A Gettysburg Counterfactual That Matters

North Carolina Monument at Gettysburg

Let’s forget about how the outcome of the battle of Gettysburg may have been different had Confederate general Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson been present.

Let’s forget about whether Confederate general Jubal Early could have pushed the Federals off Cemetery Hill on the evening of July 1, 1863.

Let’s forget about whether a different plan of attack on July 3 could have proven successful for Confederates.

Instead…

How might our understanding of Gettysburg be different if battlefield tours included references to the roughly 10,000 enslaved men that accompanied Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania?

How might our understanding of Gettysburg be different if exhibits and tours acknowledged the crucial roles that enslaved men played during the 3-day fight, including the preparation for Confederate assaults and their aftermath?

How might our understanding of Confederate monuments on the Gettysburg battlefield be impacted if the stories of these enslaved men were explored, including those who ran off during the retreat back to Virginia?

Answer: We would have a better understanding of the battle and an appreciation of what was at stake for the United States in the summer of 1863.