1962 Topps Civil War Trading Cards

Coonewah Creek

Sergeant Major
Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Location
Northern Alabama
Here's the first 15 card images (front and back, 30 total) of the set of 88 cards (front and back, so 176 images total). For anyone as old as I am, they hold a lot of nostalgia. Maybe you collected them too as a kid...

#01 The Angry Man back.jpg


#01 The Angry Man Front.jpg


#02 President Jeff Davis back.jpg


#02 President Jeff Davis front.jpg


#03 The War Starts back.jpg


#03 The War Starts front.jpg


#04 Rebel Power back.jpg


#04 Rebel Power front.jpg


#05 Exploding Fury back.jpg


#05 Exploding Fury front.jpg


#06 Pulled to Safety back.jpg


#06 Pulled to Safety front.jpg


#07 Death at Sea back.jpg


#07 Death at Sea front.jpg


#08 Destructive Blow back.jpg


#08 Destructive Blow front.jpg


#09 Savages Attack back.jpg


#09 Savages Attack front.jpg


#10 Destruction at Sea back.jpg


#10 Destruction at Sea front.jpg


#11 Attack back.jpg


#11 Attack front.jpg


#12 Bloody Combat back.jpg


#12 Bloody Combat front.jpg


#13 Dying Effort back.jpg


#13 Dying Effort front.jpg


#14 Fight to the Finish back.jpg


#14 Fight to the Finish front.jpg


#15 Nature's Fury back.jpg


#15 Nature's Fury front.jpg
 
Norman Saunders (1907-1989) was the artist for most of them. He had to tone done a number of them because they were too gruesome. Even by today's standards, the ones that got published are definitely a bit bloody.
 
The John Brown card is actually quite astute. It represents the prevailing view of Brown in the 1950s/60S when these cards were printed. It was a saner more-studied time, before post-modern and politically-correct slants began to weave their little webs into contemporary mindset.

A. It identifies the raid as violent, which some now would find uncomfortable, wanting to maintain Brown as some sort of ultimate Christian, that the violence was a last resort. (i.e. A violent raid by a Northern band, led by John Brown, shocked the nation today...)

B. It identifies the group as fanatic, which some now would find uncomfortable, having bought the "Brown as martyr" thing (i.e."the fanatic group tried to seize a United States arsenal...")

C. It reiterates that the attack involved a mere handful of men, when some today would prefer we think of it as a widely-supported effort of the anti-slavery movement at the time (i.e. "With only a handful of men to support him...")

D. It recognizes that Brown had no realistic plan for loading the stolen guns, the most basic thing ever to plan for (i.e. "Failing to obtain the ammunition,...") *

E. It points out that the incident may have undercut attempts to solve the slavery problem by other more civil means -- which was underway (i.e. "High officials in the government had hoped to negotiate the serious slavery issue but tension between the north and south reached its highest peak today.")



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* though on this point (imho) this is just another hint that Brown actually never cared very much about distributing guns anyway. Brown didn't even plan to have sufficient wagons to transport the guns, let alone any ammo. Wasn't he rather focused on the end game of notoriety for his cause, his band be darned? That would be consistent with the pattern of his life up to that point. Brown was an extremely self-aggrandizing and cynical individual, dismissive even of his own family. The U.S. owes no debt to Brown. He literally may have ignited a war that didn't have to be.
 
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I must have spent $5.00 (big money to a 12 year old) to get the one card that I needed to get the whole set and I finally gave up, one of the things that I distinctly remember is how hard the bubblegum that came in them was. And I say bring on more cards, they bring back pleasant memories or simplier times.
 
E. It points out that the incident may have undercut attempts to solve the slavery problem by other more civil means -- which was underway (i.e. "High officials in the government had hoped to negotiate the serious slavery issue but tension between the north and south reached its highest peak today.")

Details, please. What such effort was underway? Who was involved? Thanks!
 
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