Few people have thought more deeply about how to interpret Civil War battlefields than my good friend and fellow Civil War historian, Dr. Peter S. Carmichael. Pete is the Fluhrer Professor of History at Gettysburg College and director of the Civil War Institute. Over the past few years, Pete and his staff have placed their students in internship positions at National Park Service sites, where they have gained valuable experience leading tours and engaging visitors.
In this interview we discuss both the challenges and opportunities involved in interpreting Civil War battlefields at a time of intense disagreement over how this crucial period in American history should be remembered, taught, and commemorated.
I decided to make this video available to everyone. Over the past few weeks the number of new subscribers has risen dramatically and I thought it would be a good idea to give them access to what is normally available to paid subscribers only.
The other reason is that the Civil War Institute is offering my Substack community a 15% discount on the annual conference from June 9-14. The annual conference is one of my favorite events. It brings together serious students of the Civil War and some of the best scholars and public historians in the field for five days of presentations and battlefield walks. I can’t recommend it enough.
Use this discount code when registering: PAR
Links:
Peter Carmichael’s books:
Lee’s Young Artillerist: William R.J. Pegram (University Press of Virginia, 1995).
The Last Generation: Young Virginians in Peace, War, and Reunion (University of North Carolina Press, 2005).
The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies (University of North Carolina Press, 2018).
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