Feldman analysts is artistic portrayals of the American Revolution and civil war. She talks about the influence of paintings, sculptures, in memorials on how history is remembered. The Smithsonian Associates host to this event. Today we are going to look at the American Revolution and civil war, in particular, but a little beyond that. Controversies about the stories we tell. I am going to focus, because it is impossible to cover such an amount of material in one top. Im going to focus in particular on the nations capital, and the public buildings on the mall, which is after all, the centerpiece of american political culture, and our public culture, where people come from all around the world, and the country to participate in government, to learn about government, to understand our heritage. So i thought what is it we say to those people when they come to washington . What have been some of the controversies . What are some of the issues we should be aware of . And what is missing . S
Where he also had figures such as this but in his case, its peace rielding in ayuchlful chariot. You can see the peace in the center. The partially nude female figure crowned riding the four horses and golden victory figures off to each side. Well, this is what mills had in mind for George Washington. They were thinking of it for George Washington that transposed him from the human, from the everyday, from a general to now a super human almost godlike figure. And so when construction, which had been halted on the Washington Monument for about 20 years in the 1860s and 70s, when construction was started up again, the engineer, thomas casey, who really loved modern inventions, elevators, electric lights, decided no were not going to put that temple at the bottom. He wanted the Washington Monument to stay that would represent america. Moving forward into the 20th century. And so he now saw it as a sleek monument of american ingenuity. So it was his decision, essentially, not to create the
Have not yet seen. With the fighting skill which they are already aware. Im at langley, im senior director programs at the National World War Ii Museum ignored orleans. Im joined today by two gentlemen. The first is paul sparrow who is director of the franklin de roosevelt president ial museum and library and hyde park, new york. Following a career as a documentary filmmaker and a Senior Executive of the museum,. Paul has been directing the Roosevelt Museum since 2015. He will be talking obviously about fdr and the Manhattan Project. Our second guest is Clifton Truman daniel who is the eldest grandson of president harry truman. He is also a truman scholar. He has spent quite a bit of time studying the life and career of his grandfather and he currently serves as honourary chairman of the board of trustees and at the harry truman president ial library and museum and independence, missouri. So today well give a great opportunity for question and answer. Please weigh in with lots of quest
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
To learn about government, understand our heritage, so i thought, what is it we say to those people when they come to washington . What have been some of the controversies . What are some of the issues we should be aware of and what is missing . That is going to be my focus with the Capital Building here, rotunda, and of course the mall which stretches all the way back , down to the Lincoln Memorial. Building Capitol Building with its great paintings by John Trumbull of the American Revolution and at the opposite end of the mall, the Lincoln Memorial commemorating the civil war and Abraham Lincolns role. Also up at the capital and is another littleknown memorial. There was an oped in the Washington Post a couple days ago about this memorial, the ulysses s. Grant memorial, which is there at the foot of the Capitol Building. It and the Lincoln Memorial were dedicated in 1922, the same year, yet they represent two different approaches to telling the story of america and the civil war. Of