What Made America? Victory in the Civil War
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Greetings, one and all. Well, you've heard it by now, unless you live under a rock. This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and by extension, of course, the birth of the United States itself. As July 4th looms here at American History Hit, we're marking the occasion by circling back to some of our favorite and most trusted guests. celebrated voices in the study of American history, and asking them a simple question. What inspires them most about America at 250? What compelling event, person, movement, idea best captures the American story, the spirit of 250 for them, and why? With me today, we have Professor Aaron Sheehan-Dean. He is a leading scholar and author on Civil War history from Louisiana State University.
Hello, Aaron. Welcome back. Looking forward to July 4th this year.
Thanks, Don. It's a pleasure to be here. And yes, this should be a very colorful and fun year.
Yeah, for sure. Thank you for all the episodes you've done this past year and for indulging our question today. So let's get right to it. When facing a momentous celebration of America, what do you find yourself most celebrating?
Well, for those of your listeners who've suffered me in the past, this will sound like special pleading for me to single out the Civil War. And as a Civil War historian, it's probably obvious, but it is, I think, bears repeating that Union victory in the Civil War is what in fact makes this anniversary possible in a very fundamental way. And we have talked about contingency and certainly readers, people who have read carefully about the military history of the Civil War now know all of the vulnerable moments during which the Civil War could have ended quite differently. And then we wind up with a North America with eight or 15 or 45 republics. And instead we're celebrating the 250th anniversary of one that dates
back from 80 years before the Civil War, but I would still view and argue that Northern Victory is a kind of remarkable confirmation, that's certainly how Lincoln understood it, of the ability of this republic to persevere. And I think that's where thinking about the Civil War in relation to the nation's founding opens up some interesting questions about continuities and discontinuities. Gettysburg is one focal point for those. Of course, the end of the war itself, the kind of Lincoln's last moments offer another opportunity to kind of dig in on this.
Exactly. It's Lincoln's framing of this thing that's so interesting to talk about logistically, but also almost philosophically and politically, for sure. And you're saying all this sitting in Louisiana, which is how far we've come as a nation today. So, Aaron, bringing this up is a good chance to review the history, how and when the North did achieve victory. You know, we have never done an episode on the Appomattox surrender, which is a murky event for many. When does that take place and how, you know, the basics of it?
So Appomattox, which I would I think we probably now call the first surrender because there are then there's there's another surrender in North Carolina. And depending on how you date it, there are later ones. But that happens informally on April 9th, 1865 and formally on April 12th. 1865, so exactly four years to the day, and it creates an almost eerie kind of marking of the duration of that war, that that's the official surrender on April 12th.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–11:36
2
Why does Aaron Sheehan-Dean argue Union victory made the 250th anniversary possible?
11:36–22:00
3
When and how did Lee's surrender at Appomattox effectively end major Civil War fighting?
22:00–30:03
4
What logistical and strategic factors forced Lee to surrender in April 1865?
30:03–38:21