Lori Meadows
The Civil War divided Princeton University, with students and alumni fighting on both sides of the conflict. The university's Memorial Atrium, dedicated in 1920, lists the names of those who died during the war, but does not indicate whether they fought for the Union or the Confederacy. This reflects the era's reconciliationist politics, which sought to erase the role of slavery and emancipation in the Civil War. Tensions between Unionist and Secessionist students peaked in 1861, shortly after the war began, with Southern students withdrawing from the college and leaving New Jersey. Despite the war's impact on the university, President John Maclean Jr. was determined to keep the College of New Jersey open, and Princeton students continued to play football and baseball throughout the conflict.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year when the Civil War began | 1861 |
| Students' activities during the war | Playing football, baseball |
| Students' political leanings | Union and Confederate forces |
| Number of students who fought in the war | More than 600 |
| Number of students who died in the war | 86 |
| Number of students who fought for the Confederacy | 47 |
| Number of students who fought for the Union | 39 |
| Percentage of students who wore a uniform | 17% |
| University's stance on slavery | Sympathetic |
| University's role in the war | Students and alumni served in civilian capacities |
| University's response to the war | Continued classes, promoted calmness and loyalty to the national government |
| University's commemoration of the war | Memorial Atrium with names of the dead, regardless of the side they fought on |
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What You'll Learn
Tensions between Unionists and Secessionists
On April 23, 1861, the College of New Jersey faculty granted an "honorable dismission" to 56 Southern students. The Northern students stood at salute as the Southern students gave their final salute to the flag and marched off campus for the last time. Despite President John Maclean Jr.'s efforts to keep the college open and his pleas for calmness and loyalty to the national government, conflict erupted among the students.
The Civil War divided Princeton, just as it did the rest of the nation, and students and alumni fought on both sides. More than 600 Princeton students and alumni fought in the Civil War, and 86 died in the conflict. Of these, 47 fought for the Confederacy, and 39 for the Union. The university's ties to the South and its history of having a large proportion of Southern students meant that Princeton was sympathetic to those who supported slavery and secession. Breckinridge, a Princetonian and the great-grandson of John Witherspoon, defected to the Confederacy and served as a major general in the army.
The Memorial Atrium at Princeton, dedicated in 1920, reflects the reconciliationist politics of the time. The names of those who died in the Civil War are listed, alphabetically, with no indication of which side they fought for. This symbolically buries the causes of the war, granting moral equivalency to the Union and Confederate causes.
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Student and alumni deaths
The Civil War divided Princeton University, with students and alumni fighting on both sides of the conflict. On April 23, 1861, the College of New Jersey faculty granted an "honorable dismission" to 56 students, who were mostly from Southern states, as Southern students withdrew from the college and left New Jersey.
The Memorial Atrium at Princeton, dedicated on February 21, 1920, commemorates the university's students and alumni killed in American wars. The memorial lists the names of those who died in the Civil War, but does not indicate which side they fought for. The decision to group the names alphabetically, rather than by Union and Confederate affiliations, symbolises the reconciliationist politics of the time.
Extensive research by the Princeton University Archives staff has revealed that over 600 Princeton students and alumni fought in the Civil War, with 86 dying in the conflict. Of these, 47 fought for the Confederacy, and 39 for the Union. This reflects Princeton's sympathy towards those who supported slavery and secession in the years leading up to the Civil War.
The Civil War had a significant impact on Princeton, causing on-campus strife, declines in enrollment, and student and alumni deaths. By November 1863, enrollment at Princeton had decreased by 20% since the start of the war. The war also disrupted campus life, with Southern students withdrawing and tensions escalating between Union and Confederate supporters.
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The Memorial Atrium
The Civil War divided Princeton, as students and alumni fought on both sides of the conflict. The university's strong Southern ties meant Southern students comprised a large portion of the student body, often exceeding 50% before the war. In 1861, as Southern states began seceding from the Union, Southern students followed their home states, withdrawing from the college. On April 23, 1861, 56 students were granted an "honorable dismission" due to the outbreak of the Civil War.
The memorial lists 62 names of Civil War casualties, but recent archival research has revised the number of deaths to 86, with 47 fighting for the Confederacy and 39 for the Union. This number represents only a fraction of the more than 600 Princeton students and alumni who fought in the Civil War. The university's records were incomplete, and it was only through additional research that eight more names were added to the memorial over the next 16 years.
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Football and baseball popularity
Football and baseball have long histories in the United States. Baseball, often referred to as "America's Pastime", was not actually created in the US, but the country popularized the sport and retains a strong cultural connection to it. The term "base-ball" dates back to 1744, in John Newbery's children's book "A Little Pretty Pocket-Book". The sport's popularity exploded in the 1920s, during the so-called golden age of sports in the US, with star player Babe Ruth leading the New York Yankees to success and reinventing the home run. The commercial growth of baseball was aided by several innovations, and its popularity continued to rise even during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
However, in 1965, American football surpassed baseball in popularity for the first time, according to a Harris poll. As of 2022, nearly 1.04 million high school athletes play American football, with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and NAIA. The National Football League (NFL) has one of the highest average attendances of any professional sports league worldwide, and its championship game, the Super Bowl, is one of the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the NFL generated around $18.6 billion in revenue, making it the most valuable sports league in the world.
Despite its immense domestic popularity, American football has not achieved the same level of international success and recognition as baseball. It is not an Olympic sport, although it was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Summer Olympics, and flag football, a modified version, has been shortlisted for the 2028 Summer Olympics. American football leagues exist worldwide, particularly in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Austria, Germany, and France, but the sport faces challenges such as a lack of global visibility and large team sizes.
Returning to Princeton, the university played a significant role in the early development of American football. As early as 1840, students played football on the Rear Campus, using an inflated cow bladder for the ball and East and West Colleges as goals. During the Civil War, Princeton students perfected their game and later played in the first-ever intercollegiate football game at Rutgers in November 1869. Baseball was also popular at Princeton during the Civil War, played in a pasture near present-day Witherspoon Hall.
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Southern students withdrawing
Southern students at Princeton, who had traditionally represented a large portion of the student body, withdrew from the college and left New Jersey in the spring of 1861. The Southern students followed their home states' lead as they seceded from the Union after the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. This withdrawal was not without ceremony. On April 23, 1861, 56 Southern students were granted an "honorable dismission" by the College of New Jersey faculty. John DeWitt, a member of the class of 1861, recalled that his classmate from Mississippi, John Dawson, led the ceremony. Dawson accompanied the singing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" with his violin. Following this, the Southern students gave their final salute to the flag and then marched off campus for the last time, with the Northern students standing at attention and saluting them.
The departure of the Southern students reflected the broader regional divide that the Civil War had caused within Princeton University, mirroring the larger rift in the nation. Princeton, with its Southern ties, experienced on-campus strife, enrolment declines, and student and alumni deaths. The university's enrolment had shrunk by 20% by November 1863, two years into the war.
The Southern students' withdrawal also highlighted the geographic diversity of Princeton's student body, which gave the university the air of a national institution. Before the Civil War, Southerners comprised a significant percentage of Princeton's students, often exceeding 50% between 1790 and 1861. This heavy concentration of Southerners contributed to the university's "Dixie flavor," making it the "northernmost outpost of Southern culture."
The withdrawal of Southern students from Princeton during the Civil War was a significant event that underscored the university's role as a microcosm of the nation's divisions and the impact of the war on higher education institutions.
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Frequently asked questions
Student life at Princeton University centred around Nassau Hall, which was a famous patriotic landmark. Students enjoyed special freedoms on the Rear Campus, where they played football and baseball.
The Civil War divided Princeton University along regional lines, with students and alumni fighting on both sides of the conflict. Southern students, who made up a large portion of the student body, withdrew from the college and left New Jersey in the spring of 1861.
The Civil War had a significant impact on Princeton University, with a decline in enrollment and student and alumni deaths. By November 1863, enrollment at Princeton had shrunk by 20% since the start of the war.
Princeton University dedicated a Memorial Atrium in Nassau Hall in the 1920s to commemorate the Civil War dead. The memorial lists the names of Princeton students and alumni who died in the Civil War, but does not indicate which side they fought for.
Princeton University had a heavy concentration of students from Southern states, and more than half of the Princeton alumni who fought in the Civil War served in the Confederate armies. The university's sympathy for the Confederacy and slavery has been documented in various sources.
