In this Book
- Fighting in the Shadows: The Untold Story of Deaf People in the Civil War
- Book
- 2017
- Published by: Gallaudet University Press
summary
This visually rich volume presents Harry G. Lang’s groundbreaking study of deaf people’s experiences in the Civil War. Based on meticulous archival research, Fighting in the Shadows reveals the stories of both ordinary and extraordinary deaf soldiers and civilians who lived during this transformative period in American history. Lang documents the participation of deaf soldiers in the war, whose personal tests of fortitude and perseverance have not been previously explored. There were also many deaf people in noncombat roles whose stories have not yet been told—clerks and cooks, nurses and spies, tradespeople supporting the armies, farmers supplying food to soldiers, and landowners who assisted (or resisted) troops during battles. Deaf writers, diarists, and artists documented the war. Even deaf children contributed actively to the war efforts. Lang pieces together hundreds of stories, accompanied by numerous historical images, to reveal a powerful new perspective on the Civil War. These soldiers and civilians were not “disabled” by their deafness. On the contrary, despite the marginalization and paternalism they experienced in society, they were able to apply their skills and knowledge to support the causes in which they ardently believed. Fighting in the Shadows is a story of how deaf civilians and soldiers put aside personal concerns about deafness, in spite of the discrimination they faced daily, in order to pursue a cause larger than themselves. Yet their stories have remained in the shadows, leaving most Americans, hearing and deaf, largely unaware of the deaf people who made significant contributions to the events that changed the course of our nation’s history. This book provides new insights into Deaf history as well as into mainstream interpretations of the Civil War.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- p. ix
- Introduction
- pp. x-xii
- Terms and Abbreviations
- p. xiii
- Part One. The Antebellum Period
- 1. Life in the Shadows
- pp. 17-43
- Part Two. The Civil War Begins
- 2. The Nation’s Destiny
- pp. 45-63
- 3. Shoulder Arms!
- pp. 64-77
- Part Three. Fighting with the Pen
- 4. Writers and Poets Take Sides
- pp. 79-98
- Part Four. Civilians on the Edge
- 6. Schools in Turmoil
- pp. 125-151
- 7. Living Precariously
- pp. 152-167
- Part Five. Fighting with the Sword
- 8. Soldier Stories: The Federals
- pp. 169-179
- 9. Soldier Stories: The Confederates
- pp. 180-190
- 10. Deafness Among the Commanders
- pp. 191-208
- 11. A Different Drum Beat
- pp. 209-221
- Part Six. The Postbellum Years
- 12. Out of the Shadows
- pp. 223-241
- Conclusion
- pp. 242-244
- Illustration credits and sources
- pp. 263-265
Additional Information
ISBN
9781563686825
Related ISBN(s)
9781563686801
MARC Record
OCLC
992601326
Pages
248
Launched on MUSE
2017-07-05
Language
English
Open Access
No