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
We are standing in a salt boiling brock. Boiling block. This area was very important ,hroughout the colonial period because it was the center of what we know today as the uruguay confederacy. Iroquois confederacy. There were various missionaries, explorers, soldiers coming into this area. They were the first to notice the salt brine as far as europeans. The significance of salt brining around the lake was noted very early on during the colonial period. It did not get a chance to be exploited until after the american revolution, when a variety of different treaties concentrated local native people to territory south of the lake. The state took ownership of the shore around the lake, so that it could be developed commercially for salt production. The statecontrolled the land, they controlled the sources of brine through the drilling of ells and so forth. Manufacturing was actually in the hands of private individuals. It started into the early 19th century. The biggest problem they had wa
Try to get them out of the regular army, but he could not. Because they were established by legislation. Hari jones is the curator of the African American civil war memorial Freedom Foundation and museum. Hes joining us in washington. Dick lehr is the author of the book the birth of a nation. Gentlemen, thank you very much for being with us on cspan3s American History tv. This sunday, the filmmaker explores how African Americans have been portrayed in photographic images from the time of slavery through today. It was based in many ways on the work of deborah willis, her groundbreaking book about black photographers. I was also aware this world there was this other narrative going on as well in which black people were constructed post slavery and even before the end of slavery as something other than human. It was part of the marketing of the photographs and memorabilia and stereotypes. In many ways, they are still haunting us in terms of the way in which we might see ourselves in terms
In its entirety, the film the birth of a nation which premiered 100 years ago by filmmaker e w griffin. In the next 45 minutes we will open our phone lines. Part of the real america series. Joining us is hari jones. The curator of the africanamerican civil war memorial Freedom Foundation and museum. From boston is the author of the book, the birth of a nation how a legendary filmmaker and a crusading editor reignited americas civil war. David lehr. Thank you for being with us. The phone lines are open. 2027084901 for those in mountain and pacific time zones. Dick lehr, we will begin with you. In terms of history it is a foundational moment in american film history. A breakout moment. Until the threehour plus epic, films were much shorter. 10 minutes or less. The ambitious d. W. Griffith wanted to tell a big story in a big way. He employed all kinds of innovative film techniques that people had not seen before. This was americas first blockbuster. It summarizes this foam. You called it
I spend a couple chapters developing the story of trotters father and griffiths father, who fought on opposite sides of the civil war. Primary research, i came across a noah trudeaux, who assembled voices from the 55th, one of the allblack regiments from boston. I am not sure how he did it or where he found the letters. There were a dozen or more letters from trotters father, who fought in the 55th regiment from boston in the civil war. To read those letters, you are there. He brings you there. He brings you close, on the ground, in the field, and gives you as end sub the value of black soldiers, their courage, bravery. The father was at the forefront of protesting against unequal pay. It is all in his voice and it is all in the primary resource material. Our next call is from the boston area. Good afternoon. Hi. How are you . If you watch the birth of a nation dispassionately, the answer to the race problem then and now is a sexual problem. All i ask one to do is to watch it and then