Welcome to Forrest – Wells Park

There are a number of plans on the table that would change the name of Nathan Bedford Forrest Park in Memphis, Tennessee.  Any plan that involves removing the Forrest monument would also have to include the removal of his remains which are buried below.  That presents all kinds of challenges.  As I’ve said before, I [...]

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The View From Virginia in 1861

I am putting the finishing touches on my Crisis at Fort Sumter simulation, which my students will work on throughout this week and present next Tuesday.  Thanks to those of you who offered suggestions on primary and secondary sources.  One of the documents that I am including comes from William Freehling and Craig Simpson’s edited [...]

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A Glimpse Into Camp Life

This morning I noticed the following photograph in my Facebook feed.  It’s an incredible image of Union soldiers parading through their camp.  The photograph and some cropped close-up shots can be found here, but the original is located on the Library of Congress’s website.  It reveals quite a bit of detail about the layout of [...]

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Benefits of Southern Slavery

David Barton and Glenn may be able to continue broadcasting their silly and misinformed shows about American history, but at least we can be guaranteed of a certain number of critical reviews that expose their shortcomings.  Barton’s most recent book about Thomas Jefferson was pulled from store shelves after serious problems with his research methods [...]

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Poor Bill Taylor

A few days ago I offered a few speculative words about the names of deserters that litter the letters of Captain John Christopher Winsmith of the 5th South Carolina Infantry.  One of the recurring names in the letters is that of Bill Taylor.  He lived in the Spartanburg area and so it seems reasonable to [...]

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Spielberg, Kushner and Goodwin Discuss “Lincoln” at Richmond Forum

On January 5, 2013, director Steven Spielberg, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, and screenwriter Tony Kushner returned to Richmond, Virginia, where “Lincoln” was filmed, to discuss the process of “Bringing History to Life on Film” before an audience of 4,200. Moderated by Tim Reid.

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Crowdsourcing Lincoln and Fort Sumter Classroom Simulation

Time for a little crowdsourcing in preparation for a simulation on Lincoln and Fort Sumter that my students will perform a week from this coming Tuesday.  The overall idea is to have my students play the role of cabinet advisers and I, of course, will play Lincoln.  Since I only have nine students we should [...]

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Virginia Flaggers Look For Conflict Badly Dressed

You may remember that a few weeks ago Virginia Flagger Tripp Lewis was arrested on the grounds of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts following a conflict with museum security.  This recent incident reflects a pattern of behavior in this group.  It’s a desperate plea for attention and a clear indication that very few people [...]

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