Those of you living in Richmond, Virginia and surrounding communities may have heard a small explosion this morning. That was the sound of the neo-Confederate community waking up to learn that the Richmond school board voted to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart Elementary School to honor President Barack Obama. [click to continue…]

The last thing I did before leaving Charlottesville, Virginia last week was sit down to record an episode of Colin Woodward’s Amerikan Rambler podcast. It was a pleasure to be able to chat with Colin in person and an opportunity to say thank you for his willingness to read and comment on a chapter of my forthcoming book on the history of Confederate camp slaves and myth of the black Confederate soldier. [click to continue…]

Last week it was announced that one of the most iconic photographs from the Civil War era has been misidentified. I don’t mind admitting that I found this news to be a slightly jarring experience. The photograph of Confederate soldiers in Frederick, Maryland transports us back to September 1862, we believed, just days before the battle of Antietam. These Confederate soldiers survived the brutal fighting around Richmond and at Second Manassas before entering United States territory for a showdown with the Union army that might bring an end to the war and independence.  [click to continue…]

As many of you have no doubt heard Virginia Republican Corey Stewart won his primary last night for the United States Senate. He will face off against Democrat Tim Kaine in November. It should be interesting to watch to see if Stewart can leverage his embrace of the Lost Cause in a state wide election. I have my doubts, but anything is possible. [click to continue…]

Update: My black Confederates manuscript should receive final approval from the board of directors at the University of North Carolina Press in the next few weeks. In addition, my proposal for a Confederate monuments reader, which I am putting together with Professor Hilary Green is now under review and has received a very enthusiastic response. Hoping to share more news on this front in the next few weeks.

Award Winner! Congratulations to Andrew F. Lang whose book In the Wake of War: Military Occupation, Emancipation, and Civil War America recently won the Tom Watson book prize from the Society of Civil War Historians. I shared with Andy a few months ago online that I thought his book had a good chance of winning. I am thrilled to see that others thought so as well. [click to continue…]

Check out this photograph of the latest large Confederate battle flag off of I-64 installed by the Virginia Flaggers in protest over efforts to remove Confederate monuments in Charlottesville and elsewhere. As you can see it flies defiantly and is likely clearly visible from any direction. Just kidding. There is no photograph. [click to continue…]

Update: Here is a nice write up of my work with history educators in Charlottesville that appeared in the Daily Progress.

I’ve been very lucky over the past two years to have the opportunity to work with teachers and students all over the country on how to understand the current debate surrounding the display of Confederate monuments. However, other than a Skype conversation with a local history department in the days following the white nationalist rally this past August, I have not had the chance to visit my old home of Charlottesville, Virginia. Until today. [click to continue…]