Grape & Canister

A weekly roundup of Civil War news, books, videos, and an Otis pic.

(Source: Reuters)

News

Historians Manisha Sinha and David Blight discuss whether the Fourteenth Amendment disqualifies Donald Trump from running for the presidency.

Here is the latest on the Virginia legislature’s attempt to cancel the exempt status of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in Richmond.

The Virginia Senate voted Tuesday to tear down another Confederate memorial — but instead of a bronze figure on a pedestal, this one consists of words tucked into state law.

With two Republicans joining all 21 Democrats, senators agreed to dismantle a pair of obscure tax breaks for the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the organization that sponsored most of the Confederate statues that dotted Virginia’s landscape until localities began removing them over the past several years.

It should be noted that the state legislature does not, at present, have sufficient votes to override a veto from the governor. It is also worth pointing out that this initiative was started by Simone Nied, 17, a junior at Kempsville High School.

Legislation preventing communities from removing Confederate monuments continues to move through the Florida legislature.

Looking for reviews of new Civil War books? Check out the Civil War Monitor, Civil War Book Review, and Civil War Books & Authors.

Books

Raymond Arsenault, John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community (Yale University Press, 2024).

Frank C. Cirillo, The Abolitionist Civil War: Immediatists and the Struggle to Transform the Union (Louisiana State University Press, 2024).

Videos

I met Marquette Milton last year while leading a tour through Washington, D.C. He is incredibly charismatic and committed to sharing the rich history of the U Street Corridor/Shaw neighborhood in D.C.

This roundtable about the history and memory of the battle of Gettysburg is a bit dated, but it is well worth your time.

I shared this in the chat stream, but this interview with the descendants of a United States Colored soldier, who was awarded the medal of honor for his bravery at the battle of New Market Heights is quite moving.

The American Battlefield Trust recently visited Charleston, South Carolina, which, not surprisingly, included a stop at Fort Sumter.

At least two groups of historians have filed amicus briefs on whether the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution disqualifies former president Donald Trump from running for reelection.

Otis

Here is a pic from last summer. Otis is in Maine with my wife and sister-in-law, enjoying the beach and long walks along picturesque trails, while I am stuck in Boston working on my book.