by Marie M. Mercurio Howard

Primary Advisor: Charles Shively

Second Reader: Judith Smith

Abstract:

The methods I used to research my final project were a combination of the following. I studied the Antietam photographs, the history and biographies that focuses on them, and consulted primary source documents such as the major newspapers published during the Civil War. Practical fieldwork, which I participated in, included visiting the Antietam Battlefield on numerous occasions, conducting tours and examining the terrain where the photographs were taken as well as studying topographical maps of the area. In addition, I researched the history of photography and consulted many expert historian whose primary focus has been on the Battle of Antietam. I also participated in panel discussions involving the Battle of Antietam at various symposiums and discussion groups.

The major theme and conclusion of my final project centers around the series of photographs themselves. I discuss the development and the photography of Mathew Brady and his assistant, Alexander Gardner, who actually photographed the Antietam Battle. I argue that these photos, the first ever taken and displayed showing the brutality and carnage of war, had a major impact on popular attitudes toward the fighting and on political decision making concerning what was necessary to achieve a decisive victory. Lastly, how these photographs were used as visual images and their use as historical evidence.