27. Legacies of the Civil War

The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845-1877 (HIST 119)

Professor Blight finishes his lecture series with a discussion of the legacies of the Civil War. Since the nineteenth century, Blight suggests, there have been three predominant strains of Civil War memory, which Blight defines as reconciliationist, white supremacist, and emancipationist. The war has retained a political currency throughout the years, and the ability to control the memory of the Civil War has been, and continues to be, hotly contested.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Introduction: Legacies of the Civil War
08:29 - Chapter 2. Catton's "Lost Cause" Interpretation: The Dependence of Memory on Historical Period
19:21 - Chapter 3. Reconciliationist, White Supremacist and Emancipationist Memories
29:11 - Chapter 4. The Shifting Grasp and Struggle to Control Civil War Memories
44:57 - Chapter 5. Echoes of the Civil War, Hope for Racial Equality: A Conclusion?

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses

This course was recorded in Spring 2008.