Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2024

A rundown of your favorite posts from the past year.

Dec 30, 2024

As we approach the New Year, I thought I would share the most popular posts of 2024. These are in no particular order. My choices are based entirely on the total number of views and the percentage of subscribers who opened emails to read these posts.

Thanks again to all of you for your support and for taking the time to read. I am excited about the year to come. Expect to see more historian interviews and live chats on a wide range of subjects. Of course, you will have to be a paid subscriber to join my live chats. Consider upgrading today to ensure that this site continues and thrives in 2025. Happy New Year!

1

Does Gettysburg Have a 'Lost Cause Problem'?

Kevin M. Levin

July 4, 2024

Does Gettysburg Have a 'Lost Cause Problem'?

I didn’t anticipate hitting the computer first thing in the morning to write another post about Gettysburg. Two is enough on any given week, including the week of the anniversary of the battle, but an op-ed published today in The New York Times demands a response.

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2

Approaching the Confederate Dead, Without the Memorial, at Arlington National Cemetery

Kevin M. Levin

July 31, 2024

Approaching the Confederate Dead, Without the Memorial, at Arlington National Cemetery

Last week I visited Arlington National Cemetery. It was my first visit since the Confederate memorial was removed in December 2023. As a result, Section 16 is now a little more difficult to find since one of the largest commemorative structures in the entire cemetery no longer stands.

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3

"Never Fight Uphill, Me Boys. Never Fight Uphill"--Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg

Kevin M. Levin

April 16, 2024

"Never Fight Uphill, Me Boys. Never Fight Uphill"--Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg

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4

Democrats and Republicans Have Never Been Further Apart in Their Understanding of the Civil War Era Since Reconstruction

Kevin M. Levin

January 9, 2024

Democrats and Republicans Have Never Been Further Apart in Their Understanding of the Civil War Era Since Reconstruction

Yesterday President Joe Biden delivered a campaign speech at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where on June 17, 2015 nine church members were murdered by a young white supremacist.

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5

Racism and the Limits of Imagination in the United States and the Confederacy

Kevin M. Levin

December 1, 2024

Racism and the Limits of Imagination in the United States and the Confederacy

I wrote an entire book about why it took so long for the Confederacy to finally pass legislation authorizing the enlistment of Black men as soldiers. This fact isn’t difficult to appreciate once you understand that the Confederacy’s primary goal was the defense and expansion of chattel slavery throughout the west and

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6

The South Didn't Lose the Civil War. The Confederacy Did.

Kevin M. Levin

November 24, 2024

The South Didn't Lose the Civil War. The Confederacy Did.

Of course “The South” lost the Civil War. Everyone knows that. Some people defiantly announce, “The South Will Rise Again.” In 1959, singer Phil Harris sang “The South Shall Rise Again.” However, while such statements may announce your Lost Cause bona fides to the world, this use of language distorts the relevant history of the region during the Civil W…

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7

Why We Can't Have a Civil War Film That Tells the Truth

Kevin M. Levin

August 18, 2024

Why We Can't Have a Civil War Film That Tells the Truth

In his latest column in The New York Times, Jamelle Bouie asks why Hollywood has trouble depicting the Civil War as a triumph of Union and emancipation.

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8

Donald Trump is Not a 'Confederate President'

Kevin M. Levin

November 11, 2024

Donald Trump is Not a 'Confederate President'

You are excused if you thought otherwise.Do you find value in my writing and observations. If so, consider upgrading to a paid subscription. It’s cheap. Your support will make it possible for me to continue to reflect on the connections between today’s politics and the Civil War era over the next few years. There certainly will be …

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9

A Conversation With Ed Gantt

Kevin M. Levin

June 25, 2024

A few weeks ago I came across a short YouTube video of an African American Civil War reenactor interpreting the history of United States Colored Troops for a small audience at an event marking the anniversary of the Battle of Wilson’s Wharf.

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10

Robert Gould Shaw, Thanksgiving, and What Matters Most

Kevin M. Levin

November 28, 2024

Robert Gould Shaw, Thanksgiving, and What Matters Most

It doesn’t take long when reading the letters and diaries of Civil War soldiers to appreciate just how fragile the bonds are that connect us to the people we love. Some of Robert Gould Shaw’s most touching letters were written during major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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Civil War Memory

Does Gettysburg Have a 'Lost Cause Problem'?

Approaching the Confederate Dead, Without the Memorial, at Arlington National Cemetery

"Never Fight Uphill, Me Boys. Never Fight Uphill"--Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg

Democrats and Republicans Have Never Been Further Apart in Their Understanding of the Civil War Era Since Reconstruction

Racism and the Limits of Imagination in the United States and the Confederacy

The South Didn't Lose the Civil War. The Confederacy Did.

Why We Can't Have a Civil War Film That Tells the Truth

Donald Trump is Not a 'Confederate President'

A Conversation With Ed Gantt

Robert Gould Shaw, Thanksgiving, and What Matters Most

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