Abe and Me

I‘ve never quite understood the vehement anger expressed by some for Abraham Lincoln. Yes, I get the libertarian concern that Lincoln’s policies reflect a fundamental shift in the size and scope of the federal government. Funny that they rarely express the same concern for Jefferson Davis who went just as far in suspending civil liberties [...]

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Schmutz’s Crater

So, it looks like I am reviewing John F. Schmutz’s new book on the Crater for H-Net.  I should apologize for the cheap shot I took the other week when I suggested that he probably took up the project after watching Cold Mountain.  It turns out he has some relatives who fought in the battle.  [...]

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Civil War Memory: Final Projects

I‘ve got 55 exams to grade as well as end-of-the-trimester comments to write over the next few days.  But for now I am enjoying the final projects from my students who spent this past trimester studying Civil War Memory.  This was one of the most rewarding experiences for me to date.  I had a wonderful [...]

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CFP: Historical Tourism in the American South

My friend and fellow historian, Karen Cox, has issued a call for papers for a proposed collection of essays on tourism in the American South.  Karen already has a number of historians involved in this project, including yours truly.  I am going to contribute an essay on Arlington House and the evolution of the NPS’s [...]

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For Richard Williams

I think he needs it.  Here are just a few of my favorite images of Robert E. Lee that I would be proud to have hanging in my office. [left to right: "The Last Meeting of Lee and Jackson" by Everett B.D. Julio, "General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Va" by L.M.D. [...]

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Cotton: The Fabric of Our Lives – Just Not the Lives of Slaves

The other day I came across the “Cotton Campus” website, which is an interactive website for teachers and children on the history of cotton and sponsored by Cotton Inc. As someone interested in how the history of slavery is remembered (and often ignored) I was curious as to how the people who brought us Mary [...]

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We Are a Nation at War and…

we should behave like one.  By now most of you are aware that the new administration has lifted the ban on photographing the coffins of the Iraq war dead.  I agree with the general outline of the policy and never understood the Bush Administration’s position.  It seemed to me to fall in line with everything [...]

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Falling in Love With Abraham Lincoln

In today’s New York Times Opinion Page, Maira Kalman brings her artistic gifts [love her New Yorker covers] to bear on her relationship with Abraham Lincoln.  I’m still trying to figure it out, but I love the way Kalman balances what appears to be a fairly sophisticated understanding of Lincoln’s life and legacy with the [...]

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