David W. Blight

During World War II, the United States created a massive propaganda machine called the Office of War Information. Now, That's what governments do during wartime. They do. But that organization did indeed engage in a lot of propaganda, selling stories to keep Americans patriotic.

Move ahead from that to McCarthyism. Anti-communism was a very deep phenomenon in America, and not without some reasons in the 30s and 40s and the war years and immediately after. But McCarthyism caused a wave of attempts of trying to control what writers wrote, what historians could teach, who could teach anything.

Move ahead from that to McCarthyism. Anti-communism was a very deep phenomenon in America, and not without some reasons in the 30s and 40s and the war years and immediately after. But McCarthyism caused a wave of attempts of trying to control what writers wrote, what historians could teach, who could teach anything.

Move ahead from that to McCarthyism. Anti-communism was a very deep phenomenon in America, and not without some reasons in the 30s and 40s and the war years and immediately after. But McCarthyism caused a wave of attempts of trying to control what writers wrote, what historians could teach, who could teach anything.

Let's take the Civil War, if you want. In 1865 to 1870, 75, there was an organization in the South, for example, that called themselves the Southern Historical Society.

Let's take the Civil War, if you want. In 1865 to 1870, 75, there was an organization in the South, for example, that called themselves the Southern Historical Society.

Let's take the Civil War, if you want. In 1865 to 1870, 75, there was an organization in the South, for example, that called themselves the Southern Historical Society.

That was originally made up mostly of former Confederate officers who were determined to try to control the story of what the war had been about, what they had actually fought for, what their crusade meant, what the Confederacy actually was.

That was originally made up mostly of former Confederate officers who were determined to try to control the story of what the war had been about, what they had actually fought for, what their crusade meant, what the Confederacy actually was.

That was originally made up mostly of former Confederate officers who were determined to try to control the story of what the war had been about, what they had actually fought for, what their crusade meant, what the Confederacy actually was.

they told a story that we've come to know as the Confederate lost cause. Namely, they were arguing early on that they did not really lose the war on the battlefield. They only lost to superior numbers and resources. They said they lost only to the Leviathan of Northern industrialization. There's some truth in that, but that's not the full explanation. They also argued that

they told a story that we've come to know as the Confederate lost cause. Namely, they were arguing early on that they did not really lose the war on the battlefield. They only lost to superior numbers and resources. They said they lost only to the Leviathan of Northern industrialization. There's some truth in that, but that's not the full explanation. They also argued that

they told a story that we've come to know as the Confederate lost cause. Namely, they were arguing early on that they did not really lose the war on the battlefield. They only lost to superior numbers and resources. They said they lost only to the Leviathan of Northern industrialization. There's some truth in that, but that's not the full explanation. They also argued that

in season and out for generations that the war was not really about slavery. It was really about state sovereignty and states rights. It was really about resisting the federal interference with their lives and their civilization and their mores and folkways.

in season and out for generations that the war was not really about slavery. It was really about state sovereignty and states rights. It was really about resisting the federal interference with their lives and their civilization and their mores and folkways.

in season and out for generations that the war was not really about slavery. It was really about state sovereignty and states rights. It was really about resisting the federal interference with their lives and their civilization and their mores and folkways.

Wow.

Wow.

Wow.

Because over time, in culture and in schooling and in politics and in rituals from the 1870s and 80s, well on into the 20th century and still surviving in a textbook you were learning from in the 1990s, I am sorry to hear, was this idea that the United States divided, terribly divided, had this all-out horrific war. But it had to put itself back together again. It had to reunite.