Emancipation. Its important to us. Because when we think about a reunified United States in the aftermath of civil war, what conclusion must we draw. Clearly, a large majority of the American Free population was not enthusiastic about emancipation. And to come back to a final theme that has been the bedrock of this course throughout, in a democratic society, where a large majority holds a particular value, that is inconsistent with the interest of minority, theres not much reason to be optimistic for the rights of that minority. Remember James Madison had said if majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure. I think that is a foreshadowing of the history of reconstruction on end through the rest of the 19th into the 20th centuries. So very fast whirlwind overview. Next time, were going to zero in on Abraham Lincoln and were going to enter into conversation with him because what lincoln is trying to do more than anything else is shape how we remem
Becomes that, i think the term they use was the wind. This wire and wind that came through georgia. Sarah reuben made an interesting point about the destruction itself. I thought it was interesting, i left it out of my talk. She said we have the sense of the march to the sea as being the giant tidal wave this tsunami. 60 miles across from one end to the other as it goes out to the sea. She said in reality it was more like fingers of destruction. Stitches through the landscape. Because the army was advancing down roads. And most places they stayed a day. If that much. So the destruction, the destruction is limited to how far off the roads they can go. So she said there are vast areas in between those roads. That were untouched by it. And those people of course applied food and help to the other people who had lost so much during the march. Its interesting, because i had not even thought about this. We do have this image of tsunami of fire going across and if fact it really is more like
Each other, that we will do more. In the coming season and we have that, we think, is one of the best we have come up with. It is a neglected civil war story because of the neglected march on georgia. There is little bit less attention on his other march, which followed that march. Man a look at this scowling in that fantastic coke, as we begin talking about him. John. Am going to talk to who, as you heard, has written two wonderful books about william sherman. , i i think we need to know dont know how you can do in a few minutes, we need to know who this guy was . His family, psyche. Tell us something about this fellow in the doublebreasted uniform. John this picture that you see was taken of sherman. He did not want to have it taken. He is not a happy camper. This is not the best picture of him. But its very briefly, sherman has a very difficult childhood. His father dies and he is nine years all. He goes to live with a neighbor, while his mother is living just up the street because
Hood a fighter as commander of the army of tennessee. Hood repeatedly attacks sherman, trying to drive him back from atlanta and hood gets a series of bloody noses. Finally, sherman undertakes the last of his flanking moments at the end of august cuts the last railroad into atlanta coming in from the south forces hood to evacuate atlanta on september 2nd. And that has a huge political impact in the north, northern people have become wary of the war and the slaughter, especially in virginia, during the summer of 1864, with nothing to show for it. Or apparently nothing to show for it. And now comes the message from atlanta, from sherman. Atlanta is ours. And fairly won. People in the north go upset at this news. Its one of the major turning points of the war the nina turning point toward Union Victory is the6f4i fall of atl at the beginning of september 1864, it ensures lincolns reelection. It ensures the north is going to prosecute this war to ultimate victory. And sherman becomes the
Be sure to watch cspans washington journal beginning at 7 00 eastern on friday morning. Join the discussion. Next on American History tv, historians discuss general shermans march flew georgia. After that, historian dennis fry talks about the impact of john browns raid in the 1860 goals. The New York Historical society hosted this hour long event. Welcome, its great to be back in the same seats as we always occupy. For those of you who have come to a number of our sessions. We are promised and we are promising each other that well do more in the coming seasons. We have a topic today that we think is one of the best that weve come up with, its a neglected civil war story. Because of the focus on shermans march through georgia. Theres a little less attention on shermans other march, which followed the march through georgia. Take a look at this scowling man in a fantastic coat, as we begin talking about him. Im going to start with john who as you heard has written two wonderful books abou