What We’ve Learned: “A Lot of History Every Month”
What have we learned since the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War? As it happens, those years correspond with my tenure as a contributing author to the Emerging Civil War blog starting in December 2014. Looking back over the posts, I have learned a lot of history along with the joys and challenges of composing short and substantive essays (almost) every month.
One old lesson has been reaffirmed: even as circumstances and players change, fundamental issues of history and historiography do not. Just following the anniversary in the spring of 2016, ECW produced an excellent series on the future of Civil War history to which I provided my thoughts at the time. I believe the concerns expressed are just as critical today if not more so and invite the reader to consider these previous posts on the subject.
The first post asks the question: Why study history in general and the Civil War in particular?
The Future of Civil War History
Part two addresses issues of context, perspective, and objectivity concerning the Confederacy.
The Future of Civil War History (part two)
What do you think?
Just read both blogs. Absolutely brilliant and poignant. It’s the same thing I’ve been trying to explain to friends and family when we get into historical debates pertaining to the Civil War. Thank you!