For #ThursdayDoors (Norm Frampton’s foray into doors around the world) I’m taking y’all to Fort Sumter which sits on a manmade island guarding Charleston South Carolina and which is where the American Civil War, or as the Southerners call it, the War of Northern Aggression, began. Oddly, the Southerners were the first aggressors, not the Northerners, but we were guests and so held our tongues when the subject of those vile Yankees came up.
Fort Sumter: doors leading to what’s left of the armory.
Charleston, a town on the south eastern coast of the United States, was founded in 1670 and until 1861 had been a major center of trade, including the selling of human beings. Although the surrounding rice plantations couldn’t survive without slave labor, in the town itself skilled slaves were often given the opportunity to buy their freedom and even own slaves themselves. So Charlestonians considered themselves quite genteel and fiercely resented Northerner implications that they were doing anything at all immoral.
Artist rendering of Fort Sumter.
After the state of South Carolina seceded from the union, they immediately demanded that the soldiers at Fort Sumter surrender to the newly formed Confederate army. The soldiers responded by flying a US flag so huge the fine citizens of Charleston could see it from their waterfront.
When the Confederates learned that a ship was on its way to supply Fort Sumter, they bombarded the island from two peninsulas on either side (the harbor is shaped like a fishbowl) until nothing remained but rubble.
Remarkably only two Union soldiers died and their deaths were the result of poor artillery training (they blew themselves up).
View coming into Charleston from Fort Sumter
When I looked across the bay at Charleston I couldn’t help imagining how the union troops must have felt. There they were, completely surrounded by fellow Americans who’d turned against them and wanted them dead or at least gone. They probably felt the way minorities feel in America today.
Looks like a ghost is down this tunnel, doesn’t it?
"All wars are civil wars because all men are brothers" François de Salignac de la Mothe-FénelonThis Thanksgiving I’m grateful to call so many hardworking and decent people of all races, sexual orientations, and religions my friends. It’s horrifying to realize that so many of my fellow Americans don’t feel the same way.
Saying nothing in particular 
Amen, Jan. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks Jude!
A wonderful sentiment that one would feel all Americans would want to get behind. Happy Thanksgiving Jan. :O)
I wish they all did – it’s hard to believe right now. I had a great T-day – hope you did too!
I did and thank you, Jan. :O)
Great choice for today’s doors, Jan. I am thankful for everyone in my life. I was raised to understand that none of the outward appearances or personal choices, matter. As long as the person is a good person, respect is owed and friendship is offered. Happy Thanksgiving!
Respect is such an important thing. People who don’t feel respected are those most likely to lose hope and that’s the beginning of the end. I had a great T-day – I hope you did too!
Great post Jan – enjoy your Thanksgiving 🙂
Thanks Norm! It was wonderful.
HUGS, Jan! Thank you for beautiful, haunting pictures and inspiring words. HUGZZZZ!!!
Thank you Marian – I feel those hugs and back at you!
I’m glad you found that particular quote and glad you ended as you did. There’s a lot more to this post than great doors!
It was hard to come up with an ending to this post that wouldn’t reflect my pessimism but I guess it’s better to try to light a candle than curse the darkness.
Thanks for the history, Jan. I think you’d be surprised at how many Americans on either side of the vote feel as you do about all the diverse Americans we have. Hope your Thanksgiving was great.
janet
Frankly I would be surprised. T-day was great – I spent the day with first generation Americans. Lovely folks.
Have a happy Thanksgiving weekend, Jan! War is the worst that can happen to a country. Everything else is just a challenge.
It certainly is. It’s scary to think how easily war can be started.
So true 😦
I agree that this was a great theme for your Thanksgiving Day Doors. Sometimes it seems we are sadly doomed to repeat history, doesn’t it?
Thank you Joanne. I hope this particular sad note of our history doesn’t repeat itself.
Me too!
I value this beautiful point of view, Jan! It is important to take each person on an individual basis. So many don’t give another person a chance, usually pre-judging them on appearance. Wonderful and meaningful post. Thank you and hope yours was truly wonderful!
Shared this with T, who’s learned about the Civil War. And that is a great ending quote on humanity. Beautiful pix, J.
Thank you! I wish we would remember that we are all brothers.
I’m grateful for my life, family, and friends, Jan. Wishing things were different in our country, though. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. xox
I’m trying to move on but it’s so hard. We all need to be strong together and pray a lot.
Enjoyed this look at Charleston, Jan, the past and current too. Appreciated your final note….
Fort Sumter and your introspective unexpected gifts of quote and thoughts made this a really meaningful post, Jan.
I also felt dismayed at how things went during the election time.
He will never be “President” Trump to me, just Trump. He owes President Obama an apology for how he hounded him about his origins. I was grateful Hillary brought this up in her debate remarks. 🙂
Trump owes a lot of people an apology but instead I think he will rub their noses in the lie that his victory was the “greatest” in US history.