#american uniform

[ripstefano]

“At the turn of the nineteenth century, the British Empire is at the height of its ascendancy; Napoleonic France is struggling to maintain its position as a world power; and the incumbent American empire is quickly expanding its territory, while the Native peoples struggle to establish their own confederacy, their own independent nation.”

- James Laxer, Tecumseh & Brock: The War of 1812

Spurred by a someone, I bring you a collect of uniforms from the war of 1812. Quite the underrated, set in the lull of the Napoleonic Wars, the smaller and less professional set pieces don’t make it any less heroic.

One of my favourite quotes about the conflict comes from the book above; a man of Issac Brock’s is concerned for his life, telling him to remove his uniform to hide his rank, Issac Brock reproaches him and tells him he would never lead his men anywhere he wouldn’t personally go. He would die in battle; “As was his practice, he would lead from the front, attired in his scarlet uniform. A British quartermaster who had crossed the river with Brock urged him to make himself less of a target for the Americans. “If we lose you, we lose all,” he said to the general, pleading with Brock to let the troops by led by their own officers. “Many here follow me from a feeling of personal regard,” replied Brock. He thanked the quartermaster for his regard but said, “I will never ask them [his soldiers] to go where I do not lead them”

The siege of Detroit was fun too.

From The American War 1812-14

[ltwilliammowett]

Raising the Flag over a Colonial Ship, by Henry A. Ogden, 1904

[daguerreotyping]

Carte de visite of a dashing young Union soldier with pomade in his hair and worry in his eyes, c. 1861-65

[kraeki]

When in America ⚾️

[angelofalls]

An attempt at drawing Haley Long, age 14 (Better late than never lol)

[horny-athletes]

In American football, as in other team sports, or even more so, the deep bond between team members is important.

In the locker room, taking time to get to know every inch of each other's bodies, watching their reactions, exploring each other's most sensitive areas, and being exposed to the lecherous glances of their other teammates.

They are great players and role models for their teams as they practice these basics.

[twigsyy]

students

[viminoo]

misc baberoe doodles + renee

[male-us-prison-experience]

A CRUCIAL TOOL OF DISCIPLINE IN MOST AMERICAN PRISONS: THE LEATHER WAIST BELT WITH STEEL HANDCUFFS IN FRONT

Well, let's start with a simple pic, which i like very much: a new prisoner, presumably just arrested a few days before, brought to the court-house for trial by two police-officers. They just brought them there with the car you see on the background.

This is always a very humiliating moment for a new prisoner, who in this case indeed does not look very happy. He now has to bridge the distance from the car to the front door of the courthouse, in full view of family, random onlookers and - if the crime for which he is to appear appeals to the imagination - often also the local (sometimes even national) press: the so-called perp walk. This can be just a few meters, but sometimes also a considerable distance.

The suspect no longer appears in his own civilian clothes, but has already put on a prison uniform. Presumably he was forced to wear it immediately after his incarceration in the local jail, prior to his first night behind bars.....

The bright orange color makes him very visible and makes him contrast sharply with the police officers behind him and all bystanders.

The stigmatizing effect of this will not go unnoticed by the wearer of this uniform: it clearly separates the (not yet convicted) criminal from the civil society that will soon keep him behind impenetrable concrete walls for many months or even many years because of the crime he has committed. from a state prison. The forced wearer of such a uniform immediately feels like an inmate, and it influences his mindset and his behavior. It often automatically makes them a bit more docile.

For this uniform, the prison has not opted for a so-called two-piece, trousers and shirt, but for a very basic one-piece jumpsuit, which is simply closed at the front with a row of six or seven silver-colored press studs one above the other. This was indeed done neatly, in accordance with prison regulations, so that the top snap button is not clearly visible. This also applies to the bottom one(s) for another reason. These jumpsuits are often much too big and fit around the wearer like a bag. But it fits well here - and it looks good on him too, I must add.

Most prisoners - but they don't have a say in that - would prefer a two-piece, because it is more practical and you look even more out of place in such a jumpsuit, especially with that row of clearly visible press studs on top of each other. Its compulsory wearing is experienced by many as extra humiliating. Perhaps this also plays a conscious role for the prison authorities, but such a jumpsuit is moreover considered 'safer' because it is more difficult to hide everything in it.

The guy is of course extra recognizable as a prisoner because, as is prescribed in almost all states for the transport of prisoners (and often also in court), he is carefully handcuffed. He wears a wide leather belt around his waist, to which a set of handcuffs is attached in a very simple but effective manner in the middle of the front. This combination is very effective in making any possible attempt at resistance impossible. There are circulating on the internet many pics showing inmates in court shackled this way, like this one.

Only after the belt is placed, with the buckle out of reach of his side at the rear, the cuffs are put on. At the front, where on a normal belt the buckle would be, there is fixed a large steel D-ring that protrudes straight forward. The D-Ring is wide enough to pull an open cuff through it. The short connecting chain between the two separate cuffs then passes through this D-ring, so that one handcuff hangs down on each side. Only thereafter are the handcuffs themselves placed on the prisoner's wrists one by one.

With that they are immediately inextricably attached to the belt, because the prisoner can now no longer possibly free himself from this situation – nor from the shackles, nor from the grip of the D-ring on his shackles. He is forced to keep his hands low in front of his crotch all the time, because the D-ring plus the short chain offer little room for maneuver. He can no longer do anything dangerous with them, and it is also completely impossible for him to hold them in front of his face to avoid the curious eyes of onlookers.

I’ve here inserted a photo of another prisoner in the courtroom itself, this time in a two-piece uniform, which clearly shows how in fact a normal belt has been reversed, with the buckle at the back. In addition, I deliver underneath a detailed photo that shows much better how exactly the handcuffs are attached. A video is also circulating on the Internet, showing how a brand new juvenile detainee is handcuffed in this way immediately after he has had to change clothes and put on his new (this time black-and-white striped) prison uniform. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vzE4JSmzLw

An alternative to the leather belt with handcuffs consists of a steel chain around the waist, to which the handcuffs are attached, sometimes in advance, sometimes on the side. The latter is a much more natural position than both hands right in front of your crotch. Although steel is more uncomfortable than leather, most prisoners - but of course they are never asked  - seem to prefer it. This socalled belly-chain offers more freedom of movement, as you can with some physical flexibility move it up or down rather far. The belt is usually stuck to your waist. Because your belt is really fixed, so are your handcuffs. Even swearing an oath in court is this way difficult, as the pic underneath shows. Of course, seen from the opposite perspective, it is very safe and therefore convenient for the guards.

Many prisoners find having to wear such a leather belt, to which the handcuffs are attached by inserting them through the D-ring, and in which case the handcuffs after locking also automatically are attached to the belt too, more humiliating than a belly-chain with handcuffs on it. It feels a bit like being a dog on a leash. The belt indeed can offer a good grip for the guard...

Moreover, a leather belt around the waist is traditionally a symbol of male pride and self-confidence, hence the striking buckles in cowboy culture. There, such a belt embodies male freedom. And that male symbol of freedom is turned into its opposite here: by attaching his handcuffs, to a prisoner it becomes the symbol of his loss of freedom, of his powerlessness.

The photo ends just above the prisoner's knees. Although his feet are not raised, it is almost certain that he is, as its called, 'fully restrained', meaning that in addition to the belt and handcuffs, he is also wearing foot cuffs. That is the standard combination, especially for prisoners on transport. Naturally, these were also applied to the video clip just now. There is little chance that they were omitted in this case. Also he will thus have looked like this outside on the street.

[aphroditeslover11]

Who ever thought that giving the world Cillian Murphy in uniform was fair? How am I meant to settle for an ordinary man after this?!

[ripstefano]

Early American CW Uniforms

"We have, as all will agree, a free Government, where every man has a right to be equal with every other man. In this great struggle, this form of Government and every form of human right is endangered if our enemies succeed."

Lincoln

The war's first major clash occurred at the First Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas) on July 21, 1861. Union forces under Brigadier General Irvin McDowell launched an offensive against the Confederate army led by Generals P.G.T. Beauregard and Joseph E. Johnston near Manassas, Virginia. What began as a hopeful march toward a quick Union victory turned chaotic; inexperienced troops on both sides struggled with logistics and command. Ultimately, Confederate reinforcements arrived, turning the tide and forcing Union troops into a frantic retreat toward Washington, D.C. The battle revealed that the war would be longer and bloodier than anticipated, foreshadowing the brutal conflict that lay ahead.

From Lincoln's 90-Day Volunteers 1861: From Fort Sumter to First Bull Run

[daguerreotyping]

Ambrotype of a pipe-puffing pair of comrades in arms, c. 1861-65

[deadnatura11]

Misha was already starting to get bricked up before SPN ended but now that he has beefed up and remains beefed up I need them to reference it in the show and I want the in-universe reason to be his muscles came from homesteading heaven. He rebuilt Heaven with his own two hands. Jack supervised but it was Cas digging the trenches for the rivers and planting the trees and building homes for every soul wearing nothing but a pair of threadbare overalls and there SHOULD be an episode about it.

[horny-athletes]

[koszmarnybudyn]

Two doodler prophets in the world where they didn't have to be.

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

William McGregor Paxton (1869-1941) "The House Maid" (1910) Oil on canvas