- Joined
- Apr 4, 2017
- Location
- Denver, CO
1. The political fortunes of neither party are seriously impacted by interpretations of the Civil War and Reconstruction. In particular, the Democratic party is not defending the disenfranchisement of African-Americans and is not dependent on that fact to win electoral votes in the South. History can be much less political than it was in the 1930's.
2. Half the people that experienced the Civil War were women. Many were wives, some were nurses, some were prostitutes, and some were equal rights advocates. But there lives determined the outcome, to a large degree.
40% of the women in the Confederacy were African-American, and they were ready to walk away from slavery, when the odds for freedom looked favorable. The names and experiences should not be lost.
3. African-Americans vote and are broadly participating in government. The goals of Reconstruction have been achieved, to a large degree. There may not be many monuments to Thaddeus Stevens, but the 14th Amendment is living part of the Constitution. The same can be said of the 15th Amendment.
4. The descendant of an Irish Catholic was elected to the Presidency. Tragically, he was assassinated. However the significance of the Irish, who were largely Catholic, in picking the Union side in the conflict can now be emphasized.
5. We are not living under the burden of two hideous wars caused by German militarism. The role of German-Americans can be discussed freely.
6. J. Edgar Hoover is not the head of the FBI. A person can take progressive attitudes about some of these subjects without having a file opened on them in FBI headquarters.
2. Half the people that experienced the Civil War were women. Many were wives, some were nurses, some were prostitutes, and some were equal rights advocates. But there lives determined the outcome, to a large degree.
40% of the women in the Confederacy were African-American, and they were ready to walk away from slavery, when the odds for freedom looked favorable. The names and experiences should not be lost.
3. African-Americans vote and are broadly participating in government. The goals of Reconstruction have been achieved, to a large degree. There may not be many monuments to Thaddeus Stevens, but the 14th Amendment is living part of the Constitution. The same can be said of the 15th Amendment.
4. The descendant of an Irish Catholic was elected to the Presidency. Tragically, he was assassinated. However the significance of the Irish, who were largely Catholic, in picking the Union side in the conflict can now be emphasized.
5. We are not living under the burden of two hideous wars caused by German militarism. The role of German-Americans can be discussed freely.
6. J. Edgar Hoover is not the head of the FBI. A person can take progressive attitudes about some of these subjects without having a file opened on them in FBI headquarters.
Bringing the