was fighting as an equal union. Chamberlain would have been part of the Free Soil Party. He seemed to not believe in expansion of slavery, displayed when he said, "this is free ground...from here to the Pacific Ocean" (pg 30). In the Election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for Van Buren because of his Free Soil ideaology.
Shelbi Grow
Period 2
When Chamberlin states that the "curse of nobility" is worse than the problem of slavery he mean that America is better off with the issue of slavery than they are with a society that is tantamount to Englands aristocracy. The whole reason for the war is to break from Great Britians ways. Chamberlain and his men are fighting for a country that consist of freedom adn the dignity of man. " They were forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men, and Chamberlain had come to crush it. But he was fighting for the dignity of man and in that way he was fighting for himself" (page. 27) Chamberlain feels that America should relize that as a new country they have a chance to become a great and powerful country and they should learn from Englands mistakes.
The Free Soil ideology states slave labor would drive out slave labor. When Chamberlain talks to the Maine men he tells them "This is a different kind of army. If you look at history you'll see men fight for pay, or women, or some other kind of loot. They fight for land, or because a king makes them, or just because they like killing. But we're here here for something new. I don't ... this hasn't happened much in the history of the world. We're an army going out to set other men free." Chamberlain again proves that slavery will ruin the United States and unlike England's men who may be forced to fight but their King, American men will fight for the simple fact of freedom.
If Chamberlain could have voted in the Election of 1848 he would have voted for Martin Van Buren who was a Free Soil Party candidate. Van Buren was opposed to slavery justlike Chamberlain. Martin Van Buren did not win but Chamberlain would have liked Zachary Taylor as well because he was opppsed to slavery too.
By saying that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery on page 27, Chamberlain is referring to some of the customs and beliefs of the Old Country compared to the United States. Back in England, it was highly dependant on nobility to determine whether one would have a successful life or not. However, Chamberlain was fighting for the “dignity of man,” feeling that there should be equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their family tree. By commenting that he is opposed to slavery, Chamberlain would be against westward expansion and slavery in these new colonies that would be formed. Chamberlain believed that slavery gave away perfect opportunities for employment of capable workers to the African American slaves. Chamberlain told his soldiers that they were not fighting for property, but for freedom and for their fellow Americans. This fact is the main belief that joins Chamberlain and the Free Soil ideology. They both believe that slavery will eventually tear apart the nation and could never possibly lead to any gain for America. If capable of voting in the election of 1848, Chamberlain most definitely would have voted for Martin Van Buren. He would do so because Van Buren is both against slavery and a member of the Free Soil Party.
Kenneth Quilaton
Period 6
The phrase "curse of nobility" refers to the aristocratic society of Great Britain. Americans broke away from Britain to escape a class society. In fact that is what makes America great: you are judged by what you do and not what your father did or his father did. You are not "entitled" to anything. You make your own life and your own future. This is what Chamberlain is fighting for.
His speech to the Maine men reflect the views of the Free Soil Party in many ways. He is staunchly against slavery. Chamberlain seems like a radical idealist during his time: his views are contemporary as he truly believes slavery is wrong.
In the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren, the free soil candidate in the election, because he believes in the dignity of all men.
Chamberlain mentions the "curse of nobilty" when speaking to his men. The statement summarizes his ideas as an individual american. Chamberlain was described as, a man who was "fighting for the dignity of man and in that way he was fighting for himself" (pg 27). Chamberlain was a newly elected leader in his maine army. His methods reflected that of a man who was just an ordinary soldier. He had a great way of connecting to his soldiers because he was upfront with his values. He believed that slavery demralized not only African Americans, but whites to. The country looked bad when they prided themselves on freedom. Chamberlain shared the common dream of most people in America and that was equal oppurtunity and freedom for all. He understood that the real goal should be unity and freedom. I have no question that Chamberlain would have supported the free soilers for all of these reasons.
Nicole Turner
Period 6
Chamberlain thinks that nobility is worse than slavery. He did not want America to turn into Old Europe, where it didn’t matter whether someone was black or white; it just mattered on how much money they had. Slavery had infected the free land where a man was free of the curse of royalty. Chamberlain felt like there was more of a hope to end slavery than there was to end nobility. The noble wanted to be kept in power, and in the kind of society like Old Europe, money meant everything. All white men did not have freedom like they did in the United States. Chamberlain meant that slavery did not affect the country as drastically as aristocracy did. In the European type of government, the dominate party was not necessarily the majority. Aristocracy controlled the government of the country and affected all other country’s views on them. Slavery was not as big of an issue outside of the country and did not affect the reputation as much as the governmental authority did.
I think that Chamberlain would be more likely to be an abolitionist rather than a member of the Free Soil party. He was not in favor of slavery and thought that “the fact of slavery upon this incredibly beautiful new clean earth was appalling” (page 27). I also think this because Chamberlain wanted slavery gone, overall, but he did, however, think it was better than aristocracy. Based on that, I think he would have been in favor of the Free Soil Party. In the 1848 election, he would have voted for the Free Soil Party. He was in favor of anti-slavery expansion, which was supported by this party.
On page 27 when Chamberlain says, "the curse of nobility" is worse than slavery he means that slavery would be more profitable for the contry compared to the feudalism system practiced in Great Britain. The South is gradually trying to become like Great Britain and control the United States. Chamberlain disagrees strongly with this. He believes this would be detrimental to the country because feudilism is the kind of government the U.S. wanted to get rid of for so many years. The South wanting this type of government had nothing to do with the good of the country, rather it was a selfish desire to become more powerful. Chamberlain believed each person possessed human dignity. "he was fighting for the dignity of man and in that way he was fighting for himself" (27). It did not matter to him what social status one came from. He wanted each person in the United States to have the same opportunities as the person standing next to him.
Chamberlain's feelings and actions greatly resemble one who was a member of the Free Soil Party expecially in the area of slavery. By analyzing Chamberlain's comment, it seemed as if he was opposed to the expansion of slavery just like the Free Soilers were. The Free Soilers wanted to gain as much land in the west as possible and keep it free of blacks and slaves. In the quote above, Chamberlain tells his men they are not fighting for land, but for the human dignity of all. If Chamberlain voted in the Election of 1848, he would have cast his vote for Martin Van Buren. He would want Van Buren running the country because he spoke freely about being opposed to slavery. Although Van Buren did not win, Chamberlain would have been happy with President Zachary Taylor's success. Taylor was a Whig and had many of the same beliefs as Van Buren including being against the expansion of slavery. Chamberlain's ideas of what the United States should be resembled that of the Free Soil Party.
Isaac Ralston
Period 6
When Chamberlain talks about the "curse of nobility" he is referring to the curse of feudalism. How one person or a small group of people cannot be allowed to govern, over others without set rules to protect the people. To Chamberlain this is worse than slavery. As he said, “…the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land” (27). What outraged Chamberlain the most was the fact that the South had taken away the honor of the slaves, who to were human beings, was unforgivable But to him the upper class ruling Americans was far worse. To Chamberlain the south was for everything that he stood against.
What Chamberlain says to the Maine men reflects the Free Soil ideology on the issue of slavery. In this comment it seems that Chamberlain was opposed to the westward expansion of slavery just like Free Soil party believed in. Also the Free Soil Party had a saying “Free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men.” This idea of free men goes right alone with Chamberlain's comment that the curse of nobility is far worse than slavery. If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have most likely voted for Martin Van Buren, the Free Soil candidate. Even though Van Buren did not win the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have most likely accepted the new president Zachary Tyler, a Whig who, like the Free Soil Party, also opposed westward expansion of slavery. Chamberlain agreed with the ideas of the Free Soil Party and the Whig Party.
Chamberlain's statement about how “the curse of nobility” is worse than slavery shows why he has chosen to fight in the war. Nobility is the strict dividing of people into social classes. Chamberlain says that "he believed in the dignity of man" (27). This shows that he believes all men should be treated the same, and that is why he is fighting the war. He wishes to end the war and free slaves to take one step closer towards all men being equal.
Although he wishes to end slavery because Chamberlain thinks it is a stain on the new country, he says that slavery is worse than nobility. Chamberlain believes this because there is only discrimination against blacks in this form of social ranking. There are only two social classes currently in the South. He believes that this could easily spread and create several social classes and even more segregation. Chamberlain is fighting the war in order to stop this from happening. He believes that "This was the land where no man had to bow" (27). True freedom had begun in America, and he wants it to remain there. Having slavery and other forms of division spreading would end what they had fought Britain for, their freedom.
Chamberlain's ideas reflect what the Free Soil Party believed in the aspects of stopping slavery and all men being treated equally. Chamberlain and the Free Soil Party both believed that slavery should not expand and should be stopped. The Free Soil Party wanted to prevent the spread of slavery into the new territories while Chamberlain wanted to entirely put an end to slavery. Free Soilers did not want slavery to expand because it created inequality among blacks and whites. Chamberlain also believes this same thing and shows it in when he states that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery.
If Chamberlain were to vote in the election of 1848, he would vote for Martin Van Buren. Van Buren ran for the Free Soil Party and would have shared many common ideas with Chamberlain. They both did not want slavery to expand into the new territories and were both open about their opposition to slavery.
Matt Neylon
Period 1
On page 27, Chamberlain mentions that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery. In his statement, the Union General Joshua Chamberlain alludes to European aristocracy. Although slavery- which Chamberlain was in opposition to- was appalling, the malevolent nature of aristocracy and acute divisions in society was a more pressing issue that Chamberlain was attempting to abolish from the unstained soil of and for a free America. Chamberlain’s voluntary enrollment in to the Union Army evinced the reasons for which he was fighting. Chamberlain was “fighting for the dignity of man” and ultimately his war cry sang in harmony with America’s cry for freedom of the people. Chamberlain did not want for any man to succumb to a divided and unbalanced society. But that was exactly what the South was doing; the South was resettling aristocratic ideals into their soil. “They were forming a new aristocracy…and Chamberlain had come to crush it” (27).
Chamberlain believed to himself that slavery only divided free man and slave. However, the “curse of royalty” did not allow man to think for himself separately from the state, so no man was free at all. It profited less to have a select group withhold power than to give equality to all men. No man would be forced to buckle at the knees and bow their heads looking down reluctantly in Chamberlain’s visionary land of the free.
It is seemingly hypocritical of Chamberlain to say that man should be free while slavery accomplishes just the opposite. However, Chamberlain’s firm stances reflected that of Free Soil ideology. Viewing slavery as an economically inefficient, defunct mode of labor, Free Soilers argued that slavery should be contained, and that if contained, it would ultimately disappear. Chamberlain was no advocate for slavery, yet he could not abolish slavery single handedly. When he spoke before the Maine Men, Chamberlain addressed that their cause was not for land; however, they fought for mankind. This touched his theme of “dignity of man.” The Free Soil Party did not want undermining slavery in the western territories. Slavery slowly took potential jobs away from the free working man and his family. They strived for an equal nation for all men, black and white.
If General Chamberlain could have voted in the Election of 1848, he would have cast his ballot for the third party nominee, Martin Van Buren. Martin Van Buren was the candidate for the Free Soil Party. Looking at the surface, Chamberlain would have voted for Van Buren because he was from the North. Aside from loyalty, the Free Soilers stood for everything Chamberlain pushed for. They both did not want slavery and westward expansion to overlap each other and they desired equality for all men.
Chamberlain’s statement, “the curse of nobility” is worse than slavery is a very true statement. The idea of nobility is where every person has a different part in society. The feudalism system gives the upper class power over the lower class of people. In this system, the people are born into their classes. If your father was a high class wealthy king, you would follow his path. This is the same idea with slavery. Unlike the people in England, the south took away from the freedom of human beings. In some ways he thought that America was turning into the country that they just tore away from, Great Britain.
Chamberlain says “the fact of slavery upon this incredibly beautiful new clean earth was appealing, but more even than that was the horror of old Europe…” (27).
Chamberlain, being a member of the free soil party, pumped the Maine men, revealing that they both were opposed to slavery. They had to stand up there and stop westward expansion of slavery. They are not fighting for the land but for mankind.
If Chamberlain voted for in 1848, I think that he would have voted for Van Burren. They both had the same beliefs because they were both members of the free soil party.
Brad Bourne
Period 2
When Chamberlain says that the curse of nobility is worse than slavery, he is referring to Americans and their ironic similarities to the British Empire. Eighty-Seven years prior to the Civil War, America was free- they were no longer a part of Great Britain. However when southern white slave owners “were forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men…” (27), they were becoming the very country in which they gained their independence. The slave owners truly believed they were better than blacks; they felt that all men were created equal, but that blacks weren’t even men. Chamberlain was fighting for these very reasons. He did not believe in putting one man ahead of another in society. He did not want to see his beloved country turn into something that they once revolted against. Finally, he wanted to uphold American patriotism, the dignity of men, and to once again place freedom into the hands of its citizens.
What Chamberlain says to the Maine men, directly reflects the Free Soil ideology. He tells the men that “. . . (they) are an army going out to set other men free” (30). Chamberlain, since he is fighting against the Confederates, is obviously opposed to slavery. Therefore, his beliefs on slave labor are most likely similar to those of Free Soil ideaology. This would include the fact that free labor is more efficient than slave labor, that slavery undermined the dignity of human labor, and opposing its westward expansion. In other words, any man who is forced to do something unwillingly will not enjoy or be able to efficiently do his job. People who are living lives full of beatings, coping with constant hardships, and unethical peers, should not be the basis of the infrastructure for an entire nation. “ ‘. . . freedom. . . is not just a word’ ” (30), it’s about the equality of men, an independent citizenship, and the ability to live harmoniously.
For obvious reasons, Chamberlain would have voted for the Free Soil Party in the 1848 presidential election. The Free Soil Party was formed to oppose the westward expansion of slavery. This is one of Chamberlain’s main principles; which was trying to implement free labor in the place of slavery. His opposition for slavery was the foundation of him fighting for the freedom of men.
When Chamberlin says the "curse of nobilty" is worse than slavery is is referring the nobles in Europe. In that case, Chamberlin talks about America as, "In this place at last a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become" ( 27). Chamberlin is saying in America no matter how royal or wealty you are, we are all individuals and have our own freedom. Unlike Europe, the only men who have freedom are the ones born with it.
Chamberlin agrees with the Free Soil ideology, that slavery undermines the dignity of human labor.With the South developing slavery, this was pushing out the efficient free labor for slave labor. This inhibits education and social improvements of man. In Chamberlins case, the slave labor pushes away mans ability to create a new and better lifestyle for himself and his family. If Chamberlin would have voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. He was involved in the Free Soil Party. He was strongly against slavery, like Chamberlin.
When Chamberlain says the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is referring to the South’s similar characteristics of aristocracy in Great Britain. Chamberlain believed that slavery did more than take freedom away from man; it was completely against why this country was created in the first place. The citizens of the colonies first fought Great Britain to create a land of freedom and equal opportunities. The United States became the first place where any man had the chance to succeed because all men were created the same-free. Now, the South is bringing back the same aristocracy in Europe by their growing inequality in social classes. He states, “The fact of slavery upon this incredibly beautiful clean earth is appalling.”(70).
The Free Soil party was for “free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men”. Chamberlain reflects the free soil ideology when speaking to his men by his opposition to slavery. He believed this land was for freedom which shows he against the expansion of slavery, a belief of the free soil party. If Chamberlain were to vote in 1848 election he would vote for the Free Soil candidate, Van Buren, because of their similar views in ending slavery and stopping the expansion of it across the United States.
When Chamberlain says the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, he is referring to England. Through slaves, Chamberlain feels as though the south is attempting to recreate what Americans fought so hard to break free from in the Revolutionary War. The first Americans did not want to live in a society where who you are is determined by what family you were born into. They believed in an equal opportunity, as well as a chance to succeed, despite where one was born. The south was building up this feudal system by holding slaves. They made themselves more important than the slaves, and put their success over the welfare of everyone around them. Chamberlain saw the good in true freedom, which is why he felt the south's mindset was an attack of freedom. "...the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land” (27). The southern slaveholders put themselves above others, which is not waht the United States was about. Everyone was given an opportunity, and everyone had to earn their success.
If Chamberlain were to have voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren, a free soil candidate. Van Buren spoke out against the evils of slavery, and saw slavery as an attack on human decency in several differrent ways. Firstly, it greatly demeaned blacks, to the point where they were considered only property. Slaves cutdown the amount of work for whites as well. They were not given the opportunity to succeed on their own. Chamberlain is against slavery, which you can tell in the way he talks to the Maine men. He says they are fighting for what no other army in the world has fought for. The freedom of each other, is what he finds more important than anything, not money, not power, not women, but absolute freedom of every man.
Adam Lynch
Period 2
When Chamberlain says that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery he means that the Southern leaders are creating an Aristocracy similar to the way England views social classes and roles. He says that America is where people can be free and can make their lives the way they choose not the way a government says. In England the people are controlled by the government which is taking away peoples freedom. This is the reason that many of the people left to the New World. Slavery in the South was a very bad thing, but for one high class to dominate was an even worse situation.
Free Soil ideology states that all men are equal and free. Chamberlain’s view was very similar to that of the Free Soil party. Slavery was seen by the Free Soils as something that undermined the dignity of human labor. Chamberlain tells his men that they are “…not fighting for land, or property, but for each other and the freedom of man” (27). Chamberlain’s view on respecting all, no matter what they have done hints to the fact that slavery is taking away rights of people and letting one class of people to reap all of the benefits. If Chamberlain could have voted in the Election of 1848 he would have voted for Martin Van Buren because of is opposition to slavery and his Free Soil ideals. Chamberlain agreed with many of Van Buren’s views.
Aaron Davis
Period 1
When Chamberlain talks about the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, Chamberlain is talking about two things. The first thing Chamberlain is talking about is that being part of a society that has many different classes is just like going back to the old way of life. The old way of life is all the different social classes just like in England. Chamberlain believes this curse of nobility is bad because it would give only a privileged few land and other rights. Chamberlain believes this is the motivation behind the south to get a new social class of white wealthy males, white males, women, immigrants, and slaves.
The second thing that Chamberlain is worried about is the rift that the south will cause if they win. The south if victorious will not help only create more and more social separation but possibly undue everything the founding fathers worked and died so hard to create. This shows Chamberlains undying belief in the Union is everlasting and that it must be preserved. Chamberlains views go along with the free soil party because the free soil party believed everyone has the right to have liberty and land. If he would have voted in the election of 1848 then he would have voted for Lewis Cass because he believed in westward expansion, not conservative land hogging.
MADDEN
On page 27, Chamberlain was referring to the views of the Union, and how the North believes in an equal society for all people. The Southern people view slaves as a bottom class, and whites as supreme. This idea is directly related to how England viewed slaves. England only saw black people as slaves and not as real people. It is ironic how less than a hundred years ago all of America was fighting for equality among men. All of America was engaged in full warfare to fight for their freedom. Now the twisted South has begun to believe back in white supremacy, destroying what America had originally fought for, and died for.
The Union was fighting the Civil War to stop the Southerners from "forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men..." (27) Chamberlain is personally fighting the war to bring an end to the expansion of slavery into the west. This is a strong view of the Free Soil Party. Also equality among men is a view both Chamberlain and the Free Soil Party are trying to protect. During the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have without a question voted for Van Buren because he was the Free Soil candidate. Chamberlain had expressed views of his want for equality which is why he would have voted this way.
Chamberlain acknowledges that slavery is bad, however he thinks the social structure that has developed in the Southern states is a greater issue. What is developing in the South is similar to the European feudal system where very few individuals own all the land and control a large percent of the money. This leave the rest of society to be dependant upon the land owners or the new world nobility. He has come to the South to destroyed this social structure and establish a more democratic system or environment.
Chamberlain’s thoughts and feelings are that he is not attempting to abolish slavery. He is not even trying to abolish slavery in the Southern states like the Free Soil ideology. He is trying to avoid the advancement of slavery into the Westward new territories and keeping that land, or soil, free for all men black or white.
In the election of 1848, Martin Van Buren was the Free Soil Party candidate and most represented the feelings that Chamberlain was discussing with his men. Van Buren did not win the election, but this laid the ground work for the development of the Republican Party and the eventual election of Abraham Lincoln.
When Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is referring to how the south was trying to become a society that America was completely against. They were forming a new aristocracy and he wanted to crush it. Although he is opposed to both, Chamberlain believes that nobility is worse than slavery because people are born into their classes and the upper class have power over the lower class, while slavery is only separated into free men and slaves. He believed in the dignity of man and that everyone has equal rights. He is saying that no one should be born into their honor, but they must earn it. “…a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become” (27).
Chamberlain’s ideas and thoughts reflect the Free Soil ideology because he is against the expansion of slavery and thinks it will weaken the dignity of not just blacks, but also whites. He tells his Maine men that they are fighting for mankind. “…but the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land. In the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have obviously voted for Martin Van Buren because he was the free soil candidate. Van Buren and Chamberlain shared many views including their opposition to slavery expansion.
Ben Kane
Period 2
The comment Chamberlain said about the “curse of nobility” being worse than slavery on page 27 comes from his dislike of the aristocracy of southern life. Chamberlain saw the same way of life being carried out in England and is angered that his countrymen would adopt the way of life they wanted to run away from years before. The threat of the United States becoming much like the hierarchical Great Britain disturbs Chamberlain. “In this place at last a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become” (27). Chamberlain believed in America and that his new country should not clone Great Britain.
The speech given to the Maine men by Chamberlain expresses the views of the Free Soil Party and their ideology. He speaks of men being equal and all on the same level no matter what skin color or the name of their fathers. This connects closely to the free soil party and their dislike of slavery. The party was not in favor of slavery and did not want it moved into the new territories; this is the reason why Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren in the Election of 1848 if he could have. Martin Van Buren was the Free Soil candidate and Chamberlain would do this because if elected Van Buren would work to end slavery and make men equal.
Ben Kane
Period 2
The comment Chamberlain said about the “curse of nobility” being worse than slavery on page 27 comes from his dislike of the aristocracy of southern life. Chamberlain saw the same way of life being carried out in England and is angered that his countrymen would adopt the way of life they wanted to run away from years before. The threat of the United States becoming much like the hierarchical Great Britain disturbs Chamberlain. “In this place at last a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become” (27). Chamberlain believed in America and that his new country should not clone Great Britain.
The speech given to the Maine men by Chamberlain expresses the views of the Free Soil Party and their ideology. He speaks of men being equal and all on the same level no matter what skin color or the name of their fathers. This connects closely to the free soil party and their dislike of slavery. The party was not in favor of slavery and did not want it moved into the new territories; this is the reason why Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren in the Election of 1848 if he could have. Martin Van Buren was the Free Soil candidate and Chamberlain would do this because if elected Van Buren would work to end slavery and make men equal.
Rachel Fagan
Period 4
Chamberlain says that his “curse of nobility” is worse then slavery, meaning he has much nobility for his country and for the men he is fighting with. Chamberlain came to destroy the new men the south was raising up. On page 27 Michael Shaara says that Chamberlain was “fighting for the dignity of man and in that way he was fighting for himself.” What Chamberlain was trying to say is that he was fighting for equal rights and equal rights is worse than slavery because his father’s before him fought for freedom and that is what America should be about. Chamberlain is saying that every man is equal and fighting for that at the time was just as hard as fighting for slavery.
While talking to the Maine men Chamberlain reflects on all the men and why they came out to this war. What Chamberlain said to the Maine men reflects the Free soil ideology because he says how this is a way that America has never fought or any man has ever fought. Men fight over land, women, or just to fight. Chamberlain says that he is for any man against this war because this is the only war men will fight to free other men. If Chamberlain could have voted in 1848 Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren. Chamberlain would have been for the Free Soil party or the Whig party. He was against the slavery expansion and agreed with all the ideas of the Free Soil party.
On page 27 Chamberlain stays that the “curse of nobility” is worse then slavery. Chamberlain meant that the development of the South was becoming a worse issue than slavery. The South was slowly turning to the feudal system, as Europe had. The rich were superior to the poor and the rich had more power and rights than the poor. The rich owned all of the land and the poor had to depend on the land of the rich in order to live. Chamberlain believed that you should not be born in to your status, but rather you should be able to choose you own status in society. “This was the land where no man had to bow. In this place at last a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to be.”(27)
The way Chamberlain speaks, tells us that he is in support of the free soil party ideology. This is apparent because Chamberlain tells the men from Maine that they are not fighting for land, they are fighting for the freedom of man. Chamberlain believes that every man should have equal rights, regardless of race, or social status. This is one of the beliefs of the free soil party. Chamberlain also apposed slavery from moving to the west, where new territories were being formed. If Chamberlain would have voted in the election of 1848, I believe that he would have voted for Van Buren. He would have voted for Van Buren, because he was in support of abolishing slavery and he was a supporter of the free soil party.
when Chamberlain says that "the curse of nobility" is worse than slavery he is refering to Great britain and how it would be better for america to have slaves than to lead a life similar to England. Colonel thinks that the south is leading us into a lifestyle similar to Great britain since the south believed that the upper class should be in charge of americans. chamberlain did not agree with this at all. he believed that we should be free and be able to do what we want and that is why on page 27 he said “…the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land”.
Chamberlain agreed with the free soil party ideology because he believed that america should be free and the free soil party believed that slavery undermined the dignity of human labor. chamberlain believes that slavery is keeping people that are capable people out of work. the free soil group also believes that slavery is keeping poor whites in ignorance. Chamberlain believes that since we lived in america and believes that all men were created equal then all men should have that right including slaves.
if Chamberlain was able to vote in the election of 1848 he would have voted for Martin Van Buren because he was apart of the free soil party and knew that slavery was an issue.
What Chamberlain means by the comment "curse of Nobility" is that slavery would be better than the old ways of Europe.Chamberlain is opposed to slavery because it undermines the dignity of man and America. He is saying how completely opposed to slavery and how much he is also opposed to the ways of Europe.
What Chamberlain says to the Maine men reflects the Free Soil ideology in slavery. It shows just how much Chamberlain is against the issue of slavery and how he is in favor of the Free Soil Party. The Free Soil believe in free men and equal rights for all, and the dignity of man which is what Chamberlain also stands for.
If Chamberlain would've voted in the election of 1848 he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. Van Buren was the Free Soil Candidate in that election and stood for the dignity of man, which is what Chamberlain was ultimately fighting for.
Chamberlain says this quote on page 27 for several reasons. For one, he believes that the United States is almost undoing itself. As if the United States were turning into England's brainchild. Just as England had a feudal system of upper and lower class, the United States was beginning to develop the same structure. Chamberlain tells the men about the struggle to escape the iron fist that was England. "This is a place where no man had to bow" (pg 27). Chamberlain means that the United States were meant to be a place where every man was equal. But this was not working out as planned, seeing that women had limited rights and blacks had no rights. Chamberlain believed slavery would undo the Revolutionary ideals.
Chamberlain's beliefs are similar to that of a member of the Free Soil Party. His speech to The Maine men contains many Free Soil Party ideals and beliefs. The Free Soil Party was against western expansion. They were against western expansion because, if slavery infiltrated the western territories it would destroy free labor. This is why I believed Chamberlain would have voted for the candidate of the Free Soil Party, Martin Van Buren.
Vincent Clark
Period 6
When Chamberlain states “the curse of nobility” (page 27), he is alluding to the monarchy and power of Europe. The south may be part of a new country but they are beginning to have the same practices of old Europe. This is “curse” is worse than slavery because the south represents of government that is being ran by only esoteric slave owners, while others stand idle and watch. America was established to be a country of democracy, not an oligarchy or monarchy.
Chamberlain has many thoughts and feelings that represent the Free Soil Ideology. However his biggest thought that represents Free Soil Ideology is his belief
that America was a place where, “…man could stand up fee of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become….man mattered more than state” (page 27). This thought represents Free Soilers because they believed than all men should be free, with their own free way to do things, and stood up against the extension of slavery in the land.
If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin VanBuren. Chamberlain would have voted for VanBuren because he ran under the Free Soilers in 1848, was against slavery extension, and believed in the freedom of man.
Sarah Osburn
Period 1
When Chamberlain says that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, he means that America is against a government that has kings and nobles. As a result, he would rather have slavery than a system of government where nobody has any rights and is controlled.
What Chamberlain thinks, feels and says reflects the Free Soil Ideology. The Free Soil Ideology is the belief that American soil should be free. Chamberlain believed slavery that "the fact of slavery upon this incredibly beautiful new clean earth was appalling...."(pg 27). When talking to the Maine men, Chamberlain says "here we judge you by what you do, not by who your father is" (pg 30). He means that a person is an individual and that they can be more than their parents even if they grew up in slavery. If Chamberlain was able to vote in the election of 1848, we would have voted for Martin Van Buren because he was the only candidate that opposed western expansion of slavery.
Tony Traina
Period 2
When Chamberlain says the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is saying that he despises what the South has brought upon America. Chamberlain sees vast parallels in the social structure of the South and that of England. In the South, there was the one tenth of one percent, who owned big plantations, many slaves, and everyone wanted to be like them. This was eerily similar to the noblemen of England in Chamberlains mind. Then, there was everyone else, including slaves, at the very bottom, who were treated as if they were not human. They had come to America to form a place where all men could be equal, be “free of the past, free of tradition, and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become”(27). In Chamberlain’s eyes, the South was stripping man of his dignity, like the English had done to ancestors of all Americans. Chamberlain did not want to see his country turn into an aristocracy, and he realized the North must win the war for this to happen.
The main free soil ideologies of all men being created equal and the opposition of westward expansion are two things Chamberlain seemed to believe in. At one point, Chamberlain says that the North is not fighting for land or anything else, but for the freedom of man. That is definitely something that a Free Soiler would fight for. Also, it seems that Chamberlain didn’t want the United States to expand westward because he knew it would further aggravate the situation between North and South. Chamberlain also believed slavery took away the dignity of man, something that Free Soilers passionately believed as well. Chamberlain realizes that not only slaves are being segregated against, but anyone who is not a wealthy plantation owner has lost their chance at creating a new life, something an American should have by birth. In the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren, who was of the Free Soil Party. However, Chamberlain wouldn’t have been too disappointed with the election of Zachary Taylor, a Whig. The Free Soil Party was eventually absorbed by the Whig Party anyhow.
Kevin Riley
Period 2
Chamberlain uses the phrase "curse of nobility" to refer to the aristocracy of the government in Great Britain. He relates Britain's treatment of America to the Southern state's treatment of the slaves. To prove this he claims to be, "fighting for the dignity of man and in that way he was fighting for himself" (pg 27). The idea of living in a counrty that was just the same as the one they had fought to leave appalled him.
Chamberlain's comments to the Maine men, and throughout the book, reflect Free Soil idiology in numerous ways. A large issue in this ideology is that of slavery. Both parties agreed that Westward expansion of slavery would lead to the downfall of the nation. Chamberlain, as well as the Free Soilers, believed that the Westward expansion of slavery would take free territory away from them. Because of this, Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren, the Free Soil Party candidate, for president.
Alexa Eberg
period 1
On page 27 when Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery he is comparing slavery to the aristocracy of England. Chamberlain did not want aristocracy because he believed in the dignity of man. The south was becoming a society to which he was utterly against. Many people left England to come to the New World because they wanted to escape the “nobility” in England. Chamberlain says, “in this place at last a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become” (page 27). He believed that all men, rich or poor, deserved the same opportunities and with the south destroying what their founders achieved, this could not happen.
When Chamberlain gave his speech to the Maine men, he reflected on the Free Soil ideology in the issue of slavery. Chamberlain explains that they are fighting for freedom and slavery is wrong. The Free Soil ideology feels that slavery is wrong because it diminishes the dignity of man.In the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren because he was associated with the Free Soil ideology and was against slavery.
Louie Gleixner
Period 4
On page 27, when Chamberlain says “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery he means it is worse to be born into a wealthy family than to have slavery in America. what he means by this is that it is better to have slavery than to have either kings or queens rule a country. He thinks we would be far better off with slavery and some unhappy people, but still have a government that is not controlled by one person. Then to have nobility that can do whatever they want to the people or the country itself. What Chamberlain thinks, feels and says relates to the Free Soil ideology because he seems like he is against slavery expansion and that men won't have the ability to get jobs and better themselves if slaver does expand. If Chamberlain would have voted in 1848 he would have voted for Van Buren because he was a supporter of the Free Soil party.
When the United States won its independence from Great Britain, it broke away from the curse in the British government in which there was a separation of classes. This separation between the higher, noble class and the lower, poor class was part of the reason the leaders of our new nation wanted to break away from Britain. This is what Chamberlain means when he says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery. He is saying that the Union was fighting for “the dignity of man…for the people not the land…” (pg 27). The war is trying to prevent what was happening before with England because America was built upon freedom and equality for all.
Chamberlain’s thoughts, feelings, and words reflect the Free Soil Ideology in a few ways. Chamberlain is telling the Maine men that they are here to fight for the freedom and equality of men which is better for the country than that of the lifestyle of slavery. He feels that slavery is not a fit for the country because it breaks it apart. Because slavery undermined the dignity of human labor, Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren of the Free Soil Party in the election of 1848.
Chad Clady
Period 6
The ‘curse of nobility’ is the internal struggle of tradition and modern thinking. Col. Chamberlain often was conflicted about his own beliefs. While he was an academic, he longed for the thrill of a soldier’s life. He joined the war effort for a number of reasons. He believed that slavery was wrong, he believed that the Union should remain intact, but was aware of the views of Southern scholars as well. Could it be that the ‘curse of nobility’ has blinded men from the south to the crime of slavery? Is the real crime not being able to see the wrongness of the decision to keep slaves? He believed that America was the country where no man had to bow to another and that each individual could decide his own destiny - - not the destiny he was presupposed by his birthright. Perhaps this is why he was so passionate about education and yet felt compelled to join the fight as a soldier. “A Frenchman may fight for France , but the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land.” (p.27)
Col. Chamberlain would have voted with what his brain told him was right which was to impede the spread of slavery with the hope that all slavery would be abolished. Both the Whigs and the Democrats at the time did not take a clear stand on the issue. The Whig candidate had slaves of his own, so one may conclude that he would not take a hard line in stemming the growth of slavery. The Democratic candidate believed that each territory could decide on it’s own what to do with regard to slavery. It is this territorial free-thinking that spread slavery in the south and perhaps led to the idea of each territory could govern itself without any regard to the country as a whole.
I think he would have voted for Martin VanBuren of the Free Soil Party, in hopes that his passion for the freedom of all men would become an American policy.
Joseph Lutholtz
Period 1
In Michael Shaara’s Killer Angels Colonel Chamberlain says that nobility’s curse is worse than slavery. His saying this means that, despite the evils of slavery, England’s claiming that America belongs to them is all the more evil. This idea brought up touchy memories of wars and massacres of Americans on US soil. Under English rule, Americans were abused and mercilessly taxed. With these memories nobility hit home more than slavery because nobility’s tyranny physically harmed them. This is reflected when he says, “Most of us never saw a black man back home.” (pg. 30)
Because of Chamberlain’s wish to have a free United States spreading from sea to sea he embodies the beliefs of the Free Soil Party. The main belief of the Free Soil party was that, since they couldn’t do anything about destroying it, slavery was fine but shouldn’t spread into any of the new territories or states. This is why they were named the “Free Soil” party. Due to their strong belief in Manifest Destiny they thought the whole of North America should be theirs. They wanted to ensure that no foreign country would claim any piece of their settled land. In the election of 1848 I believe anyone that shared the party’s views, like Chamberlain, would vote for Martin Van Buren, despite his aristocratic background.
On page 27, Chamberlain says the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery. In other words, Chamberlain is saying the wretchedness of Great Britain’s aristocracy surpasses that of slavery in America. The Union army believes that the south wants to do to America what Great Britain did to them in the beginning. Chamberlain wants s equality among all men, rather than the idea of earning honor and respect through your name and money. On page 27 Chamberlain says, “…the America fights for mankind, for freedom, for the people, not the land.” Chamberlain tells his men to fight for the dignity and freedom of all people, poor or rich, black or white, rather than for power and land.
Chamberlain’s ideas of equality and freedom reflect the ideas of the Free Soil Party. As Chamberlain speaks of fighting for mankind and for the people, he is alluding to the fact that slavery is wrong and demoralizing to man. The Free Soil Party also speaks out against the inhumanity of slavery. Since Chamberlain so strongly opposed slavery and the expansion of slavery into free labor territories, he would have voted with the Free Soil Party, which would have ceased any chance of expansion of slavery. He would have voted for Martin Van Buren, the Free Soil candidate for the 1848 election. Although Martin Van Buren was beat by Zachary Taylor, Chamberlain would have been happy with the election result.
According to Chamberlain, the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery itself. He believes that this "curse" is the cause of the war itself and is making them into the exact thing that the United States had fled not even a hundred years prior to this war. This curse also prevented people from reaching their full potential by limiting their opportunities. This curse established social status as more important than human dignity itself. Essentially, wining this war and freeing slaves would mean absolutely nothing unless the "curse of nobility" was combated and extinguished, giving all men equal opportunity.
The personal feelings and thoughts, voiced and kept quiet, are prime examples of Free Soil ideology. One key characteristic of the Free Soil party is "free". Free people, regardless of race, free labor, and free land. He reenforces his beliefs when he tells the mutinous soldiers that they are not fighting a normal war. They are not fight for land, money, women, or other prizes, they are fighting only for the freedom of man.
Lewis Cass, the Democratic nominee in the election of 1848 would probably have received Chamberlain's vote. The Democrats were closest to the Free Soil ideology due to their anti-slavery and pro westward expansion ideals. In the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have proudly voted for Lewis cass.
When Chamberlain mentions the "curse of nobilty" to the men of Maine, he, in other words, is talking about how he perceives a regular American individual. Chamberlain was described as a man who was "fighting for the dignity of man and in that way he was fighting for himself" [page 27]. Although Chamberlain's leadership reflected that of a normal soldier, he was elected the new officer of the reigment. Some could say he was given this position because of how well he intereacted with his soldiers. He believed that slvaery affected whites as well as African Americans. Like most people, Chamberlain had the dream of equality between all: slave, free, white, Irish, German. He preached that the real path toward success for America involved freedom. With this, I believe Chamberlani would have voted with the free soilers in the Election of 1848.
When Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility is worse than slavery”, he means that all men are created equal no matter how much money they have. Chamberlain does not want the United States become an association that is similar to the one of England’s, which is against the United States’ beliefs. Michael Shaara is talking about the US when he says “They were forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men, and Chamberlain had come to crush it”. Chamberlain believes that having a society with aristocracy is worse than having a society with slavery. Chamberlain believes that the United States would be just as worse as Great Britain if they create a society in which having money gives you more right than not having much money at all. This whole concept of the curse of nobility is against all of the beliefs of freedom that America was fighting for.
Chamberlain’s statement that the Curse of Nobility is worse than slaves reflects Free Soil Ideology because the Ideology shows that all men are created equal, and therefore they should all be free. Society should not be based on gender, ethnicity, or wealth; each person should be treated equal. The free soil party was against slavery and nobility, and they believed that nobody is greater than the other. This party did not believe in royalty or anything, they believed everybody should have the same rights. If Chamberlain would have a vote in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren because he was the only candidate to talk about the Free Soil Party and slavery.
On page 27 when Chamberlain says that “the curse of the nobility” is worse than slavery, he is referring to old-world England. The feudal system of Great Britain is what America fought to break free from for so long. America became its own country in order to escape the improprieties that the British citizens were enduring. The South, by fighting for slavery, was “transplanting to new soil” [27] the horrors that Britain had in their feudal government. Chamberlain says “…the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land.” [27] In America, all people are equal. Although the South considered them inhuman, slaves were people too. By being in America, slaves should have had the same rights all other Americans did. This thought is a big part of his fight, but Chamberlain believes that what the South is doing by attempting to recreate a society the nation fought to break free from is worse than their thoughts of the inhumanity of their slaves.
A big part of the Free Soil ideology is the fact that slavery demoralizes the dignity of human labor. Chamberlain’s stance was made clear: “he believed in the dignity of man.” [27] This thought showed that he felt slavery was unethical and should not be spread into the new territories, which was a Free Soil ideology. Slavery was taking away jobs for capable whites, who in turn had trouble supporting families without a job. If there was no slavery in the new territories, all people, black or white, would have an equal opportunity to support their family and gain a better life. If Chamberlain would have voted in the Election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. A Free-Soil candidate, Van Buren and Chamberlain had the same view of slavery: it should not be spread into new territories. Both were also very open about their opposition of slavery, which would have caused Chamberlain to vote for him.
The “curse of nobility” refers to the terrible feudal system the United States fought to break away from in England. Chamberlin felt that nothing, not even slavery, could be worse than falling back into that trap. So many northerners were against slavery that they did not look at the whole picture to see that slavery needed to exist for the time being to avoid other problems in the South. The South had created their own feudal system through slavery. Because of this, Chamberlin continued to fight in the Civil War. Chamberlin saw that the African Americans in the south were indeed being forced into these terrible lives, and was willing to fight to get rid of this problem.
Chamberlin’s ideas reflected the ideas of Free Soil Ideology in many ways. Chamberlin felt that the curse of nobility would continue wherever slavery existed. Because of this, Chamberlin was against the expansion of slavery in the west. Free Soil Ideology was based on the Free Soil party, which was against the expansion of slavery in the west. “The faith itself was simple: he believed in the dignity of man,” (pg 27) explains that Chamberlin was fighting to defend exactly those principles. If Chamberlin could have voted in the election of 1848, he clearly would have voted for the Free Soil party candidate, Martin Van Buren. Van Buren reflected all of the ideas Chamberlin felt were most important in the United States in 1848. He was against the expansion of slavery in the west, and he represented Chamberlin’s idealistic attitude towards an end to slavery in general.
When Chamberlain mentions that the "curse of nobility", he makes it clear that slavery is not the only thing that this war is about. He talks about how America is the first nation in the history of the world where people of all ethnicities and backgrounds can live together in equality. However, he never made mention of peace and harmony. The main reason that he believes it is worse than slavery is because this involves more than one group of people. Slavery only dealt with the blacks, but this new aristocracy dealt with the nation as a whole.
When he spoke to his Maine men, Chamberlain spoke of how his army is one of a kind. It is not only fighting against slavery, but is fighting for each other. He says that they are unique because they possess the ability to do something that has never been achieved: the equality of all men.
The Free soil ideology we spoke about in class was based upon the fact that slavery undermined the dignity of man. Chamberlain said that his army was fighting for the dignity of ALL mankind.
If Chamberlain was able to vote in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. Van Buren was running for the Free Soil Party, which was an example of all his principles.
On page 27 when Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, is saying that even though slavery is wrong and against his beliefs, he thinks that being ruled by a noble such as a king/queen is worse. Chamberlain believes this because he thinks they should live in a free country where they make their own decisions about how the government is run and how people should live their lives. Chamberlain is not saying that he agrees with the act of slavery. He is saying the people of the United States should decide how the country is ran and if anyone was to come in and tell them other wise, it would not be acceptable.
I believe that if Chamberlain was voting in the election of 1848, he would vote for Martin van Buren, a Free Soil Candidate. Chamberlain was opposed to the westward expansion of slavery,“…the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land”(27). Chamberlain also expressed many of the same ideas as Martin van Buren opposing the expansion of slavery
When Colonel Chamberlain speaks of "the curse of nobility" in Michael Shaara's "The Killed Angels," he is referring to the imbalance of power in the South. In class, we covered how about .1 percent of the Southern population owned one hundred or more slaves on an expansive plantation, yet this small portion of the population controlled the government and the economy in the South. While these plantation owners were certainly not noble, they were certainly at the top of the social ladder, just as the nobility of Great Britain were; they too controlled all aspects of the government and the economy and eventually spread their ideas overseas to the United States. In essence, this curse of nobility, or curse of an imbalance in power, found its way into the minds of some Southerners and was even more deadly than slavery itself. Slavery could be ended with a law or eventually die out, and citizens of the North could only hope that this mindset would die out.
Colonel Chamberlain also possessed many Free Soil party characteristics. He obviously is against the extension of slavery in the United States because he is fighting for the Union army. On page 27 of Shaara's novel, Col. Chamberlain is taking a walk to sort out his thoughts, and on this walk, he says to himself that "the fact of slavery upon this...clean earth is appalling..." On page 30 of the novel, Col. Chamberlain is talking to newly acquired soldiers of his. He says to them that they are "an army going out to set other men free." both of these quotes display Chamberlain's stance on the issue of slavery and his reasoning for fighting. His mindset fits perfectly with that of one from the Free Soil party.
If Col. Chamberlain could have voted in the Election of 1848, he would have had a tough decision to make. He could have easily crossed the Democratic party candidate, Lewis Cass, off of his list because the Democratic party did not have a strong stance against the ending of slavery; an important issue for Chamberlain. He would then have decided between the Whig candidate, Zachary Taylor, and the Free Soil candidate, Martin Van Buren. A win by either of these candidates would also be a win for Col. Chamberlain for both parties were against the extension of slavery in the United States and any acquired territories. But because of Taylor's military background and Col. Chamberlain being of military status too, he might have been inclined to vote for Zachary Taylor in the Election of 1848.
According to the views of Chamberlain, “the curse of nobility” is worse then slavery. He is pointing out the obvious fact that the south is slowly evolving towards the political systems and views of Great Britain. The British treated the newly found country of America, as well as other countries, as if they were an inferior force. They were not afraid to act as if America was the lowest class in existence. Chamberlain was making a comparison between the British force and the Southern states. The South treated slaves as an inferior race that could not match them in equality. They believed slaves to be people that were obtuse, and needed the southern people’s help to survive. Chamberlain was a Free Soil Activist, meaning that he was in favor of equality for all man, whether it be in speech, writing, or race. When talking to the men, he explained the difference between the Civil war from all of the others ever fought. Those other wars, he explained, were fought for money, women, loot, and land. They existed for the sole purpose of one country trying to outdo the other in a rage of jealousy and self pride. Chamberlain said that their war was to be fought for the right of man’s freedom. He believed that every man should be able to taste the pleasure of owning one’s self, and no one else. The South thought that they were doing a great service to the slaves. They believed that they could guide them to be better individuals if they were slaves. They treated the slaves as if they were children in need of molding and tough love. The southerners thought that giving up slavery was morally wrong because it would take away a man’s right to own another man. The North realized the irony in this belief and sought to eliminate it.
If Chamberlain had voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Zachary Taylor. Many northerners were nervous about Taylor because of his southern background. However, Zachary Taylor was against the expansion of slavery into the new territories. He wanted to take the initiative to stop it and keep it from spreading, unlike other presidents who avoided the problem. Chamberlain would not have voted for Lewis Cass because although he was a northerner, he a supporter of Popular Sovereignty. This shows that he would not be as worried if slavery was to continue on to other states.
When Chamberlain says the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery he was referring to how the South was starting to create a system that was much like Great Britain’s. Chamberlain thinks that it would be worse to bring the feudal system of Great Britain back to the United States than it would be to have slavery in the South. Chamberlain states that in the United States you have freedom to be who you want to be and in Great Britain with the feudal system you are, basically, who your family is and who you were born. Chamberlain also says that “…the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land.” He says this because in America you fight for who you are and the values and morale of your country and for the men who fight beside you, not just to keep land, take over new territories, or to please your rulers.
What Chamberlain thinks, feels, and says was reflected in his speech to the Maine men when he says “What we’re all fighting for, in the end, is each other.” (pg 30.) This statement along with his saying that they were fighting for other peoples’ freedom drove the most of the Maine men to participate in the war and fight alongside Chamberlain and his men. This also goes along with the Free Soil ideology because Chamberlain does not seem to want slavery to expand and he realizes he is fighting not for land but for freedom of Americans. By saying they are fighting for freedom, he implies that he thinks slavery is wrong and is fighting for the freedom of everyone, and the Free Soil party believed. If Chamberlain were to have voted in the 1848 election he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. Chamberlain would have voted Van Buren because he was of the Free Soil party and was the only candidate who was willing to address the issue of slavery.
Taylor Roach
Period 4
When Chamberlain says the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, he is saying that it would be worse to have an aristocracy than for people to own slaves. Chamberlain beleives that the South wants to turn America into Great Britain, which is the exact opposite from what he wants. Chamberlain had so much faith in America and what it was to become. Shaara writes, "In this place at last a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become" (pg. 27). Chamberlain was describing how America is unlike any other country because of its' freedom. Shaara also writes about how Chamberlain believed in "the dignity of a man", which means that he thought all men should have the same freedoms because everyone is equal.
Chamberlain's speech to the Maine men reflected the Free Soil ideology in a huge way. The Free Soil ideology, that slavery undermines the dignity of human labor, is exactly what Chamberlain believed. The Free Soil party was for “free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men”. Chamberlain was strongly against the expansion of slavery and strongly believed that all men should have freedom. If Chamberlain would have voted in the Election of 1848, he would vote for Van Buren, the Free Soil Candidate. Chamberlain and Van Buren had many of the same views when it came to slavery. They both were strongly against it and wanted freedom for all men.
On page 27, Chamberlain states that "the fact of slavery upon this incredibly beautiful new clean earth was appalling, but more even than that was the horror of old Europe, the curse of nobilitly, which the South was transplanting to new soil." Chamberlain's ancestors were ancestors of old Europe and he had grown up having a higher faith in America than God. Along with many others from the Union army, he believed that the South's English ways reflected old Britain and their curse of aristocracy. He believed that all of America should be based on equality, where one has to earn respect rather than be born into a respected family, a land where one's freedom did not depend on the color of their skin. He claimed that the Union army was fighting for mankind, freedom, and ultimately, each other.
Chamberlain's ideas reflect the Free Soil ideology which states that slavery undermines the dignity of human labor and should not be spread farther west. Chamberlain claimed that "true freedom had begun here (in America) and it would spread eventually over all the earth," which was also a main idea of the Free Soil ideology. If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren of the Free Soil Party. Van Buren addressed the issues of slavery and agreed with the Free Soil ideology just as Chamberlain did. I believe he also would have been satisfied with the winner, Zachary Taylor, as well because he was also opposed to westward expansion of slavery.
When Chamberlain states that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is saying that the curse of poor financial status is more demeaning than your skin color. This is relevant to the process of slavery that was taking place in Great Britain. In Great Britain, your place in society was based on your wealth and the amount of land you owned. Even if you were white, if you owned no land and you were poor, you were treated the same way a black slave was. Chamberlain felt that it was more realistic to end slavery, than to end nobility. Chamberlain also believed that it did not matter on what you had, but what you did. “Here we judge you by what you do, not by what your father was”(30), this statement was preached to the Maine men by Chamberlain. So even though you may have nothing, if your actions are honorable then you deserve the honor of man who owns earns a very positive profit.
The Free Soil Party’s slogan said, “Free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men.” The end of the slogan, free men, refers to chamberlain’s idea that nobility is much worse than the issue of slavery. The Free Soil Party would have demolished any chance of slave labor forcing out free labor in the territories. The Free Soil party believed that slavery undermined the dignity of human dignity and labor. Because in Chamberlain’s strong beliefs in what the Free Soil Party represented, IF he were to have voted for the Presidential election, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. Van Buren addressed the issued with slavery, and made the decision to try to abolish it.
On Page 27, Chamberlain says that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery. In this statement, Chamberlain is attempting to state that the south is trying to make the United States more like Great Britain. Chamberlain did not want America to turn into Old Britain. In addition, this is exactly what made America so powerful and great: The ability to break away from the feudal system that Old England had. Many people left England because of the extreme dictatorship that was occuring. Although slavery was terrible and horrific, knowing that people of nobility were dictating was even worse. However, Chamberlain's opinion is quite clear. The book states, “he believed in the dignity of man.” (27)Obviously, Chamberlain was opposed to slavery. He is an intense believer in freedom and thought that everyone, no matter what shape, size, or color, should have the opportunity and right to be free. Chamberlain and his army were not just fighting for america. they were fighting for the equality of all who dwelled in the United States.
Chamberlain's thoughts closely relate to the ideas of the Free Soil Idealogy. Just as Chamberlain did, the Free Soil Party believed in the freedom of all mankind, regardless of skin tone. America is "free soil" and all should be welcome to live freely on it. Also, just as Chamberlain was opposed to slavery, so was the Free Soil Party.
If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. One reason for this is because Van Buren was a Free Soil candidate. Van Buren was completely opposed to slavery, just as Chamberlain was. However, Chamberlain would have been acceptive of Taylor's win as well. Taylor stood against slavery. Both would have been logical candidates in Chamberlains eyes because of the beliefs they stood for.
On page 27, when Chamberlain says that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, he is referring to the souths dominance over ALL of its residence. He is comparing it to the ways and practices of that of England,whom the United states had freed itself from no more than a hundred years ago. When the south abuses its power, many people come to see and believe that it had gotten to carried away. "This was a land where no man had to bow" (page 27). Chamberlain believed that it was up to him and his fellow soldiers to "...crush it (the South)" (page 27).
Chamberlain's outlook on slavery does reflect much of the Free Soil ideology. He believes in the dignity of a hard working man who can support his family FREELY. Chamberlain tells the Maine men that they are doing something very rare; the Union is fighting for the freedom of a race. The Free Soil ideology is much against slavery and very pro-freedom.
If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. He was a "Free Soil" canidate who was much opposed to the expansion of slavery into the Western Territories.
Evan Norris
Period 4
11/24/08
On page 27, Chamberlain made a very true statement in saying that “the curse of nobility” is worse than slavery. He is referring to the idea that southern leaders are creating an aristocracy in which there are many social classes. Chamberlain believes that leading a similar life to that of England’s would tear the United States apart. America was intended to be a country of democracy, which is the opposite from the practices of old Europe. He strongly believes that all men should live freely with equal opportunities. Chamberlain supports his belief when he says “…a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become” (27). The ideas of nobility were against the beliefs that the United States was fighting for. Therefore, in Chamberlain’s eyes, having a country with slavery is better than a country with aristocracy.
Chamberlain’s beliefs were similar to those of the Free Soils Party, which is opposed to westward expansion, as well as keeping that land free for all men. In Chamberlain’s Speech to the Maine men, he expresses the ideology and views of the Free Soils Party. The Free Soils Party is against slavery as well as Chamberlain, which is why they want to keep it from spreading to the new territories in the west. Martian Van Buren was the candidate of the Free Soils Party in the Election of 1848. Chamberlain would have most likely voted for Martian Van Buren because if elected, he would concentrate on abolishing slavery as well as equalizing the rights of all men. Martian Van Buren’s ideas clearly represent the ideas Chamberlain portrayed in his speech to the Maine men.
When Chamberlain states that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he means that returning back to the ways of Europe and becoming more like them is worse than having slavery in the South. America was “the land were no man had to bow”, and Chamberlain wanted to keep it that way. He believed and trusted so much in the United States that “he had grown up believing in America and the individual and it was a stronger faith than his faith in God”. Chamberlain believed that he was fighting “for the people, not the land”. Chamberlain wanted to destroy slavery, because it was causing the South to become more like Britain, the country they once fought to be different from. He thought that becoming more like Britain and going back to the old ways would poison America and everything that they had fought for would be destroyed.
He believed in everything that America stood for, he believed that every man should be equal. Chamberlain wanted to keep what America Stood for “where no man mattered more than the state”. He wanted the country to come first and by fighting he was trying to do that. Free Soil ideology was against the expansion of slavery in the western territories or new states. Chamberlain would have supported this, because he believes in the “dignity or man”. I think that if Chamberlain voted in the election of 1848 he would have voted to Van Buren because he was against slavery and Chamberlain was also against slavery in America.
When Chamberlain said that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery he was alluding to the common form of governing in Europe known as the feudal system. In saying this, he is comparing the daily life and social structure in the South to that of Middle Age Europe. As time passed from the end of the Revolutionary War, the South and North began to develop differently. Chamberlain accuses the South of, "…forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men"(pg. 27). The South was fighting the Civil War for the preservation of their quasi feudal lifestyle; contrastingly, the North was fighting the Civil War for the freedom and nobility of all people, no matter their race.
The Free Soil ideology encouraged expansion Westward and believed slavery in the west should be prohibited. Like the Free Soil party, Chamberlain conveys the same anti-slavery perspective. He says, "…slavery upon this incredibly beautiful, clean earth was appalling but more even than that was the horror of old Europe"(pg. 27). Because of his views on this matter, I believe that he would've voted for Martin Van Buren, the candidate from the Free Soil Party, in the 1848 election. He would have voted for Van Buren because they express the same ideas on the major issue of slavery.
Emily Gerth
Period 6
When Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is referring to the aristocracy of England. The southern society was recreating the nobility system similar to that of England’s government. America had fought for freedom from the tyrannical government, and the reality that the south was returning to the old ways of England was entirely against what the United States was founded upon. The fact that the southern society was becoming similar to old Europe was even more horrendous then the issue of slavery. Chamberlain feared that the south would soon become everything America was against. “In this place at last a man could stand up free from past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become”(27). The issue of slavery was unacceptable, but the fact that the South was returning to the ideals of the ruling upper class was far worse.
Chamberlain’s feelings and thoughts reflect the Free Soil ideology. One of the ideas of the Free Soil party is that slavery undermined the dignity of human labor. Chamberlain believed in the dignity of men, so he fought for their freedom. He was appalled by slavery, and its development in the south. Free Soil ideology was against extending slavery into the west. The expansion of slavery would drive out free labor, making it almost impossible for Americans to live in the territories. This would result in the destruction of America because the opportunities would not be capable of achieving. Chamberlain believed this was the “land where no man had to bow” and it was the “first place on earth where the man mattered more than the state.”(27). Slave labor in the territories would be completely against what Chamberlain believed. Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren who was from the Free Soil Party in the Election of 1848. Martin Van Buren was the only candidate who addressed the issues of slavery, and discussed the Free Soil ideology.
Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, on page 27. By this statement, Chamberlain was referring to the nobles in Europe. These were the nobles and aristocrats that the United States had fought for years to escape from. Chamberlain was comparing this aristocracy and the current dilemma of slavery. Chamberlain feels that the nobles are the worse of the two evils. Chamberlain says, “… the South was transplanting to new soil [aristocracy]” (27). The reason Chamberlain is fighting in the war is to crush this new wave of nobility that the South is creating. This aristocracy is hindering the freedom and liberty that the United States were and still are about. He believed that all man free, rich, poor, or slave should have the same rights.
Chamberlain’s speech to the Maine men reflected the Free Soil ideology. He disagrees with slavery and it fighting against it. The Free Soil party was radical and challenged the way the South did their business. Chamberlain most likely would have voted for Martin Van Buren if he could have voted in the 1848 election. This would be the obvious choice because Buren is the Free Soil Parties candidate and he is against slavery. This would be the first step to getting rid of the stain on America’s shirt that is slavery. Chamberlain could have also voted for Zachary Taylor, the Whig, who was also opposed to slavery.
When Chamberlain states that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, he is saying that the Eurpopean artistocracy is a terrible government. The United States broke away from Britain to get rid of Britain's ways, but the South was starting to implement it in their communities. Chamberlain came to defeat the new aristocracy that the South tried to form. He was fighting for the dignity of man and for freedom. His speech to the Maine men reflects the Free Soil ideology because both of them are against slavery: "This was the land where no man had to bow. In this place at last a man could stand up free of the past and... become what he wished to become"(27).He was against slavery because his ancestors were "refufees of a chained and bloody Europe", and he fought for the equality of all men in America. He did not care if you were white or a slave, but Chamberlain fought for all people, not the land. Chamberlain also agreed that slavery undermined the dignity of human labor. If General Chamberlain could have voted in the Election of 1848, then he would have voted for Martin Van Buren from the Free Soil Party. He would do this because Buren was against the spreading of slavery too, and he addressed the issues of slavery. They also had similiar views on other political conflicts at the time.
Samantha Daily
Period 6
The “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery is a profound statement by Col. Chamberlain. Chamberlain grew up with the idea that America was the place of true freedom. However what the south was doing with slavery showed similar characteristics to that of Great Britain. America just won its freedom from the strong aristocratic nation, and it appears that the south is heading for that disastrous path. Chamberlain strongly believes in the dignity of man and a country where, for once, “… the man mattered more than the state,” (page 27). He acknowledges that slavery is appalling and should not exist on this new land, but the “curse” that the south was bringing to the country is more horrifying. Great Britain treated everyone else as second-rate nobodies, and Chamberlain makes the connection that the south is doing the very thing to African Americans, treating them as property and not humans.
A Free Soil Activist, which Chamberlain was, was a political party that firmly opposed slavery expansion in the west. However, they did not call for the abolishment of slavery where it already existed because they believed if slavery was contained than it would eventually disappear all together. The slogan of the party was “Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor and Free Men”. Chamberlain would have fit into the Free Soil Party because, as he describes to the Maine men, that they were not fighting for land, money, or other spoils, but for the freedom of men and by not allowing slavery to spread anywhere else. He further evinces this idea and the idea that America is different from other countries by stating, “The Frenchmen may fight for France, but the American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not for the land,” (page 27). If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren, a Free Soil candidate, because he was the closet candidate that expressed his views on slavery, but would have not opposed the election of Zachary Taylor for his moderate position on not allowing slavery to spread any further.
When Chamberlain says that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, he means that by the South upholding a sort of hierarchy, as back in England, they are destroying the freedom that the men in the Revolution fought so hard for. America is a new country with a new sort of freedom, and even though slavery was "appalling", the fact that the South was continuing the ways of old England was even more disturbing.
The Free Soil ideology reflects Chamberlain mostly in the sense that he sees slavery "undermining the dignity of human labor." Chamberlain sees slavery as repulsive and unhealthy in America, a country of the "free." He believed in the freedom of all men since he was young, and he saw slavery as something that would destroy his beloved country, the exact reason he was fighting this war. In 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren of the Free Soil party because he was a northern who supported the abolition of slavery. Chamberlain's ideals strongly followed those of this party, especially the issues of labor and slavery. Zachary Taylor's win, however, would have been fine with Chamberlain since Whigs also opposed slavery and westward expansion.
Maddie Herbert
Period 6
In saying, “the curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, Chamberlain meant that the way the nobility treated the Europeans was terrible. Even though it is hard to picture, Europeans were treated worse than the slaves were treated by their masters. “The Frenchmen may fight for France, but the Americans fight for mankind; for the people, not the land” (27). Chamberlain is saying that he did not come to fight in the war for America, but for the freedom of the people. He believed in equality for all men no matter their race. “If men were equal in America, all these former Poles and English and Czechs and blacks, then they were equal everywhere, and there was really no such thing as foreigner; there were only free men and slaves” (27).
In believing in equality to all people, Chamberlain was a strong believer in the Free Soil ideology. From the notes in class, the belief of the Free Soil Party was that slavery undermined the dignity of human labor, inhibited education and social improvements, and kept slaves as well as poor whites in ignorance. The biggest problem however, was, as the slavery went into the territories, free labor was out. In the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for Van Buren, who was the nominee for the Free Soil Party. He would have voted in that direction because that party believed in all of the same things he did.
Claire Corn
Period 2
By Chamberlain stating “curse the nobility”, he makes it apparent that the war is not only about slavery. He says, “…slavery upon this incredibly beautiful, clean earth was appalling but more even that that was the horror of old Europe” (pg.27). He concerned more with the fact that America is heading toward an aristocratic society. However, he thinks that slavery should be stopped as well but it is not the main problem. He thinks that aristocracy is worse than slavery because it divides America’s society into many different levels because of discrimination of others’ social statuses.
In the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren, a Free Soil candidate, because he believed that America’s land was “free” and slavery should be stopped. Even more so, because the land was free, the views of the citizens and their beliefs should be what they desire and not discriminated against because it is different or not what the rich believed. Consequently, Chamberlain and Martin did not want slavery and westward expansion to overlap each other; in addition, they desired equality for all men.
To say that Chamberlain was against the idea of enslaving another human being who, in the United States of America, was theoretically supposed to be given equal rights would be an understatement. By simply risking his life for the freedom of man, he along with the rest of the Union Army was showing that “the curse of nobility” was worse than slavery. He had seen the direct results of a “chained and bloody Europe” from his ancestors, and he felt that slavery had tainted the first time and place in the history of the world where men were truly free. The South had brought the horrid ideas of Old Europe into the United States and Chamberlain was looking to eradicate this new form of aristocracy.
The Free Soil party believed in freedom and equality for all men as Chamberlain did. Chamberlain states, “The American fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land.” Both the Free Soil party and Chamberlain were against the idea of westward expansion of slavery. In the Election of 1848, Martin Van Buren would have been Chamberlain’s choice for President as Van Buren was the candidate for the Free Soil party. With these shared beliefs, Chamberlain would have been a major supporter of the Free Soil party at that time.
Chamberlain's comment that about the "curse of nobility" refers to English culture which has increasingly become an aspect in the American's Southern culture. Aristocracy undermines the very base of the United States ideals of freedom and equality, and Chamberlain perceives how the effects the Southerners treatments towards the African Americans threatens it all. Slavery of the African Americans in the United States models almost identically to feudalism in Great Britain, and the contraversy between the North and the South's views on slavery led to the Civil War. The Civil War however to Chamberlain was very different for the North in that they were a country not set out to fight for money, land, women, or by force, but "an army going out to set other men free" (pg 30). No matter the economic situation, race, religion, or beliefs, equality in America was destined to be the light to cast out the darkness of nobility and aristocracy.
The Free Soil ideology was founded on the belief that free labor by slaves forces out hard workers from jobs and hurts the society economically and morally. Immigrants and present citizens of the United States want to work hard, make a living, and become something but slavery stifles all opportunities. In the Election of 1848, Martin Van Buren runs in the polls as the only man for Free Soil ideology, and this is definitey the man that Chamberlain would have whole-heartedly supported. Chamberlain desires equality, moral standards, freedom, and just rights for all men, the ideas leading the Northerners to battle.
In the passage when chamberlain says that “the curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is referring to the aristocratic society of the south. The south had returned to a society modeled after England’s gentry and high nobility; hence, valuing class over success. Fremantle, a British soldier sent to observe the war, notes how the Southern men were truly “Englishmen.” However, Chamberlain is disgusted with the south, “[for] forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men” (pg 27). The new nobility were the wealthy, educated slave owners and had now replaced the princes and kings of old England.
This is not to say that Chamberlain was not bothered by slavery; however, Chamberlain’s words and actions match with a Free Soil party member. The party was extremely anti-slavery and supported legislation that prevented its growth in the west. They believed that slavery undermined the dignity of human labor. In the book, Chamberlain speaks about how, “America fights for mankind, for freedom, for the people” (pg 27). His statement supports his belief in the “blessings of liberty,” and his definite support for the Free Soilers.
In the Election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for Martin Van Buren, Free Soil. The other candidates avoided slavery as an issue because they did not want to alienate voters. However, Van Buren ran to limit slavery and thus would have been a likely candidate for Chamberlain. Unfortunately, the Free Soilers were a third party in the election of 1848 but they were still able to capture ten percent of the popular vote. The voters showed that there was a large majority of people desiring a change in the United States in 1848.
On page 27, Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, claiming that the social structure of his society poses a greater problem than the existing slavery predicament. To The Union General, slavery was “appalling,” (page 27) yet he believed in managing the more vital issue of eradicating the idea of the malicious European aristocracy that was being thrust upon Americans. Chamberlain “believed in the dignity of all men” (page 27) in addition to preventing the expansion of slavery, greatly resembling the views of an affiliate of the Free Soil Party.
A viable candidate Chamberlain would have supported in the Election of 1848 is the unusual choice of Gerrit Smith of the National Liberty Party. While Chamberlain did not fit the ideology of many parties in this election, neither the Democrats nor the Whigs fit his needs of anti-slavery and equality, and the Free Soil Party supplemented the impending train wreck society, Smith’s radical views might have been appealing to an interested Chamberlain. Representing modern society, Chamberlain’s views on culture were optimistic; however, they were impossible for a naive people.
When Chamberlain says that the "curse of nobility is worse than slavery" he is referring to how the south is creating their society just like Great Britain, where they have worked so hard to free themselves from. Chamberlain believes all men are created equal and if the south keeps this "curse of nobility up" they will be no better than Great Britain. When Chamberlain made a speech to his men he explains to them they are fighting for the freedom of man. Chamberlain's speech reflect that of the Free Soil ideology stating all men are created equal and slavery diminished the dignity of man. If Chamberlain were to vote in the 1848 election, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren because his ideas supported the Free Soil Party as well.
In text, “the curse of the nobility” said by Chamberlain refers to Europe’s feudal system. However, a deeper look taken, the subtext, evokes the impending future of America, an monarchy. During this time period, Southerner’s felt that wealth and status transcend man’s freedom. Mankind is looked down upon for their dignity and praised for their land gain, money, and the number of slaves they own. Thus, Chamberlain raises freedom to its new level, true freedom, “No man born into royalty….judge you by what you do, not by what your father has done” (page 30) and applies this to his fire tofight against the South.
Free soil ideology, the nucleus of the Republican Party, is defined as the decline in human dignity of human labor due to slavery. Human nature has a propensity to evaluate people by the jobs they have. Slavery is a full time job without reward. Therefore, people look at this job’s effect, nothing, and began not to respect the tedious work involved. Chamberlain’s concept of true freedom is parallel with the Free Soil ideology. He feels that human labor respect is the underlying reason for this civil war. True freedom is synonymous with the Free Soil ideology. If chamberlain had of voted in 1848, he would of chosen Martin Van Buren because he was only candidate to value the Free soil ideology. However, the outcome of the election, Zachary Taylor would have kept Chamberlain at sangfroid. Though Zachary Taylor didn’t promote Free soil, his Whig values later became one in same with free soil ideology.
Austin Haag
Period 4
-When Chamberlain says the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery he means that the old ways of Great Britain were reappearing in the South. "They were forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men, and Chamberlain had come to crush it."(27) The ways of Great Britain were worse than slavery, but if things continue that America will have the same problem on this side of the pond. America, in Chamberlain's eyes, should be "free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished it to become."(27)
-This reflects the Free Soil Ideologies. The Free Soilers argued that slavery should be contained, and that if contained it would ultimately disappear. If the slavery is contained then it would not grow to become similar to the system in Great Britain.
-If Chamberlain were to have voted in the Election of 1848, I believe he would of voted for Martin Van Buren. Martin was the candidate for the Free Soil party. This party had a plethora of similarities to what Chamberlain believed in.
On page 27 when Chamberlain says "the curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, Chamberlain implies that the worst possible problem in America cannot be as bad as the nobility system in England. If America supports what England stands for, then there will no longer be an America,
but a second England. Chamberlain takes pride in the fact that "In this place at last a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become," (27). Nobility should be dead in America because no matter how much money one has, freedom is the ultimate matter that everyone should be entitled to have, unlike in England where freedom is limited to certain people. Chamberlain doesn't understand why the colonies fought against Great Britain to establish a country of freedom and independence if they are just going to go back to the ways of old England. He believes the United States is better than both slavery and nobility and that "The fact of slavery upon this incredibly beautiful clean earth is appalling". (70). By simply speaking to the men about freedom and opposition to slavery, Chamberlain reflects the Free Soil Ideology. He believed that all men were to be treated equally and all should have freedom. Men shouldn't be chosen to be free or be deprived of it based on slavery. If Chamberlain were to vote in the Election of 1848, I am sure that he would've voted for Van Buren, the Free Soil candidate based on their similar beliefs of stopping slavery all together and the dignity of all men.
Jimmy Pierle
Period 4
Chamberlain never says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery. Sharra is telling the reader to consider European history to understand how appalling slavery was. The original colonists left the horror of old Europe to create true freedom. In Europe people were born into positions of wealth. In contrast, America was formed on the basis of equality of opportunity. Having escaped the curse of nobility, Chamberlain felt that the Southerners, or “the new breed of glittering men”, should not defend slavery.
The private thoughts and public speeches of Chamberlain reflected some parts of the Free Soil ideology. The Free Soilers wanted to gain territories to the west and keep the land free of slaves. However, Chamberlain would have disagreed with their belief to keep the land in the west free of all blacks. Chamberlain says, “If men were equal in America, all these former Poles and English and Czechs and blacks, then they were equal everywhere, and there was really no such thing as a foreigner...”.(p. 27). If Chamberlain believed that blacks were equal to Poles, English, and Czechs, he would not have wanted to limit their opportunity to move to the western states. Chamberlain would have most likely voted for the Liberty Party in the 1848 election. He said that his job was to “crush” the new aristocracy of the South, so Chamberlain would have agreed with the strong abolitionist beliefs of the Liberty Party.
On page 27, when Chamberlain says that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery, he means that he does not want to become like Great Britain and run the society like the ideas seen in Old Europe. He is alluding to European aristocracy. Chamberlain does not want to revert back to the British government, that they tried so hard to get away from. Chamberlain wants to be run by a no class system. With a no class system, all people would have equal rights. One would have to earn those rights though because they would not be handed to them at birth. Sharra writes about what Chamberlain believed, which was, "the dignity of a man", which means that all men should have all of the same freedoms because everyone is equal.
What Chamberlain believed, thought, and felt, strongly reflected the Free Soil ideology because it did not allow westward expansion of slaves, like the Free Soilers believed. He believed that without the Free Soil Party, men would lose their dignity of all man kind. Also, without it we would be taking steps backward instead of forward. We are fighting for freedom, so there is no need for expansion.
If General Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would've voted for Martin Van Buren. Martin Van Buren was the candidate for the Free Soil Party and was against the idea of the expansion of slavery. He also embodied all principles in which Chamberlain stood for.
Haylee Gedek
period 1
When Chamberlain states that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is making reference to the direction in which he thinks America is going. He believes that instead of heading towards a more equal society, the country (particularly the South) is diverting back to the hierarchical systems from which they fought to escape in the Revolutionary War. In several instances, he bitterly alludes to the old British lifestyle and how in America “No man has to bow” and “No man is born into royalty.” A descendant of Huguenots, he despises the idea of status and nobility, and is willing to die before reverting to the system of royalty prevalent in Europe.
In his thoughts and words, Chamberlain projects many beliefs that reflect the Free Soil ideology of the Civil War era. Many of his thoughts parallel the Free-Soil desire for anti-slavery expansion as he expresses his belief that “true freedom would spread eventually over all the earth.” When speaking to the Maine men, he states that “It isn’t the land- there’s always more land… It is the idea that you all have value.” This goes along with the belief in homestead laws that gave away free land for expansion of the American ideals, and the idea of the dignity of man, which were both significant convictions of the Free Soil Party. Chamberlain, like all men of the free soil party, felt very strongly about the moral and economic benefits of disabling the expansion of slavery and replacing it with a new idea of true freedom, in which equality would prevail.
Because of the obvious correlation between Chamberlain’s beliefs and the Free Soil ideology, it is safe to say that if he could have voted in the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for the Martin Van Buren of the Free Soil Party. This election, like many elections before it, involved the issues of slavery and expansion, and Van Buren was in favor of the same principals of human dignity and expansion of freedom as Chamberlain makes clear throughout the novel. Although short-lived, the Free Soil Party was successful in passing its ideals along to form the Republican Party following the Civil War, which would have undoubtedly pleased Chamberlain.
Ellen McHugh
Period 6
When Chamberlain makes the “curse of nobility” statement on pg.27 he is referring to England’s aristocratic and arrogant ways and how it relates to the south’s unyielding slavery views. He is addressing the fact that slavery was horrible, but the manner in which the south was acting was even worse. The south was separating themselves from American society and were becoming a completely different country within American borders. The south was becoming more and more like England and it was simply unacceptable. They were running their lands as dictators in a land of democracy.
Chamberlain believed in the freedom of every man and this was blatantly clear in his address to the Maine men. He said, “…man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties…man mattered more than state,” (pg.27). This was what America stood for and the south simply was not conforming to the country’s belief. Their egotism was unbearable and it was time for it to be put to an end.
Chamberlain’s Free Soil ideology was apparent through his belief of every man’s freedom. This stood against the south’s idea of extension of slavery in the land. If Chamberlain had had the opportunity to vote in the 1848 election, he would have obviously chosen the Free Soil party candidate, Martin VanBuren.
On page 27, Chamberlain says that the "curse of nobility," is worse than slavery. Chamberlain is trying to stress how bad the fuedal system is. America fought hard to remove itself from Great Britian, which was a fuedal system. A fuedal system is a system that ranks people according to class. A problem with the fuedal system is that a person does not have to work to get into a higher class, they are just born into it. Chamberlain disagreed with the fact that a persons own reputation is not earned, but rather pre-decided.
Chamberlain thought that the south was trying to re-enforce the idea of "Curse of nobility." they were trying to re-establish this with slaves. This greatly excited the lower white class of the South. The thought of them having power over another group greatly excited them. It was the first time in a long time that they could have someone lower than them. Chamberlain no longer saw "A land of opprotunity," but rather a land where a man could not find a job to support his family. The south kept pressing slavery. Every new territory that was declared a slave state slowly was erasing every hope of "free labor."
Since Chamberlain is opposed to slavery and everything that contributes to it, I believe that he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. Van Buren was a canitate for the Free soil party. The free Soil party would attempt to stop any slavery advancement in new territories. It was against forced labor.
When he says the "curse of nobility,"Chamberlain is referring to the evils of European feudalism. Chamberlain feels that the South, defending slavery is really just protecting a different form of this feudalism. In Europe, men are not created equal contradicting the Constitution this country was founded on. The South by protecting its ideals violates the Constitution they themselves helped create. The aristocracy in Europe never allowed a man to rise above what his predecessors accomplished. A man’s place in life in Europe was decided at birth by his forefathers. Chamberlain believed that all men were created with certain unalienable rights, the first of which is their freedom all men deserve.
In the election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for the Martin Van Buren and the Free Soil Party. The Free Soil Party was devoted to the eradication of slavery in all U.S. land. Chamberlain would have eventually learned to like Zachary Taylor because of his surprising antislavery positions during the presidency.
When Chamberlin mentions the "curse of nobility" with slavery, he is comaparing the two issue as moraaly wrong. He compares the class systems that are involed within the two problems. He shows his dislike for the way certain people are 'sperior' to others.
Chamberlin talks about how they are fighting to free men. this is in support of the Free Soils be cause they are oppsed to slavery. Matin Van Buren wold have recieved Chamberlin's vote due to his strong opposition to the matters of slavery.
When Chamberlain said that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he was referring to the fact that America was returning to their status pre-Revolutionary War. The America he had come to know and love held all men at equal status; however, the South was polluting the new soil by attempting to bring feudalism back. This was worse than slavery for the mere fact that it dealt with an entire population of people, not just African-American slaves. Many of the soldiers in which Chamberlain was talking to had never even seen a black slave; however, they still fought. Sure, they thought it was the right thing to do, but also through fighting for these slaves, they were also fighting for themselves. They were fighting so that men of America did not have to bow, or be born into royalty. According to Chamberlain, America was supposed to be the place were “true freedom had begun” (27). They fought for their freedom once from Great Britain, and now they must fight for it again.
The Free-Soil Party stood against the inhumanity of slavery, and everyday, Chamberlain fought against the same thing. Like the Free- Soil Party he did not believe that slavery should be expanded within the new territories. Therefore, in the Election of 1848, Chamberlain would have voted for the Free- Soil Party, and checked yes next to Martin Van Buren.
By making such a bold comparison between nobility and slavery, Chamberlain is showing how much he truly disagrees with the very nature of nobility. He feared that the Southerners were in fact bringing the English’s idea of nobility and aristocracy to American soil; thus infecting the new land. Chamberlain speaks to the Main men about slavery being morally wrong. To compare slavery and nobility, he is insinuating that he believes nobility would be an even greater evil in this new land. Chamberlain lets the Maine men know that he will not force them to fight under his command. He believes that men fighting for freedom of others should at least be fighting of their own free will. The United States was supposed to be a land free of oppression. By infecting the South, nobility will only bring pain and corruption.
If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. Van Buren was the Free Soil candidate in that election. The reader knows that Chamberlain was in favor of Free Soil ideology because when speaking to the Maine men, Chamberlain explains that slavery is completely corrupt and evil. Free Soil ideology is the idea that there is no more expansion on slavery and free men should be able to work in the place of slaves to earn money.
Chamberlain means that the nobilty in Europe is worse than slavery in America. He thinks that having to bow down to someone because of their status is wrong. He believes that all people should be equal. he likes the fact that in Amereica people shake hands when they greet each other. He is a supporter of the Free Soil party. He does not like slavery and likes the equality in America.
If Chamberlain could have voted in the 1848 election he would vote for Martin van Buren. He would do this because Martin van Buren is part of the free soil party. This means that they are against slavery ina all places. Chamberlain is against slavery and believes in what the free soil people have to say.
"In this place at last a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become". Chamberlain is saying that slavery is causing the same opression that Great Britain caused the United States. He gives a tremendous speech to the men from Maine about whay they are fighting for and why he needs them to join. All men should be made equal.
The Free Soil Ideology is all about freedom. They are heavily against slavery. If Chamebrlain couldve voted he would have voted for Martin Van buren because he was a free soiler and believed in the similar ideas.
When Chamberlain says that the "curse of nobility"is worse that slavery he is comparing how America is begginning to resemble Egland. England is what America strived to break away from. The south is becoming an area to live that is not ideal america. The south was described as,"...forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men, and Chamberlain had come to crush it” (pg 27). Chamberlain did not believe in making unequal opportunities.
The Free soil party believed in freedom for everything. they did not want slaveryu to be a part of the south, or in america at all. if chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, i believe that he would have voted for the free soil party because he shared the same belief on freedom as they did.
On page 27, Chamberlain states that the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery. He meant that the south was forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men. In other words, the south was recreating the opression and suffering that England had put on their ancestors by supporting slavery in America. Chamberlain wanted to fight against that. "His ancestors were Huguenots, refugees of a chained and bloody Europe"(27).
Chamberlain reflects the ideology of the Free Soil party by supporting and believing in the dignity of the human race and labor. He believed in a human's right to freedom and the power of America. "This was the firstplave on earth where the man mattered more than the state...America fights for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land" (27). He also stressed to the maine men that they would not only be fighting for the North, not for land or greed, but for the freedom of their fellow man, for eachother.
Chamberlain, if he had voted in the election of 1848, would have voted for Zachary Taylor because he also had opposed slavery and the westward expansion.
Diana Lorenzano
Period 4
When Chamberlain says that the, “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, he is referring to how the new America was beginning to become a society that they had been fighting against. Chamberlain believed in a country that was not based upon where a person desceded from, like in England, but upon the individual himself. Chamberlain states that, “This was the first place on earth where the man mattered more than the state,” (27). Chamberlain believed in equality for all men; he didn’t care about their background or how society ranked them.
His ideas reflect the Free Soil ideology about equality for all because the Free Soilers also believed that all men were equal. Both Chamberlain and the Free Soilers thought that slavery demoralized the value and dignity of man. Chamberlain says that, “The fact of slavery upon this incredibly beautiful new clean earth was appaling,” (27) showing his apparent belief that slavery was not one of the issues he supported.
If Chamberlain was able to vote in the election of 1848, he probably would have voted for Van Buren because he held the same ideals and principles about slavery that both Chamberlain and the Free Soilers believed in. Van Buren supported the idea of equality for all and felt that slavery should be contained until it eventually disappeared.
Blake Stegemiller
Period 2
When Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery, on page 27, he is referencing a fear that he has. He believes that even though slavery weakens one’s human dignity no matter their color that reinstituting the previous monarchy of England would be fatal to the prosperity of America. “This was the place where no man had to bow. In this place, at last man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become.” (p. 27) When Chamberlain says this specific quote on page 27, he is referring to the aristocracy of England, the ties with England, and their nobility ruling all men living there. Believing this, he felt that the South was trying to establish this mindset of nobility in America, and he would have to demolish it. He believed that you have to earn the respect and honor of your peers rather than have it brought to you at your own particular birth.
In Chamberlain’s speech to the Maine men, he shares his ideas with them which strongly reflect the same ideas of the Free Soil party. Chamberlain told his soldiers that they were not fighting for property, but for freedom and for their fellow Americans. If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have most likely voted for Martin Van Buren, the Free Soil candidate. Van Buren ran for the Free Soil Party and would have shared many common ideas with Chamberlain. Both men did not want slavery to expand anymore than what it had into the new territories and were both open about their oppositions to slavery.
When Chamberlain says that the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery he said this for many reasons. He fears that the South are going to bring over Great Britain and bring back what we once had. The harsh and horror of what the United States had at first is coming back into question and Chamberlain fears we will become Great Britain. This is why we are fighting. When the founding fathers got together, they did everything they could to break away from what we once had. They wanted to start new traditions rather than bring the old back. “In this place at last a man could stand up free of the pas, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become” (27). The war was to right for a new and freedom but the cure of what we use to have been slowly coming back into picture making it worse than slavery.
Chamberlain gave a speech to the men of Maine and his speech reflecting that of the Free soil ideology. He believed that slavery took away the dignity of the human rights and that was what the Free soil speech also believed. People fight for what they believe in whether it is for land or women or etc they all fight for the same thing. The army than were a different army. They were fighting for their dignity. If Chamberlain could of voted in the election of 1848 he would of voted for the Free Soil Party candidate which was Buren. He would vote for Buren because Chamberlain believed in the end of slavery. Slavery did not go with what he believed and he would have voted for Buren so he would make actions that would reflect his beliefs. Chamberlain and the Free Soil Party objected the expansion of slavery into the territories and believed free labor should be terminated.
What Chamberlain says about the 'curse of nobility' is that being noble is worse than being a slave. Also, in America, everyone is on the same level, that is, there is not a nobility or an aristocracy. Slavery was a horrible reality, but even worse than that is that the Southern slaveowners were setting themselves up to be 'rulers' of their plantations, which was against what the majority of the Americans believed in. What he says to his men shows that he supports the Free Soil ideology in that he is against slavery and he does not like the fact that all the slaves were taking the jobs away from all the white people that need to make money from their job. By having slavery legal in many states, it was taking away other men's rights to better their lives through making a living on a farm to support their family. Chamberlain felt the need to abolish slavery because he knew that if it continued and was allowed to spread to new territories, then honest, hard working people would become poor and homeless because of a lack of opportunity. If Chamberlain could have voted in the election of 1848, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren, as a part of the Free Soiler Party. He would have voted this way because he believes that slavery is wrong, not so much because he believes that black people are human beings, but because they took white men's chance to make money and better their lives.
When Chamberlain states the comment "the curse of nobility", he means that a higher rank of hierarchy is worse than a lower level of poverty- even to slavery. Chamberlian thinks that the idea of Free Soil ideology is very well put together claiming that men have to have reason to believe that they are individuals and a fee huma being. Many of the ideas expressed by the Free Soil party gave many a reason to understand how to think and believe in a new America. An idea thrown out by the Free Soilers is that slavery is bad. When Chamberlain proclaims that nobility is a curse, he means tuhat all of the high raning men and women of the south are arrogant and very intolerant to all of the issues regarding slavery. Chamberlain really stresses the reason of freedom due to the crul and horrid efefcts of slavery. Chamberlian was right to speak up about how the many wrong ideas of slavery was brought upon the men.
Chamberlain was very right to press for the Free Soil thoughts. With the ideas of many that slavery should be pushed away and that it is a sin agianst all man kind, Chamberlain freely expressed that with them. He wants everyone to know that the hardship of the slaves is not very easy. He basically states that the glourious South is going down and that over all good will reign and that the power of evil and slavery will be relinquished.
When Chamberlain says that "the curse of nobility" is worse than slavery he is referring to how the South are becoming more like Great Britian. When they established the country they were against many views and beliefs England had. "This was a land where no man had to bow". Chamberlain is talking about how in other countrys men can not be who they want to be, but in America every person has equal opportunity.
Chamberlain reflects the free soil party because he is not in favor of the spread of slavery in new territorys. he is for the rights of all men and wants to stop slavery for good because it is tarnishing the Nation's identity. He believed that royalty should no longer impact peoples lives in the society. If Chamberlain voted in the 1848, he would most definately vote for the free soil party. He views coinside with those of this party, such as oppssition to slavery and westward expansion to slavery.
"Killer Angels"
On page 27 when Chamberlain says the “curse of nobility” is worse than slavery. He is reffering to the South breaking off and rejoining Britain. This will giv the British the power to win the land they lost in 1776. Michael Shaara says that Fremantle “of Her Majesty’s Coldstream Guards” on page 56.
Chamberlin agrees with The Free Soil ideas that westward expansion of slavery was wrong. He also agrees that slavery is wrong. Had Chamberlain been able to vote in the election of 1848, he would have probably voted for Martin Van Buren. Martin Van Buren was a Free Soiler candidate who was against the westward expansion of slavery and shared the same beliefs as Chamberlain.The two men were almost one in the same.
Brendan Duell
period 4
When Chamberlin said the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery he meant that he was a great deal more concerned about this idiology than slavery. Chamberlin believes that all men were truly created equal. This is the reason that the United States broke off from Great Britain and its corrupt discriminating society. This concern shines through when he states "... slavery upon this incredibly beautiful, clean earth was appalling but more even than that was the honor of old Europe" (pg.27). However, this is not to say that Chamberlin was indifferent to slavery. This attitude reflects the free soil idiology in that he did not agree with slavery and felt that it threatened the American tradition, where every man was given equal and ample opportunity.
If Chamberlin would have voted in 1848 he would have voted for the free soil canidate, Martin Van Buren. Interestingly enough, Martin Van Buren was previously Jackson's hand-picked, democratic successor. Chamberlin would not have necessarily loved Martin Van Buren, but he would have loved the Free Soil Party. They shared his values that he so strongly voices to the Maine men.
Chamberlain says this because he believes in the dignity of man more than anything. He believed that the United States was a land where "no man must bow to another" he believed that the dignity of every human being was superior to any other form. He says that this is the first army that is fighting for a mans freedom because the South is trying to force a kind of nobility down everybody’s throats called slavery. Slavery was creating a form of nobility that The United States has just fought a war with England to abolish. Slavery is also not letting free labor occur, instead of paying people to do work, slaveowners are forcing slaves to do it. Chamberlain says this is tearing apart what was known as the “Land of Oppurtunities.” When a person held a belief such as this they were commonly called a free soiler. This was a popular growing idea that many people held. Free Soilers sought that slavery extinguish itself and wanted no expansion at all. This is what Chamberlain told his men and they followed.
If Chamberlain voted in the election of 1848 he would have voted for Martin Van Buren who was then running in the Free Soil Party. Van Buren held all of the concepts that Chamberlain told his troops also. This idea soon won out and became true. Eventually…
Nicole Nesbitt
Period 1
When Chamberlain talks about the "curse of nobility" and how it is worse than slavery, he is refering to how the South is becoming "old Europe... transplant[ed] to new soil"(pg 27) Chamberlain absolutly loathes the aristocracy, and is happy to fight for the Union,"where no man had to bow...a man could stand up free of the past, free of...the curse of royalty" (pg 27). Chamberlain's thinking and what he says to the Maine men reflects Free Soil ideology because it says that every man is equal, no matter who his dad was or what he might have done, that everyone knows you for you and what you have done with your life. You controlled your own future, and only you could hold yourself back.
If Chamberlain could have voted in the 1848 election, he would have voted for Martin Van Buren. He would have voted for hime because he was a Free Soil candidate and thought the same things he did. However, Chamberlain would have been ok with Zachery Taylor who won the election, if only because he was also against the expansion of slavery. The only problem with Taylor would be that he was not for stomping out slavery; he was just against moving it West.
By Chamberlain saying the "curse of nobility" is worse than slavery he was referring to the feudal system of Great Britain and his experience in it. Nobility, or class system by birth and relation, was the feudal system of Great Britain itself. That same feudal system and way of life was exactly what the United States had gruelingly fought together to end in their new land. Chamberlain speaks of a land of freedom in which each man earns his place in society instead of falling into it from birth. He relates the horrors of slavery to this same feudal system saying, "The fact of slavery upon this incredibly beautiful new clean earth was appalling, but more even than that was the horror of old Europe, the curse of nobility, which the south was transplanting to new soil." Chamberlain associates the south's practices of slavery to the old ways of Great Britain, the same old ways they had previously fought so hard to destroy. It was important to Chamberlain to fight this civil war to protect America and its people from falling into the depths of slavery and nobility from which it previously came. He speaks to his Maine men saying just how terrible slavery truly is.
Chamberlain had many similar ideas to that of the Free Soil Party. He disagreed with slavery but did want expansion into western territory. In my opinion, if he could have voted he would have chosen Martin Van Buren, for he was the Free Soil candidate.
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