Chalkboard History: Why Don't Young People Care About The Civil War? Pt. 1 | Ep. 26

[@vanessahall5282]

I love history, and this Chalkboard History was a great talk with Bella and Eric! It's great that you all do these discussions on history! I've always felt that my mind is like a sponge, always soaking up more historical knowledge. I love it so much! Eric, Joseph, Bella, and everyone there, please never stop... you all make this 64 year old lady so happy, and you teach people that all history is important. Loving what you do! ❤

[@sharonwright8363]

Bella was my tour guide at Carnton two weeks ago. I can honestly say that I've never experienced a more riveting tour. It is rare to have a guide/interpreter who is so immersed in in her content, it's as though she is living it as she speaks. As a 67-year-old with a keen interest in the Civil War (though probably more a "fan," than an "expert," as Eric describes it), I came away from the tour with Bella feeling that I had learned a lot and that I could learn a lot more if I'd had more time with her. She is a real asset to your team. Thank you for this engaging conversation!

[@ericjacobson7321]

Thank you for the feedback. She is terrific, as are so many young people. If we want them to be leaders in history, we must stop with the browbeating of everyone who is young!

[@b3llanotte]

Thank you so much, Sharon! You are so incredibly kind. Come back and see us again soon

[@Heystraw]

Was going to say I'm young and I care about the Civil War, but then realized I'm in my 40s and I'm not a teen anymore. Just need another Gettysburg type movie to come out... that is what got me really hooked.

[@philovance1940]

Strange - the Civil War always has fascinated me as a child and still as an adult. I was never a good student. Ironically I’m a teacher.

[@michaelpfister1283]

My daughter is a fairly recent college grad, she's 23. I have therefore had recent interaction with a lot of college-age kids. My take from my discussions with them is that they THINK they know what the history is all about, but its based on a very limited and incomplete sampling of the available information. An you're spot-on with the idea of them not listening. They (generally, there are exceptions) don't listen to my views or even my advice that they seek out original sources or more comprehensive scholarly works. One young man was shocked to learn about the book "Fighting for the Confederacy". He just assumed that there were no eye-witness accounts surviving from that time! Like it was written on cuneiform tablets buried in the ground or something. Mostly, though, they just aren't ready to challenge their own views. They also tend to assume that anything that is not happening now, in real time, is irrelevant to their lives.

[@ericjacobson7321]

This also sounds like a lot of people over 60.

[@TimeTravelReads]

I am involved in the channels that talk about books. When I talk to booktubers, some will say that they perceive history as being all about war, especially WW2. Therefore, they don't like history. There's also this attitude that you should only read for fun, not to out of any responsibility to be an informed adult.

[@MrMetalminded]

I'd love to see this continue and see you host even younger folks, like teenagers. I think I tried to ram history, especially Civil War history, down my son's throat as he was growing up. He has been to Franklin several times since he was in a stroller. In fact, I just bought him his own copy of the American Heritage's Golden Book of the Civil War, which was my first CW book. He's 14 now and still isn't much into history. He was there during the 150th Anniversary and we'll be there again during the 160th this year. Maybe I should bring him by so you and Joseph can help him to understand why the Civil War is still important! 😁

[@ryanmichael1298]

Too many young people are involved in non-tactical battle history. Let's get back to basics. Thank you.

[@ericjacobson7321]

So the Civil War is only about battle stuff, not slavery or politics. And World War II is only about battle stuff, and not about imperialism, Nazism, or the Holocaust. Got it.

[@ryanmichael1298]

@@ericjacobson7321 No, just make sure you devote 10 -20 years covering the battles first, then move on to the other things later. Thank you.

[@ericjacobson7321]

@@ryanmichael1298 well that is not how the field of history works.

[@ryanmichael1298]

@@ericjacobson7321 But we have an opportunity for change!

[@josephandkatharynricci2540]

Why are battles so important? I ask this as someone who has researched and written extensively about war and conflict. As a man far wiser than I once said, “if all you’re doing is talking about battles and not talking about why the battles happened, then you’re just talking about soldiers who died in a battle during a war about nothing.”

[@detsportsfan18]

There are so many blanket characterizations & general assumptions on how people must feel based off of nothing but their skin color, that I'm not even sure where to begin. 🤦‍♂️

[@BlairClifford]

The average young person today does not care for much of anything of substance.

[@ericjacobson7321]

Says the person who has clearly spent ZERO time with any young people.

[@scottbumpus4699]

This is the worst take and literally the subject that this episode skewers.