West Point During The Civil War

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West Point Graduates

West Point is one of the oldest and most prestigious schools in the United States of America having been established in 1778 shortly after the revolutionary war. Throughout the history of the country it has produced a number of military individuals who have helped serve the nation in times of war. Even to present day the university is still responsible for training and providing this country with fine military personnel. Although there have been peaceful times within the United States and her people for a number of decades, these times were not always the familiar to the country specifically during the times of the Civil War in the 1800s. Sadly, the country was faced with splitting as southern states seceded …show more content…
From the period of 1833 leading up to the war in the 1860s there was a dramatic shift in curriculum and the levels of training that were provided. Staring with the relief of Sylvanus Thayer, who was considered by many to be the “Father of the Military Academy”. His exit brought a number of changes to West Point, the end of a regime, changes in approaches to war and strategic thinking, alongside the overall purpose of individuals who attended the academy. Many people believe that West Point attendees only go to train and be taught the ways of the military. This is idea was removed after Thayer left the academy as its leader. There was an emphasis placed on individuals training for the military, and professions that would allow them to be an asset to the military as well. From metallurgy, to physics, and medical training, there were a number of disciplines that the school saw. The focus on preparing these students for war declined dramatically from this time period, which may have been foreshadowing to the potential split that about to occur within the country. Of the 997 students that graduated from the academy during this time, 359 of them were confederate, while the other 638 claimed the union. There were three quarters of ex West Pointers that graduated during this time period who ended up fighting in the Civil War. 3Notably, Robert E. Lee also attended the university during the 1833-1861 time period, alongside a number of integral individuals in the Civil War. The education that they received during this time may have been responsible for some of the genius that was displayed, and the savagery and violence that occurred throughout the duration of the war. 4Needless to say, there were a number of academy students that fought each other during the war. Long before the start of the civil war, West Point spent time under
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