For preservation was initiated in the 1880s and 1890s when the veterans were at the height of their power in government and Industry Leaders and all of them. It was because battlefields ironically these places of conflict could become places of comfort. So americans always put tremendous emphasis on these places as a tool of reconciliation. The key part of the battlefield that came from the sons of confederate veterans stipulated the government would care for this battlefield and not detract from the glory. The dedication speech i helped managed. 1927, said the keynote speaker said we do more than dedicate these fields in memory of things that have passed. We consecrate them in the spirit of lee and lincoln to a more perfect understanding to south and north. For the next 50 years or so would faithfully carry out that charge. Where americans can come together and understand the war in a very human level. Just to give you a sense of how deep this tradition is and how its perceived by the
Bothersome debate. And maybe its a symptom of why so Many Americans are kind of put off by the war. Why do you argue about stuff like that . But lets look at those names in a different way. Each of those names represents a perfectly valid perspective on the war. And each is a potential gateway for americans to engage in this story. This worldchanging story. The problem is and for reasons that seem mysterious to many, people who are not inclined toward history the problem is we continue to throw barriers large and subtle in the way of those intellectual gateways into this history. We view the labels, these names as not able to stand side by side but mutually exclusive. If the war is a war of northern aggression, it cant also be a war for emancipation. But, in fact it was. It was all those things. And thats okay. So like our fellow americans our history always challenges us to be better. We draw strength and inspiration from those who risked and gave all for our communitys protection, ou
Exists than the rest of the world combined than all. Society thinks of itself as being nonmilitaristic and i think in our essence we are. Preserves battlefield land to such a degree. Now our traditional view of the civil war was born on the postwar period. The reunification of our nation. Think about the fact in United States capital today are seven statutes to man supporting the rebellion against the federal government during the American Civil War. They dont do that in syria, libya. They do it here. Thats remarkable. Now there are lots of ways and the reconciliation scholars have shone is buried and incomplete in some areas and in some ways. How did that come to pass . Part of the answer is when you want to make up with somebody you find Common Ground. Place where you can both be comfortable. To some degree we did it on a national level. In the aftermath of the civil war few things everybody could agree with or most people and that was that the american soldier be he dressed in gray
Americas meandering Journey Towards freedom justice and equality. Its the foundation from which our nation emerged on to the world stage as a world power. Its the greatest demonstration of both the failure and durability of democracy. It is perhaps the vivid reflection of our virtues, successes and failures all wrapped up into one. These are all things that have shaped the lives of every american and millions and millions of people beyond our nations boundaries have lasted 150 years. In our relentless quest for simplicity an our selective memory that exists on history that flatters or inspires us Many Americans and maybe america at large today fail to see the immense legacy of the civil war in our lives and in our culture. Too many people are interested if the civil war. Problem is not enough are interested in the civil war. Every american should be able to find a gateway into this story for engaging the civil war as part of not only the National Experience but the frame work of their
And i am highly gratified that we can meet together this day not in sorrow, but with gladness of heart. Surely, the evacuation of petersburg and richmond, the surrender of the principal insurgent armies, has given all of us hope that we are going to see a righteous and speedy peace, whose joyous expression can hardly any longer be restrained. It was nearly a week after the signal news of the surrender at appomattox was received that i said to mrs. Lincoln, finally, after all of these days, i am beginning to feel like all this is over. We attended theater just before easter. But in the midst of all of the celebrations, certainly he from whom all blessings flow must not be forgotten. The call for a National Thanksgiving has been prepared and will be duly promulgated. Surely those whose harder part has given us cause for rejoicing must not be forgotten. You know that i myself was very near the front, shortly before the surrender, and i had the great pleasure of transmitting much of the re