Teaching Civil War memory

[Georgia Sixth]

The article/blog post linked below is simply fascinating. All I can say is, I wish I had a history teacher like this when I was a kid!

Common-place: Teaching Civil War Memory

Basically, the teacher challenged his students to question whether their understanding of the Civil War was right, whether it was the only way to understand it. He shocked them by exposing them to how differently many understood the Civil War just 10 or 20 years after it happened. He then plumbed their understanding of 9/11 to demonstrate how history is not always obvious or self-evident. Then he connected his Wisconsin classroom with classes in Virginia and Georgia, to compare and discuss the different (or similar) understandings of the war. Very cool project. Quick, great read.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

" At one point, a Georgia teacher asked, "You don't have a problem that the University of Wisconsin plays football games where Confederate prisoners were once held and died?" "

Yes, and so does Gettysburg College, where both armies died and their Rugby field is smack in the middle of Otis Howard's 11th Corp's confused actions Day1- both armies would have lost men there. Where her 4x guncle died, the spot the 1tth PA engaged, you can turn the other way and look down on that same field where my daughter played. Gives me chills sometimes thinking about it. I've always loathed how trashy looking Gettysburg is, up by the strip where the hotels are, where the RR tracks run. It's just that it's all important, you know? I think we all DO care, its just tough to- not a lot one can do, for one thing plus there's an awful lot of ground to cover, for another.

You're right- it's a very cool project, thanks for the head's up!

 

[Pat Young]

I've always loathed how trashy looking Gettysburg is, up by the strip where the hotels are, where the RR tracks run. It's just that it's all important, you know? I think we all DO care, its just tough to- not a lot one can do, for one thing plus there's an awful lot of ground to cover, for another.

You're right- it's a very cool project, thanks for the head's up!

We joked that Pickett's Charge failed because the men were tired after pigging out at at General Pickett's Buffet.

 

[W. Richardson]

The article/blog post linked below is simply fascinating. All I can say is, I wish I had a history teacher like this when I was a kid!

Common-place: Teaching Civil War Memory

Basically, the teacher challenged his students to question whether their understanding of the Civil War was right, whether it was the only way to understand it. He shocked them by exposing them to how differently many understood the Civil War just 10 or 20 years after it happened. He then plumbed their understanding of 9/11 to demonstrate how history is not always obvious or self-evident. Then he connected his Wisconsin classroom with classes in Virginia and Georgia, to compare and discuss the different (or similar) understandings of the war. Very cool project. Quick, great read.

Nice site, thank you for posting it. At first I thought it was that Kevin Levin's blog which is mostly a waste of time.

Respectfully,

Willaim