The Fourth of July celebrates American independence, but it's also 150 years to the day since Abraham Lincoln asked for troops to restore the Union. The North and the South differed over what independence really meant, and they went to war over states' rights and civil rights, issues that still divide the nation today. Was the Civil War more about slavery or economics? Was it worth what it cost? Could slavery have been ended by peaceful means? Was the war a historic struggle or a tragic mistake? Those questions help demonstrate how the Civil War has defined American culture and politics. We hear from five eminent historians with different points of view.
The Fourth of July and the Civil War
Credits
Guests:
- Christopher Phillips - University of Cincinnati
- David Goldfield - University of North Carolina, Charlotte
- Nell Painter - author of “Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over” - @PainterNell
- Peniel Joseph - historian and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, founder of the school’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy - @PenielJoseph
- Michael Kazin - Georgetown University