Freeman talks about her life in writing, she appeared in her monthly call in program in depth in september 2019. Joanne freeman, youre gonna hate this opening question. [laughter] trace the arc of our nations history from 1783 to 1861, the political history of our nation. Wow. I wont use the word hate. [laughter] thats a little daunting. Trace the arc. Im gonna do historian thing and speak generally. I guess i would say if youre looking at american politics from the beginning straight to we could even go past the civil war you are talking about paradoxes and conflict and improv. The periods i tend to focus on really more the early part of the earth and its the improvisational nature of that that really fascinates me more than anything else because the nation was founded in a world of monarchy and the United States was a republic beyond that there was a lot of open grounds theres a lot of improv in those early decades about what the onation is, how it functions, the tone of the governme
Histori historians talk about artifacts featured in their joint publication, the civil war in 50 objects. In this program they discuss items related to the end of the war and president Abraham Lincolns assassination. This conversation took place online, and the New York Historical society provided the video. Good evening and welcome to the eighth and final episode of the history hour. Tonights topic is saving the union and ending the civil war at the battlefield and the ballot box. As always i want to remind you that tonights program which is being recorded will last approximately 45 minutes. This includes 15 minutes for questions and answers. Please submit your questions via the q a function on your zoom screen at any time during the talk. We will respond to as many as possible during the final part of the program. And now, saving the union and ending the civil war. So our series has argued that an aggregate objects and documents have the singular power to convey a narrative in your c
Lincoln, the irish brigade and battle scenes. This conversation took place online and the New York Historical association provided the video. So, were continuing our conversation in this series that argues that objects have the power to convey historical events and to help us understand the past. This idea inspired Harold Holzers book. The objects of which were taken from the collection of the New York Historical society. This evening, well be look iin at five objects from the book and related exhibition grouped around the theme of the art of war. So these works are very different and have different background stories. We have the return of the 69th irish regiment caricature of lincoln riding the emancipation patriotically informati proclamation. Victors painting an episode of war and some prison art. Lets look at the relationship between war and art. Did war stimulate art in america and did art change romantic image of war . I think both, valerie, and good evening. Thanks for having m
Publication. Discussing objects relating to soldiers uniforms. This took place online and the New York Historical society provide d the video. So now, civil war fashion. And to help us understand the past as a historian at New York Historical, i work alongside these treasures every day and it is my great privilege to use them in exhibitions as well. But harold, lets tell our audience about the inspiration for our program, the book, civil war in 50 objects. How can only 50 objects tell such a sweeping story . We used to ask ourselves that question often when we were whittling down the list and there was so much to choose from. The hardest things to preserve are textiles. Some are really extraordinary in terms of how they survived. Absolutely. We have a uniform. Some military buttons. Foot locker and a drum. Very interesting. Fashion, maybe, maybe not. But in aggregate, they tell the story of uniform courage outfitting the civil war soldier. Lets start with this uniform. So, surviving un
Screen at any time during the talk. We will respond to as many as possible during the final part of the program. And now, modern Major Generals. Some of our viewers have commented on our approach to the civil war and using 50 objects that while the multilayered social and political history seen through objects takes in the totality of the context of the war, it doesnt really consider the military history or the sequence of the battle. Harold, what do you think about that . Its a fair enough comment, of course. The objects that were discussing are all in some way related to new york history. So it relates to the soldiers who served, the leaders who helped or hindered the union war effort, the relics that they brought back from battle. I think along the way here, over these last seven weeks, weve touched on battles. Those who experienced them and certainly the battle for new york city because early on we dealt with the draft riots which almost [ inaudible ]. Indeed. Indeed. So were doing