When
analyzing historical sources in search of what they can tell us about a period in time, we must
always start by considering how accurate and reliable that source is likely to be. These diary
entries from Henry William Revenal, a plantation owner in South Carolina, are likely to be both
reliable and accurate for several reasons. As a primary source, they offer a view of the
situation from someone who was there; nothing has been filtered through a historian's bias. As a
diary, too, we can assume that Revenal wrote down his thoughts on a daily basis, rather than
long after the fact, meaning that his recollections are fresh. Furthermore, we can assume he did
not expect anyone else to ever read the entries, so he would have no reason to be circumspect
about his true feelings. As such, we can assume that these entries give a genuine insight into
the fears Revenaland, undoubtedly, other Southern plantation ownersharbored as the Civil War
drew to a close.
First of all, Revenal has...
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