The Georgia Senate Runoff: A Historic Election

Let’s set politics aside. Can we do that? It’s 2021, so maybe for a moment? It appears as of this morning that the Democratic Party won both Senate seats in the Georgia Senate Runoff election. As of now the Associated Press has declared candidate Raphael Warnock the winner and it appears that Jon Ossoff will

60 Minutes: Confederate Monuments

This stack of papers…..this stack of papers… I’m definitely one of those teachers. I love teaching; I hate grading papers. I’m sure there are more of us than not. Regardless, I keep giving writing assignments to my students. Call me crazy, but I’d rather see students reflect on what they learned rather than circle answers.

Fort Sanders Monument: Memorial for the Dead or Lost Cause Propaganda?

The national debate surrounding Confederate monuments came home for the city of Knoxville this past weekend. A planned rally took place in the city in support of a local monument dedicated to Confederate soldiers who died at the Battle of Fort Sanders. According to local news affiliate the Knoxville News Sentinel, the rally was relatively

Descendants of Alexander Stephens Speak Out

Over the past few weeks I’ve written a couple of posts concerning the issue of Confederate monuments. Two of those posts dealt with the perspectives of Robert E. Lee and the descendants of a few prominent Confederates. Well, I can add one more to the list: the descendants of Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the

‘sons’ of Confederate Veterans Speak Out on Confederate Monuments

Not to be confused with the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV). After the very unfortunate events in Charlottesville, many have come to the forefront to express their concerns and views on Confederate monuments. Opinions have come in from all corners of the political spectrum as well as the historical and the heritage communities. Out of

Robert E. Lee Got it Right

Robert E. Lee is usually set upon a pedestal, both literally and figuratively, as an example of what one might call southern honor and manhood. His supporters typically whitewash his relationship with slavery in this portrayal of all things south opting to depict him as not a racist, just someone subjected to the time and practices which

Nash Farm Battlefield Saga

News broke yesterday that the Nash Farm Battlefield Museum would close by June 1. This came after a request from County Commissioner Dee Clemmons to remove Confederate Battle Flags from inside the museum. Earlier stories indicated that Clemmons also requested all Confederate “paraphernalia” be removed. The news cycle has changed and even the story which

Removal of Confederate Flag Leads to Museum Closure

News broke today that the Nash Farm Battlefield Museum in Henry County, GA is going to close up shop. This came in apparent response to a request by Dee Clemmons, a County Commissioner, to “remove their Confederate flags and paraphernalia.” You can read about it here but I’ll give a brief summations. The museum is owned by

Brief Comments on Monument Removal

Updates Below The news of the removal of various Civil War & Reconstruction monuments in New Orleans is certainly making its rounds. I have not devoted a lot of time or energy to commenting on the issue of monument removal thus far, outside of few statements on Facebook and Twitter. However, as someone who grew

Museum of the American Revolution

On April 19 the Museum of the American Revolution officially opened in Philadelphia, PA. As a historian with an interest in early American this absolutely tickles my fancy and I hope to make it up there soon. Be sure to check out their website or follow them on Twitter. Happy #InternationalMuseumDay! It's a beautiful day