Bombardment and capture of Fort Henry, Tenn 1862 1862

Currier and Ives created this print of the Bombardment and Capture of Fort Henry in Tennessee in 1862. It's an image of the American Civil War, a war that shook the very foundations of social life in the United States. The print aestheticizes the conflict, and this one is far from alone in its visual depictions of the war. Here, the industrial technology of the Union fleet is highlighted. We see the might of the Union bearing down on the Confederate forces. The steamboats are armored, but the print also makes them appear as agents of environmental destruction as they belch thick smoke into the air. The print comes from a Northern perspective that would have been used as propaganda by the Union. As historians, we look at how the images were produced, received, and circulated, researching the socio-economic context. It speaks to the power of images in shaping public opinion during times of conflict.