Educators participate in an advocacy workshop led by Virginia teachers on preserving social studies state standard revisions at the annual National Council for the Social Studies conference in Nashville. Credit: Javeria Salman for The Hechinger Report I came across this article from the Hechinger Report. “In recent years, division over how social studies should be taught has plagued school districts around the country. The irony, according to Lawrence Paska, executive director of the National Council for the Social Studies, is that in many places, the subject is ‘not being taught, period.’ Soc ..read more

In this episode Professor Gerald Prokopowicz speaks with author Howell Raines about his book covering the 1st Alabama Cavalry (US ..read more

One of the 8-inch Columbiad cannons at Confederate Fort Darling, overlooking a bend in the James River at Drewry’s Bluff. The well-protected, 100-foot-high bluff was a major factor in foiling Union naval attacks on Richmond and putting greater pressure on Butler’s land advance from Bermuda Hundred. (Library of Congress) This article comes from the Winter 2023 issue of America’s Civil War magazine. “In a war known for its provocative personalities, few could compete with Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler. An established antebellum politician, lawyer, and businessman, he gained fame during the c ..read more

We begin with this article from the Old Dominion, where the racist governor is standing in the way of removing tax exemptions from white supremacist groups. “An amendment from Gov. Glenn Youngkin would halt a bill intended to remove real estate-related tax exemptions from several organizations with ties to the Confederacy, instead requiring the measure to undergo a study and another vote next year. The governor’s recommendation would direct the Virginia Department of Taxation to examine the effect of removing the exemptions on state and local government revenues. It states the department ..read more

This book by Glenna Schroeder-Lein is another in the Concise Lincoln Library from Southern Illinois University Press, with its cover art by the Gettysburg-based artist Wendy Allen. The book covers not only Lincoln’s health but also the health of his family and how the decisions he made affected the practice of medicine in United States armies. We don’t normally read about this in the same perspective. “While there have been a number of articles addressing various aspects of the health of the Lincolns, there has been no overview volume since Lincoln and the Doctors: A Medical Narrative of the ..read more

Grant, pictured here in 1847, fought with the 4th U.S. Infantry during the Mexican War. (National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution) This interview with journalist and author Jack Hurst is from the Summer 2023 issue of America’s Civil War magazine. “It could be an American fairy tale. Once upon a time, a young boy who loved horses wanted nothing more than to be a farmer in order to escape the sights and smells of his father’s tannery shop. He gains a sudden West Point appointment because the accepted nominee from rural Ohio drops out and becomes a reluctant soldier. He hones his milita ..read more

This is the first installment of the C-SPAN series, “Congress Investigates” about historically significant investigations the US Congress conducted over the years. The video’s description reads, “In 1871, a joint House-Senate committee investigated conditions in the southern states following a wave of violence against freed slaves and others.” https://www.c-span.org/video/?533776-1/congress-investigates-kkk-violence-reconstruction ..read more

In this presentation, Professor Edda Fields-Black discusses Harriet Tubman and her leadership of the Combahee River Raid. The video’s description reads, “Carnegie Mellon University professor Edda Fields-Black talked about Harriet Tubman’s role in the 1863 Combahee River raid, a secret military mission against Confederates in South Carolina which rescued over 700 former slaves.The Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore hosted this event.” https://www.c-span.org/video/?533832-1/combee ..read more

Patterned after a model built in France and used during the Crimean War, the Confederates’ Floating Battery was a daunting and, in theory, potentially ruthless vessel. It even had a compact hospital—complete with operating tables and beds—attached to the rear, which proved an unnecessary ‘luxury’ considering how the contraption was ultimately used. (Naval History and Heritage Command) This article is from the April 2022 issue of America’s Civil War magazine. “At 4:30 a.m. April 12, 1861, on James Island in Charleston Harbor, Confederate Lieutenant Henry Farley pulled the lanyard ..read more

On this day in 1865, Former US Army Colonel [the last legitimate rank he held] Robert E. Lee surrendered the traitorous Army of Northern Virginia to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and the forces of the United States. Pictured above is the last confederate flag ..read more