Just watched ken burns' civil war.

#2
#2
Where did you see it? That's one of the all time great docs but very old. I remember watching it in a U.S. History class my junior year in high school. That would have been 1991.
 
#3
#3
It's on netflix. All 9 episodes. I thought they could have talked more about the south but it was pretty good. I'd like to study more of the politics leading up to the war. Stonewall Jackson was a heck of a leader too.
 
Last edited:
#4
#4
joevol320 said:
It's on netflix. All 9 episodes. I thought they could have talked more about the south but it was pretty good. I'd like to study more of the politics leading up to the war. Stonewall Jackson was a heck of a leader too.
Click to expand...

Man I love Shelby Foote. Was a hell of a story teller.
 
#5
#5
I'm convinced 90% of Americans don't much knowledge about the civil war, and why anything in it actually happened. They just declare a holy war on slavery by the North and don't ask any more questions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#6
#6
MSME Vol said:
I'm convinced 90% of Americans don't much knowledge about the civil war, and why anything in it actually happened. They just declare a holy war on slavery by the North and don't ask any more questions.
Click to expand...

Are you implying the main crux of the war was not about slavery?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#7
#7
Off topic, but I got to meet Ken Burns last week when he came to discuss his current Vietnam documentary
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#8
#8
burntorangeVOLffle said:
Are you implying the main crux of the war was not about slavery?
Click to expand...

Not implying anything. Slavery was an issue and the major one on which states could not agree upon. However most everyone likes to conveniently forget that this is not why the North went to war initially or why nearly every Southerner fought. They don't know that Tennessee for example voted 80% against secession initially, and it wasn't until Lincoln called for an army to invade the Confederacy that she seceded.

They don't want to talk about sources of cheap labor, and how the North might as well have had slavery with what they paid the new immigrant workers in the newly built factories. That was a problem that the war didn't fix.

They don't know why Lincoln issued the emmancipation proclamation and how close Britain was to joining the South in the war. They don't know that the 14th amendment initially failed because northern politicians didn't want southern States to get more Representatives in Congress.

The list of what isn't generally taught on the war is enormous. I am glad the war ended slavery. No man should not be allowed his freedom in this country. However to not look at history fairly and ask why things happened is an Injustice. One cannot just make the North out to be a glorious saving army that needed to put the stupid backwoods rebels in their place. Both sides had issues. Both sides were at fault in some ways.

I really just want people to be educated and not fall back on the "civil war was about slavery" cliche. It's like saying that WWII was about saving Jews and that was it.

Burns does a great job at analyzing all facets of the war. It really should be required viewing in schools.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people
#11
#11
MSME Vol said:
Not implying anything. Slavery was an issue and the major one on which states could not agree upon. However most everyone likes to conveniently forget that this is not why the North went to war initially or why nearly every Southerner fought. They don't know that Tennessee for example voted 80% against secession initially, and it wasn't until Lincoln called for an army to invade the Confederacy that she seceded.

They don't want to talk about sources of cheap labor, and how the North might as well have had slavery with what they paid the new immigrant workers in the newly built factories. That was a problem that the war didn't fix.

They don't know why Lincoln issued the emmancipation proclamation and how close Britain was to joining the South in the war. They don't know that the 14th amendment initially failed because northern politicians didn't want southern States to get more Representatives in Congress.

The list of what isn't generally taught on the war is enormous. I am glad the war ended slavery. No man should not be allowed his freedom in this country. However to not look at history fairly and ask why things happened is an Injustice. One cannot just make the North out to be a glorious saving army that needed to put the stupid backwoods rebels in their place. Both sides had issues. Both sides were at fault in some ways.

I really just want people to be educated and not fall back on the "civil war was about slavery" cliche. It's like saying that WWII was about saving Jews and that was it.

Burns does a great job at analyzing all facets of the war. It really should be required viewing in schools.
Click to expand...

It was interesting that most of the north DID NOT want to fight to free the slaves. The soldiers did not to fight a war for slaves. It was about keeping the country together. Yeah, the north used those Irish men almost like slaves.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#12
#12
Volunteer_Kirby said:
His Vietnam series was really well done. Will have to check out his Civil War series.
Click to expand...

I felt compelled to watch, though I hate the thought of losing the war but was good. If we had the same number of troops we would won that war within the year. Jackson and Lee would have whooped em. They were the best generals of the war.
 
#13
#13
joevol320 said:
I felt compelled to watch, though I hate the thought of losing the war but was good. If we had the same number of troops we would won that war within the year. Jackson and Lee would have whooped em. They were the best generals of the war.
Click to expand...

You hate the thought of the south losing? You’d rather have been living in the CSA today?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#14
#14
joevol320 said:
I felt compelled to watch, though I hate the thought of losing the war but was good. If we had the same number of troops we would won that war within the year. Jackson and Lee would have whooped em. They were the best generals of the war.
Click to expand...

I'd throw Bedford Forrest in there too
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#15
#15
Everything that Ken Burns touches is fantastic. From his one or two hour documentaries to the massive epic ones like The Civil War, The West, Baseball, The War (WWII) and Vietnam.

He is currently in production on one do to air in 2019 entitled Country Music

I remember first watching The Civil War when it first aired I was a 11 years old and we set and watched it as a family it made me want to learn more about my Confederate ancestors and really helped me become obsessed with the War and eventually today on all American Military History.

To this day I can't hear the theme song to the series and not start tearing up. Most people don't know it isn't even a period piece but was first composed in 1982.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZmxZThb084[/youtube]
 
#19
#19
CagleMtnVol said:
Everything that Ken Burns touches is fantastic. From his one or two hour documentaries to the massive epic ones like The Civil War, The West, Baseball, The War (WWII) and Vietnam.

He is currently in production on one do to air in 2019 entitled Country Music

I remember first watching The Civil War when it first aired I was a 11 years old and we set and watched it as a family it made me want to learn more about my Confederate ancestors and really helped me become obsessed with the War and eventually today on all American Military History.

To this day I can't hear the theme song to the series and not start tearing up. Most people don't know it isn't even a period piece but was first composed in 1982.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZmxZThb084[/youtube]
Click to expand...

I love the National Park series..it's my favorite.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#21
#21
burntorangeVOLffle said:
Are you implying the main crux of the war was not about slavery?
Click to expand...

I would say this is very debatable. A whole regiment of the Union deserted after the emancipation proc. because in their minds, that's not what the war was about and it pissed them the hell off.

128th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment - Wikipedia

Lincoln said he would invade states that didn't pay tariffs...and then he did. He said it wasn't about slavery.

Grant said if the war had been about slavery, he would have lent his sword to the other side.

For many it was about slavery, but I don't think it was the main crux.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#22
#22
n_huffhines said:
I would say this is very debatable. A whole regiment of the Union deserted after the emancipation proc. because in their minds, that's not what the war was about and it pissed them the hell off.

128th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment - Wikipedia

Lincoln said he would invade states that didn't pay tariffs...and then he did. He said it wasn't about slavery.

Grant said if the war had been about slavery, he would have lent his sword to the other side.

For many it was about slavery, but I don't think it was the main crux.
Click to expand...

Nearly every article of secession listed slavery as the first reason for leaving the Union and devoted the majority of the content of the documents on the issue. The “right” to own slaves as well as the relectunce of the federal government’s lack of forcing the northern states to return escaped slaves to the southern states was also a major factor in the grievances of “States Rights”.

The Northern army may not have technically been fighting to free the slaves. Lincoln did not go into the war with the intent to free the slaves. It was about preserving the Union. That doesn’t mean the main catalyst of the war was not about slavery.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#23
#23
Lincoln did not make the war about slavery because he would have the majority of,support by the north. He constantly claimed it was about protecting the country.

The southern cinstitution had banned international slave trading. Slavery would have ended without the war.
 
#24
#24
burntorangeVOLffle said:
Nearly every article of secession listed slavery as the first reason for leaving the Union and devoted the majority of the content of the documents on the issue. The “right” to own slaves as well as the relectunce of the federal government’s lack of forcing the northern states to return escaped slaves to the southern states was also a major factor in the grievances of “States Rights”.

The Northern army may not have technically been fighting to free the slaves. Lincoln did not go into the war with the intent to free the slaves. It was about preserving the Union. That doesn’t mean the main catalyst of the war was not about slavery.
Click to expand...

What I'm saying is it's hard to determine what is the main catalyst of the war. You're implying that it was the most important issue to the south overall and that's what makes it the main catalyst...the North was not going to go to war with the South over slavery. They were willing to go to war with the South over tariffs though.

South Carolina had a standoff with the the federal government over tariffs. Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Virginia seceded only after Lincoln ordered them to raise armies to fight the seceding states. I would say the over-arching theme of the war was states rights, with slavery being the biggest issue under that umbrella, but it's still not the cause of the war. Tariffs were.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top