I’ve been thinking about a point that Hilary Green made in my recent interview with her concerning the challenges of researching and writing about how African Americans have remembered and commemorated the Civil War era.
One of the most important purposes of a historian is to get the facts right and help us see how it all ties into now. I'm 64 and I have, on my own, learned so much of what was left out of my Virginia public school curriculum. Not everyone has chosen to do that. I love Heather Cox Richardson and Al Mackey for the way they do that very thing, and I see you work at it too. History cannot be honest or understood in a vacuum or after it has been sanitized. It just won't work. I hope the important schools will continue to fund teachers and professors who do their duty to history.
Sandi, I turn 70 next month and grew up in Culpeper Co. I imagine we had much the same curriculum, and that same racist 4th grade Virginia history book (and all our history books). My father found a copy years later and was so pleased to present me with the “correct” history of the commonwealth. I’ve kept it to remind myself, and prove to others, how brainwashed we were.
Hilary Green is the best. I'll just add two plugs. Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities" argues that archives, museums, maps, and a shared language provided the glue for the emergence of nineteenth century nationalism and imperialism. By definition, people not included in the archive were not part of the nation. My grad student Dan Cone's dissertation, which he is turning into a book now, deals specifically with how the founder of ADAH consciously focused on Confederate history while excluding African Americans from the archive and citizenship in the state. Dan's published work and papers actually predated and encouraged the ADAH statement you cite.
As a historian with a PhD and an educator, I think part of the path forward is to develop our local history resources and working with more of the independent historians. In doing my dissertation, I was able to work with some fabulous local researchers to understand the work a small group of African American women engaging in the Soldier's Aid Societies. The work of mining these local resources is a monumental task (and the records saved are definitely in favor of white, triumphant history) and that work can be done by the independent historians. And of course, remembering the power of the social studies teacher who loves to teach local history. As part of both of these groups, they often publish work/ideas locally. I think a good next step would be a collection of stories (edited under the same theme). It's not a full answer to the challenge to getting to the book-length treatment, but it's a path to a start.
Thanks so much for this comment. Hilary made it a point to emphasize the importance of local archives and community groups. Glad to see it reflected in your comment as well.
I’ve set aside time today to listen to your conversation with Dr. Green and I’m looking forward to it. She moved to Davidson about the time we moved away, so I keep track of the town, as well as her writing, thru her tweets. I share the concerns about history not being studied; perhaps some of the “dilettantes” will want to fund studies of the War of Southern Hate.
On another topic, my husband (you know, the dt loyalist) wants to know what you think about the protests of Faneuil Hall. My uninformed flinch (read the NBC report on the sit-in of Mayor Wu’s office) is that there are other, more pressing evils to address. But since I don’t live there...
This, along with an incident I heard about today, makes me feel shame for how very far this pendulum has swung. There are distinctions and differences among our forebears and our landscape that make this effort to wipe out history a big mistake.
We just had Albemarle County School Board vote to change the name of Meriwether Lewis Elementary. I feel ignorance of Mr. Lewis and his chosen actions must either have been an ignored truth or a discounted truth and neither is acceptable. I am all for confederate icons coming down from public spaces and will never be otherwise, but renaming should not be a knee-jerk deal or a forgone conclusion.
Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Merriweather Lewis, and many other founding men of this nation were of their times and that is a given; it does not, it cannot, negate every contribution or effort for a better nation. They were not confederates, they did not make war against our nation to create a slave republic and we need to quit treating them as if they did. Yes, slavery was a terrible wrong and it is hard to reconcile, but the facts must remain for it to have the impact it deserves.
I don't support changing the name of Faneuil Hall, though I understand the arguments in favor of it. That building was appropriated by African Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries in speeches and rallies calling for the end of slavery and civil rights. That building belongs to African Americans as much as anyone else. Something important about that fact would be lost with a name change.
What the site needs is a memorial to the victims of the slave trade. One was planned and an artist even commissioned a few years ago, but unfortunately it fell through.
Thank you so much, from both of us. As you wrote this morning, archives are a problem for researching African American history and a name change could complicate that for their history at Faneuil Hall. Sad the protestors don’t seem to regard that, or the need for memorializing the victims of the slave trade.
Another way to make the point is to suggest that the name itself is an important part of the history of the long civil rights movement in Boston. Changing it makes it more difficult to appreciate the ways in which Black Bostonians utilized key sites around the city to campaign for change.
One of the most important purposes of a historian is to get the facts right and help us see how it all ties into now. I'm 64 and I have, on my own, learned so much of what was left out of my Virginia public school curriculum. Not everyone has chosen to do that. I love Heather Cox Richardson and Al Mackey for the way they do that very thing, and I see you work at it too. History cannot be honest or understood in a vacuum or after it has been sanitized. It just won't work. I hope the important schools will continue to fund teachers and professors who do their duty to history.
Sandi, I turn 70 next month and grew up in Culpeper Co. I imagine we had much the same curriculum, and that same racist 4th grade Virginia history book (and all our history books). My father found a copy years later and was so pleased to present me with the “correct” history of the commonwealth. I’ve kept it to remind myself, and prove to others, how brainwashed we were.
Exceedingly spot on and well said! Thank you for this!
Glad to hear it and you are very welcome.
Hilary Green is the best. I'll just add two plugs. Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities" argues that archives, museums, maps, and a shared language provided the glue for the emergence of nineteenth century nationalism and imperialism. By definition, people not included in the archive were not part of the nation. My grad student Dan Cone's dissertation, which he is turning into a book now, deals specifically with how the founder of ADAH consciously focused on Confederate history while excluding African Americans from the archive and citizenship in the state. Dan's published work and papers actually predated and encouraged the ADAH statement you cite.
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the Anderson reference. Looking forward to Dan's book. It sounds fascinating.
Here is a description of his dissertation: https://etd.auburn.edu//handle/10415/7386
Here is a recent Washington Post article on the subject: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/alabama-archives-faces-its-legacy-as-confederate-attic/2020/09/21/714c8aca-fc09-11ea-b0e4-350e4e60cc91_story.html
As a historian with a PhD and an educator, I think part of the path forward is to develop our local history resources and working with more of the independent historians. In doing my dissertation, I was able to work with some fabulous local researchers to understand the work a small group of African American women engaging in the Soldier's Aid Societies. The work of mining these local resources is a monumental task (and the records saved are definitely in favor of white, triumphant history) and that work can be done by the independent historians. And of course, remembering the power of the social studies teacher who loves to teach local history. As part of both of these groups, they often publish work/ideas locally. I think a good next step would be a collection of stories (edited under the same theme). It's not a full answer to the challenge to getting to the book-length treatment, but it's a path to a start.
Hi Annette,
Thanks so much for this comment. Hilary made it a point to emphasize the importance of local archives and community groups. Glad to see it reflected in your comment as well.
I’ve set aside time today to listen to your conversation with Dr. Green and I’m looking forward to it. She moved to Davidson about the time we moved away, so I keep track of the town, as well as her writing, thru her tweets. I share the concerns about history not being studied; perhaps some of the “dilettantes” will want to fund studies of the War of Southern Hate.
On another topic, my husband (you know, the dt loyalist) wants to know what you think about the protests of Faneuil Hall. My uninformed flinch (read the NBC report on the sit-in of Mayor Wu’s office) is that there are other, more pressing evils to address. But since I don’t live there...
As ever, thank you for all the work you do here.
This, along with an incident I heard about today, makes me feel shame for how very far this pendulum has swung. There are distinctions and differences among our forebears and our landscape that make this effort to wipe out history a big mistake.
We just had Albemarle County School Board vote to change the name of Meriwether Lewis Elementary. I feel ignorance of Mr. Lewis and his chosen actions must either have been an ignored truth or a discounted truth and neither is acceptable. I am all for confederate icons coming down from public spaces and will never be otherwise, but renaming should not be a knee-jerk deal or a forgone conclusion.
Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Merriweather Lewis, and many other founding men of this nation were of their times and that is a given; it does not, it cannot, negate every contribution or effort for a better nation. They were not confederates, they did not make war against our nation to create a slave republic and we need to quit treating them as if they did. Yes, slavery was a terrible wrong and it is hard to reconcile, but the facts must remain for it to have the impact it deserves.
Hope you enjoy the conversation.
I don't support changing the name of Faneuil Hall, though I understand the arguments in favor of it. That building was appropriated by African Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries in speeches and rallies calling for the end of slavery and civil rights. That building belongs to African Americans as much as anyone else. Something important about that fact would be lost with a name change.
What the site needs is a memorial to the victims of the slave trade. One was planned and an artist even commissioned a few years ago, but unfortunately it fell through.
Thank you so much, from both of us. As you wrote this morning, archives are a problem for researching African American history and a name change could complicate that for their history at Faneuil Hall. Sad the protestors don’t seem to regard that, or the need for memorializing the victims of the slave trade.
Another way to make the point is to suggest that the name itself is an important part of the history of the long civil rights movement in Boston. Changing it makes it more difficult to appreciate the ways in which Black Bostonians utilized key sites around the city to campaign for change.