Civil War : Defining a Nation | US History Lecture

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The Civil War was the worst war in American history. The Confederacy seceded from the United States in order to preserve slavery, leading to 4 years of modern warfare the likes we have never seen. In the process the US defined what freedom meant as a nation.
All US history lectures in chronological order: • US history lectures
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See pinned comment and its replies for notes, responses, and errata
assigned readings for this week
Battle Hymn of the Republic (1862): • The Battle Hymn of the...
Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address (1863): bit.ly/2WzLPpY
Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address (1865): bit.ly/2TbBJJM
William Henry Singleton, “Recollection of My Slavery Days,” Documenting the American South (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1922): bit.ly/2LxWxqF
Bibliography
James M. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1988). amzn.to/2PP9Xzh
Megan Kate Nelson, The Three-Cornered War: The Union, the Confederacy, and Native Peoples in the Fight for the West (New York: Scribner, 2020). amzn.to/3cGCc3j
Charles Royster, The Destructive War: William Tecumseh Sherman, Stonewall Jackson, and the Americans, New Ed. (1991; New York: Vintage Civil War Library, 1993). amzn.to/39mL6wb
Wars Within a War: Controversy and Conflict Over the American Civil War, eds. Joan Waugh and Gary W. Gallagher (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2009). amzn.to/2UO7biu
A great set of primary sources on the entire conflict: The War of the Rebellion: A compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 129 vols. (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1882). www.loc.gov/it...
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Wiki: The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 - May 9, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (states that remained loyal to the federal union,[e] or "the North") and the Confederacy (states that voted to secede, or "the South").[f] The central cause of the war was the status of slavery, especially the expansion of slavery into territories acquired as a result of the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican-American War.[14] On the eve of the Civil War in 1860, four million of the 32 million Americans (~13%) were enslaved black people, almost all in the South.[15]
The practice of slavery in the United States was one of the key political issues of the 19th century. Decades of political unrest over slavery led up to the Civil War. Disunion came after Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 United States presidential election on an anti-slavery expansion platform. An initial seven southern slave states declared their secession from the country to form the Confederacy. Confederate forces seized federal forts within territory they claimed. The last-minute Crittenden Compromise tried to avert conflict but failed; both sides prepared for war. Fighting broke out in April 1861 when the Confederate army began the Battle of Fort Sumter in South Carolina, just over a month after the first inauguration of Abraham Lincoln. The Confederacy grew to control at least a majority of territory in eleven states (out of the 34 U.S. states in February 1861), and asserted claims to two more. Both sides raised large volunteer and conscription armies. Four years of intense combat, mostly in the South, ensued.
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Hashtags: #history #CivilWar #abrahamlincoln

[@CynicalHistorian]

Thanks to MyHeritage for sponsoring this. Goto bit.ly/TheCynicalHistorian for a free 2-week trial and 50% off from there. Click "read more" for further info, corrections, and bibliography Thanks for watching! Please consider supporting the channel by buying merch: teespring.com/stores/the-cynical-historian Or by donating to my Patreon: www.patreon.com/CynicalHistorian *[reserved for errata]* I was incorrect on the war causing DC's retrocession. That happened in 1847. Lincoln called for its restoration in his inaugural address, even though Virginia had not seceded yet - so I was mistaking that with secession (thx Polbork) Here are all my US history lectures in chronological order: kzbin.info/aero/PLjnwpaclU4wXIeBg-rugKMup9o8ohyEEL *assigned readings for this week* Battle Hymn of the Republic (1862): kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKqZcoJ9h9iFbpI Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address (1863): bit.ly/2WzLPpY Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address (1865): bit.ly/2TbBJJM William Henry Singleton, “Recollection of My Slavery Days,” Documenting the American South (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1922): bit.ly/2LxWxqF *Bibliography* James M. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1988). amzn.to/2PP9Xzh Megan Kate Nelson, The Three-Cornered War: The Union, the Confederacy, and Native Peoples in the Fight for the West (New York: Scribner, 2020). amzn.to/3cGCc3j Charles Royster, _The Destructive War: William Tecumseh Sherman, Stonewall Jackson, and the Americans,_ New Ed. (1991; New York: Vintage Civil War Library, 1993). amzn.to/39mL6wb _Wars Within a War: Controversy and Conflict Over the American Civil War,_ eds. Joan Waugh and Gary W. Gallagher (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2009). amzn.to/2UO7biu A great set of primary sources on the entire conflict: _The War of the Rebellion: A compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies,_ 129 vols. (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1882). www.loc.gov/item/03003452/

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

I was a bit surprised by you claiming the Civil war had any role in the retrocession of the southern corner of the District of Columbia to Virginia. Actually that had happened over a decade before the secession... "Largely as a result of the economic neglect by Congress, divisions over slavery, and the lack of voting rights for the residents of the District, a movement grew to return Alexandria to Virginia from the District of Columbia. From 1840 to 1846, Alexandrians petitioned Congress and the Virginia legislature to approve this transfer known as retrocession. On February 3, 1846, the Virginia General Assembly agreed to accept the retrocession of Alexandria if Congress approved. Following additional lobbying by Alexandrians, Congress passed legislation on July 9, 1846, to return all the District's territory south of the Potomac River back to Virginia, pursuant to a referendum; President James K. Polk signed the legislation the next day. A referendum on retrocession was held on September 1-2, 1846. The voters in the City of Alexandria voted in favor of the retrocession, 734 to 116, while those in the rest of Alexandria County voted against retrocession 106 to 29. Pursuant to the referendum, President Polk issued a proclamation of transfer on September 7, 1846. However, the Virginia legislature did not immediately accept the retrocession offer. Virginia legislators were concerned that the people of Alexandria County had not been properly included in the retrocession proceedings. After months of debate, the Virginia General Assembly voted to formally accept the retrocession legislation on March 13, 1847.!"

[@kieranrollinson8750]

YOU ARE 20% CONFEDERATE!!!! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS????????? YOU ARE A DISCOUNT SLAVER!!!!!!!!!! YOU GOD DAMN CONFEDERATE!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D

[@robertjarman3703]

I have a hypothesis that the Slave states in the US had an additional thing here. In most civilizations it wasn´t that unusual for their own people to be enslaved by some outsider, perhaps losing a battle, perhaps even losing a war. Athens was destroyed by Xerxes, Romans in 9 CE and Crassus´s army 60 years before. Their people weren´t immune from being slaves. The American South was different, in that it was virtually impossible for a Southern American to be enslaved. Basically no pirates off the coast kidnapping them, nobody really defeats the US in a conventional war, and relatively low numbers of prisoners are taken of American armies in virtually all conflicts. The South never really feared ever being enslaved by anyone else. I think this might have given the US a sense of impunity and uniqueness, and to some degree that also applied to most of the Early Modern slavery as well by European Countries, although with some caveats like that raid on Iceland by the Turks.

[@emmaarmo379]

ah yes, the Civil War - otherwise known as the Golden Age of Facial Hair

[@rn6312]

Cipher's father took that facial hair to the modern day. I mean he is the Beard of Knowledge.

[@Darkout412]

Slight correction here - DC had already retroceded Arlington and Alexandria back to Virginia in 1847. They were not reintegrated into Virginia because of the Civil War; they had been part of Virginia for 14 years by the time the war broke out.

[@Hadanelith1]

And now we'd kinda like to be part of DC again, considering how screwy the rest of our state is being...

[@conlan1015]

The Henry Rifle was phrased as the Rifle that you could load on the Sunday and shoot all week along, A Confederate Officer is credited with the phrase, Not the Spencer Rifle, you were correct that Lincoln did own and shoot a spencer rifle

[@kudjoeadkins-battle2502]

@@Hadanelith1😂😂😂😂 from Richmond. I’m sure I may not be one of those guys you wish to separate from. But from a Richmonder I wish y’all could too 😂

[@thunderkatz4219]

Bro I loved your videos been watching you since 4th grade now I’m a freshman love these

[@Chelle_Vibes]

He does fantastic stuff. If you're interested in diving deeper, look into David Blight's lecture series from yale. It's free on KZbin!

[@RemoWilliams1227]

​@@Chelle_Vibes heck I'm in my 40s and have been on a bender watching lectures just to stay fresh, never stop learning!

[@eaglescout1984]

The battle of Petersburg is very interesting. You start to see WWI foreshadowed. I highly recommend seeing the battlefield in person. The mineshaft and the infamous crater are still there. The crater is not as deep as it once was, but it's crazy to be able to see exactly where the Union army detonated a bomb under the Confederate line.

[@davidhochstetler4068]

1,000,000 soldiers for the confederacy with a free population of 5,000,000 let’s say half are women, that’s 40% of the men in the war. That’s shocking

[@andyw8025]

"The rebels have now in their ranks their last man. The little boys and old men are guarding prisoners, guarding railroad bridges, and forming a good part of their garrisons or intrenched positions. A man lost by them cannot be replaced. They have robbed the cradle and the grave equally to get their present force." General U.S Grant, 1864

[@mateohodge6998]

​@@andyw8025 idk why that last part is so funny to me

[@AntiFaGoat]

Because "cradle robber" is someone who takes a very young spouse and "grave robber" is exactly what it sounds like?

[@flyingsquirrell6953]

The CSA pulling a Germany 1945

[@davidtuttle7556]

@@ohauss Which is why Lee, while being a fairly great general, isn’t imo quite as great as he is sometimes made out to be. Even in his victories, like Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg, he took pretty heavy casualties.

[@bladeobrian2144]

You know, one time my father and I were discussing the Civil War. I casually mentioned the fact that it was four years long and my father was surprised and bewildered at this fact. He said “Four years? It was that long? I thought it was a little skirmish!” In other words, he thought it was a one day “one and done” battle. I can’t imagine where he got that idea from…

[@shagword1149]

This subverted my expectation entirely, I thought he'd be surprised it wasn't longer.

[@bladeobrian2144]

@@shagword1149 I guess, although better it be shorter than longer. Honestly, if it was just a small one day battle, it probably wouldn’t be the seminal event that it is. It would probably be a footnote in the grand scheme of things.

[@1996koke]

And 4 years isn't even that long

[@bladeobrian2144]

@@1996koke maybe, depends on how you look at it. I’ve racked my brain and done research to figure out what he was confusing the civil war for/where he got that idea, and I’ve come up with a blank. Perhaps he got it confused with the Texas revolution? We did live there for a few years and stories of that are a big deal there. If I remember right, that was only a year or so long conflict.

[@docjoe86]

28:52 The District of Columbia retroceded Arlington and Alexandria to Virginia in 1846, not because of the civil war.

[@Tom_Cruise_Missile]

My Dad's side served in the confederacy and are from Georgia, but I was raised in CT and love Sherman and John Brown. One of the branches of that family own a plantation to this day and holy shit are most of them crazy. Thanks to my great grandad (rip legend) our branch is the sane one.

[@angusmacdonald7187]

My brother is both an ACW scholar and a train nut. As such, he pointed out that the Confederacy's rail system was even worse than just a matter of amount of rail. Most of the rail was specifically made to link plantations to ports, thus a lot of these lines were short and disconnected. Also, since they were so localized, the gauges of the railroads varied wildly. While the Union had something like 8 different gauges of rail, but four were common, the Confederacy had something like 13 gauges of rail. This means that they couldn't just move cars and engines from one rail system to another.

[@tatechristensen2182]

At around the 40 minute mark you say around 250 Shoshone were killed in the Bear River Massacre. This come froms the army, but many Shoshone think the death toll is underreported. Days after the Masscre, local Mormon settlers went to count the dead. They came away with different numbers, all above 400. It's thought the army leadership didn't want to report having killed as many women and children as they did. I got this info from a talk by Darren Parry, author of The Bear River Masscre: A Shoshone History

[@CynicalHistorian]

I finally got done time to look this up, and you've got this exactly wrong. The army celebrated killing so vociferously that Mormons ran to protect Brigham Young's house. To pretend they were ashamed is about as incorrect as you could be

[@parkingtikit]

Very valuable to have actual historic information about the civil war

[@jesseberg3271]

The last time I heard someone argue that Gettysburg *alone* was the turning point of the war, I was in middle school in Georgia in the 1990s, and yes that education was everything you would expect it to be. Ever since then, and I had assumed it was orthodoxy now, people have said that it was that the twin victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg that were the turning point in the war. Is this still an ongoing argument inside the academy? I thought it had been pretty much settled.

[@CynicalHistorian]

I GA'd a Civil War class, and Vicksberg's importance was characterized as a debate. I don't really know if it's a settled debate within the historiography, but I will defer to the prof (David Prior) on that one

[@flyingsquirrell6953]

I would argue that it was Anteitiam, or even that it was doomed from the start for the CSA, and just that every single year the war went on was even more nails in the coffin.

[@DennisSullivan-om3oo]

@@flyingsquirrell6953 Also Antietam gave Lincoln the victory he wanted before declaring Emancipation to begin the following January.

[@whoamarshrobert2781]

@@DennisSullivan-om3oo I think Antietam was a turning point, perhaps the most important one... Chattanooga, Atlanta and the Shenandoah ware also extremely important too. Lincoln might not have won the '64 election without those victories.. Then Mccullen would have surrendered and divide the country.... And I don't believe that would have solved the many conflicts surrounding slavery, that divided the two regions in the first place.

[@kristaskrastina2863]

​ Antietam didn't really change that much. Lee's invasion to Maryland was poorly planned and went wrong from the beginning. He took Harpers Ferry but couldn't recruit enough volunteers and lost a lot of troops to desertion. If Union had better recon at Antietam - then yes, maybe McClellan could win more decisively. But in reality both sides were beaten up and Lee's army could crawl back to Virginia and lick his wounds. So both sides remained scratching their heads about a way to win the war. I don't see a turning point. Vicksburg, on the other hand, opened Mississippi for the Union navy, effectively cutting CSA in two and tightening the blockade. And with that taken care of, Grant was free to deliver that Chattanooga victory you've mentioned. And after that the Western Theater was hopelessly doomed for the Confederacy - Sherman could endlessly push. And without supplies from the Deep South Lee couldn't fight. if Lincoln had lost the 1864 election, McClellan wouldn't be able to negotiate with the CSA before March 4, 1865. And by that time the war was close to over. McClellan would accept surrender of Lee, Davis etc and start the Reconstruction - just as Lincoln planned to do. I wonder if McClellan's Reconstruction would be better than Johnson's.

[@raydavison4288]

All four of my great grandfathers served in the military during the Civil War. Three out of four were in the Union army, and one served in the Confederate army. Three of them saw active combat. My great grandfather, John Burchett was involved in the siege of Vicksburg in the attacking forces, while great grandfather Elisha Young was among the defenders. 😊

[@supersam5802]

3:50 fun fact Kentucky split in half and had a capital under the confederacy in bowling green during part of the war

[@hendersontrefzger877]

Holy smokes! We’re related. The Trefzger that you had on your tree was a sibling of my ancestor. They were brothers who emigrated from Wehr, Germany. The story is they all left because they got caught up in one of the many 1848 revolutions. In their case, in Baden. The brothers opened a bakery in Peoria, IL that is the oldest continuously run business in the city. Aptly called Trefzger’s Bakery.

[@CynicalHistorian]

Not surprising that we'd be related. That far back has a lotta relations. Although I can tell you that Trefzger didn't immigrate to the USA until after 1865

[@hendersontrefzger877]

@@CynicalHistorian I have the story of Simon Trefzger Junior (your ancestor) if you’re interested. One relative did the study of all the Trefzger’s back in the 90s. The TLDR is that he came to the US in 1855 and lived in Cincinnati before Peoria. Here’s what it said he did during the civil war and why it looks like he didn’t immigrate til later: “During the Civil War Simon got the contract to supply bakery goods for the Union troops stationed just outside of Peoria. It was a hard job, seven days a week, week in and week out. At the end of the war Simon was worn out. Some sores had opened on his legs, and they were not healing. Simon knew of the healing hot springs near his home in Baden, he knew a good doctor who had treated his family, he wanted to see his family and friends again in Wehr, and he longed for a vacation after all of his hard work. So in 1867 he took his family (which now consisted of his wife and 5 children; Mary, Emma, Adolph, Charles and Louis) back to Germany. After reaching Germany the Franco-Prussian War broke out. This prevented his return to America as he had planned. While in Germany Anna, Rudy, and a third Frederick were born. Simon was not able to return until early 1872. “

[@CynicalHistorian]

Wait he moved back? Now that's confusing

[@caniblmolstr4503]

Damn this cute... You found a relative in the comments😂

[@posthumousc4913]

The Gettysburg Address was given on November 19th, 1863, a little more than 4 months after the battle. So many had died during the battle they were still burying the dead when the Address was given.

[@Deadener]

Seriously high quality stuff. Thank you for making this freely available.

[@Dark27inferno]

Always excited for your videos!

[@sherirobinson6867]

TCH, once again an excellent lecture... You are the only lecturer I listen to in my old age. You bring history to life and I enjoy that. It's like listening to radio once again.

[@levinb1]

40:00 Very little discussion on this topic, thanks for spending time to cover it in your lecture!

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

Atum Shei Films will LOVE this!!!

[@AmosAmerica]

This was very through and brilliantly done. Thank you!

[@truesimplicity]

Human rights supersede the States perception of what is acceptable. The injustices of slavery could never be justified.

[@matthewsetlak5589]

Another good video as always

[@jurtra9090]

Will you make a "based on a true story" video on Glory or Cold Mountain? Thanks

[@TheSilver2001]

Can you turn your lectures into podcasts on Spotify and Apple Podcasts?

[@toniwilson6210]

God bless the Union. 🇺🇸

[@jimmythedudeman]

I’ve enjoyed your videos without saying anything before, so I apologize that my first comment is some (hopefully constructive) feedback - but your sponsorship plug would be much more effective if you mention the name of the product two more times in the final 20 seconds of discussing it before the start of the video proper. I was t paying complete attention at first - it being an ad and all - and by the time my interest was piqued you didn’t mention the name again

[@CynicalHistorian]

I hadn't noticed that I did that. Good point

[@augustodelerme7233]

We need another Progressive era Teddy roosevelt & LBJ's great society! 1900s, 1960 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@tomhalla426]

I rather think you are letting the civil rights achievements of Lyndon Johnson cover his behavior in Vietnam, and very badly planned welfare programs.

[@onomatopoeia162003]

Been saying that since like 2010

[@Tom_Cruise_Missile]

Teddy Roosevelt was amazing, and it's a tragedy that he was the exception as far as American politics go. LBJ was a well meaning guy but he never achieved many of the outcomes he was looking for.

[@curses6166]

Idk the great society has produced a lot of problems. The war on poverty wasn't much better than the war on drugs.

[@augustodelerme7233]

@@curses6166 the great society reduce poverty from 20% to 12% it really work.

[@Talleyhoooo]

History education: Repaired

[@CynicalHistorian]

Wow, thank you so much

[@Maxaldojo]

Excellent.

[@dakotadurham4788]

It is quite interesting that the American Civil War has increased in popularity in recent discussion, seeing as we are all headed for the next one

[@richardarriaga6271]

Sad that the Confederate battle flag flew in the Capitol on 1/6 when it never made it to DC during the Civil War.

[@elia.almodovar9558]

Daydreams of the wannabe "patriots" who measure their manhood by the number of guns they own to defend themselves from imaginary government oppression while playing "militiamen".

[@MrWWIIBuff]

​@@richardarriaga6271New Confederate High-Water Mark?

[@richardarriaga6271]

@@MrWWIIBuff Sadly, yes

[@metroulas]

Civil war over what?

[@seculartemplar5407]

43:16 Not about numbers, but rather about logistics. Grant knew that the south was running out of steam and he knew that the numbers they had would help accelerate objective, but was not the sole source of their power. Haiti, the American Colonists, and the Vietcong had smaller numbers and still won their wars. The Confederacy played war, The Union mastered it.

[@florinivan6907]

The vietnamese had massive backing from the soviets and the chinese. Guns need bullets. Those did not come from Vietnam proper. They came shipped from the Reds up North. The colonists too had massive support. And closer to our time the taliban were constantly supplied by the iranians and the pakistanis.

[@nicholasrossano7340]

NB Forrest ordering his men to give no quarter has neither been officially confirmed nor denied. There are arguments to be had over how the massacre transpired, but the only fact known for certain was that a massacre did occur.

[@nicholasrossano7340]

A fact seldom mentioned is that he did take colored prisoners in most cases, which cannot be said for all of his fellow officers. Not to defend the guy, but certain facts should not be omitted when presenting an argument over something indecisive.

[@davepeterz2378]

Great video!

[@dgchristensen771]

I love it, no intelligent rebuttal, just a deletion, because it's hard to rebut truth.

[@singletona082]

Cypher. It really is a curse to wish for someone to live in interesting times. Thank you for helping t ogive assurances that this too shall pass.

[@texaskc]

Battle of Picacho Peak, April 15, 1862 Which basically make most native Arizonans go LOL. As how it is taught to us is "A group of Confederate ran into a group of Union when WTF shot at each other then ran off in opposite directions." Yes I find it quite sad that our history teacher pretty must treated the whole thing as a joke.

[@onomatopoeia162003]

Minnesota resident. :(

[@florinivan6907]

As brutal as the war was it did not degenerate into massacres except here and there. Especially against civilians. There are no incidents comparable to the French religious wars or numerous other civil wars. Nevermind something like Rwanda. It could have easily gone into mass murder mode. But it mostly avoided that.

[@johnblunt6693]

I dont think I ever thought about that

[@MrWWIIBuff]

As long as you were white, you stood a good chance if not being massacred, just a slow death at a prison camp.

[@SandfordSmythe]

Don't forget at the surrender at Appomattox, the Union troops formally saluted the Confederates

[@flyingsquirrell6953]

Since you talked about lineage I’ll mention that I’m related to Montgomery Meigs.

[@fibonacci8]

rent asunder*, past tense of rend not render, unless you were quoting "rendered asunder" from a particular malapropism

[@a-1tetropilovstava822]

Damn i just write paper about American Civil War right now.

[@MouseQueso]

1864.. Napoleon? You mean Napoleon the III. Definitely should say that.. big difference

[@docjoe86]

28:52 The District of Columbia retroceded Arlington and Alexandria to Virginia in 1846, not because of the civil war.

[@mandyblush]

Neat!

[@LittleKantBoy]

44:14 never wanted to be Virginia more

[@ijunglistwilliams8659]

Could it not be said that the Con-Fed tried to do the original "pump and dump" by putting a stranglehold on cotton bonds to the "Auld Enemy" My homeland. Land of the Angles, Ye Olde Angleterre haha. Your channel is amazing.

[@ijunglistwilliams8659]

I've actually got to that part now. You've got it. I hang my had in pre-emptive twattery. I submit my collar to the blade of righteous correction due to my own pomp and self importance. I'm a deeeeeeeeeek

[@pikachuthegayatheist6215]

I think the invasion of Mexico was more of Napoleon the third doing then it was queen, Victoria’s actions Victoria did not agree from what I know and any military action in the Americas at the time she was strongly on the side of Abraham Lincoln.

[@rickhobson3211]

Reading the title, I was wondering if this was current events.

[@michealjones3297]

You skipped the peninsula campaign

[@CynicalHistorian]

I skipped plenty. Ever heard of "picking your battles?"

[@garrisonnichols807]

My ancestors didn't fight to end slavery. They just wanted a green card.

[@Clonetrooper1139]

Captain Henry Wirz, CSA, was the commandant of Andersonville. After the war, he was tried, convicted and executed for war crimes. There has been some debate of his guilt.

[@Old_Indian_Trick]

I think Wirz is the only man to be executed for such a reason in the entire war. And ya it seems harsh to put all the blame of Andersonville on a relatively low ranking officer, while Lee and Jefferson Davis and others get nothing or maybe slaps on the wrist.

[@Clonetrooper1139]

@@Old_Indian_Trick Wirz, a doctor by profession, was known for being sadistic, according to testimony from surviving POWs. That being said, he was a victim of circumstance, also. When he took command of Andersonville, the camp was already in deplorable condition. Disease was rampant and with the Confederacy on it's last legs, there were no resources available. Wirz did try to make some improvements, but they did little to nothing. Supposedly, he wrote to the Confederate Army High Command for supplies needed and also to Jefferson Davis himself about camp conditions with no response. Ironically, it was a scathing report from a CSA surgeon who was stationed at Andersonville for several weeks which proved to be the most damning at Wirz's trial. At his execution he claimed he was "...following orders...".

[@PremeTeamTX]

Civil War a la stroke

[@304Kid]

Hang on, hang on. You're leaving out a big detail about West Virginia, which side were they where on?

[@baneofbanes]

The Union.

[@304Kid]

@@baneofbanes Thank you. Everyone assumes West Virginia fought on the southern side of the war, it didn't. Resistance to slavery was usually due to religious affiliation or based on economic principles, that being said there was a lot of infighting because of course there was.

[@franciscogomez5106]

The Civil War of liberal vs conservative to find a nation in the 19th century which the national question continues to this day.

[@Wh40kFinatic]

*Progressive vs Conservative

[@kidmohair8151]

your cat is quite obviously *not* a Lincolnite...

[@narcosis929]

Hot dayum, first!

[@CynicalHistorian]

someone else beat you, lol

[@hrunchtayt1587]

22:00 Let’s also not forget that the Confederacy had ordered four ironclads from both the United Kingdom and France between 1862-1863. The two British built turret ships were very close to completion but were seized by the Royal Navy. The two French built ironclads would be finished but only one made it into service with the Confederate Navy, but by the time it had arrived in the Americas the war had ended and the ship surrendered. But in any event as always, good video!

[@jtgd]

Arrives in port ready for battle. “We surrender”

[@goldman77700]

THIS topic deserves its own video. Good stuff.

[@felicityc]

@@jtgd typical french produced goods

[@partyharry7585]

I’m just thinking that the union was like, got myself a new boat!

[@hrunchtayt1587]

@@partyharry7585 Oh yeah we didn’t have to pay a dime for it and the Navy made very good money when they sold it to the Japanese.

[@jurtra9090]

I love how simple your presentation look. My history teachers can learn a couple things from you, since they usually put too much words in their presentation (i'm guilty too, sometimes)

[@CynicalHistorian]

The first lectures I wrote had that problem. Once I gave enough lectures, I realized that I only wanted to put key details on the board

[@jurtra9090]

​@@ohauss exactly

[@CynicalHistorian]

@@ohauss I don't use a script either. The bullet points on the slides make an outline and my notes are mostly comprised of names/dates/quotes associated with that outline. I find that while lecturing, it's best to avoid rigidity

[@animationfanatic2133]

Lost causers: the confederacy stood for freedom and liberty and acted as a defender of the white race. Facts: the last confederate land army of any significance to surrender was composed of native Americans and led by Cherokee Stand Watie. Lost causers: triggered screeching

[@RedShocktrooperRST]

Man, us American Indians just can't stop taking Ls can we? At least this one I agree with, even if I get why my ancestors joined up with the Confederates. We really deserved this specific L.

[@chidoman1595]

@@RedShocktrooperRST L for joining the Confederates but W for lasting the longest.

[@RedShocktrooperRST]

@@chidoman1595 We lasted the longest, so we got that going for us.

[@andrewbenbow9257]

'I think the United States needs a divorce' - some jerk.

[@dakotadurham4788]

It’s either that, or a bloody and pointless war that kills millions, if not tens of millions, that no faction will ever recover from

[@scottkrater2131]

​​@@dakotadurham4788 you ain't gonna get your fa off the couch. And there aren't any states that are 100% Republican. What are Republican rural areas going to be in one country and their mostly Democratic cities gonna be in the other?

[@andrewbenbow9257]

@@dakotadurham4788 this is not a solution that has an equitable standard of success. If you know of a way this can be achieved without bloodshed, please tell me.

[@chidoman1595]

​@@dakotadurham4788 most people aren't extremists there will be no civil war. You dont have to worry about that. What you see on the news and the internet is not real life.

[@sherirobinson6867]

It's funny how after all this time people still haven't learned... Rich Men start wars while the poor man bleeds.

[@waytoohypernova]

Amen a million times

[@m0str33t]

Trans mississippi west sounds like fallout new vegas

[@H9092-2]

Hearing that faint Johnny Comes Marching Home during the Emancipation Proclamation? Yeah, that's the sound of Liberty putting on her shitkicking boots and fixing bayonets.

[@anngarth]

i am horribly late but "Liberty putting on her shitkicking boots and fixing bayonets" is the rawest shit i've read this year

[@H9092-2]

@@anngarth One of the few things I'm good at is coming up with raw ass lines off the top of my head.

[@jurtra9090]

From seeing this video, i want to see you make a video about the French-Mexican war

[@NightspeakerR]

Had a History test over the Civil War and got a 20/25 and the only reason was mostly true or false answers and one on Lincoln's joke on who's writing started the war which I haven't even read on the passages but gosh it did revealed many things on how bloody this war was.

[@kristaskrastina2863]

He said that about "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriett Beecher Stowe.

[@SadSadSadSquishSquishSquish]

lol did we upload this video because of Marjorie Taylor Green and her “national divorce”

[@Clonetrooper1139]

The irony of her rant, it would actually be more hurtful for red states. She is...nevermind. 😂

[@Rednecknerd_rob9634]

It ain't just her, I've been hard pressed to find Libertarians, who don't agree with her. Granted she's a "Republican".

[@SadSadSadSquishSquishSquish]

@@Rednecknerd_rob9634 she’s a republican who says the quiet part out loud. My dad and my girlfriend’s dad (boomer city) both love her, sadly.

[@Rednecknerd_rob9634]

@@SadSadSadSquishSquishSquish She may claim to be Republican, but I doubt she could name any Republican besides Cheeto.

[@dakotadurham4788]

Marjorie Taylor Greene is pathetic, but she’s actually right about a national divorce. Americans have nothing in common with one another anymore, and we are quickly reaching the point where they can no longer peaceably coexist within in the same sphere. There is no reason to continue to stay in this loveless marriage.

[@Algo_RL]

What if you did a series on every state's contribution to the civil war?

[@Flow86767]

I’d love that

[@Robert0Pirie]

Hey! I'm actually early! TCH, thanks for doing what you do bub!

[@animationfanatic2133]

Something something clone Wars

[@stefanocapparelli4997]

In Brazil in the 1860s there was also a boom in cotton plantation due to the demand. Nonetheless, Brazil doesn’t have quite much soil and climate for cotton

[@sdstarr01]

My great grandfather was in the Army of the Potomac. Yes, I’m from a line of kids born to old parents.

[@joejankoski8471]

While not used for financing - one shouldn't forget the Morrill Act of 1862 which led to the creation of many State Universities (Ohio State, Texas A&M, Alabama A&M, Florida A&M, Purdue, etc.) which had maybe as much impact on the nation (and the education of all its citizens) as the war itself.

[@Rednecknerd_rob9634]

Feeding that hungry hungry beast Algorithm. Hehe, I'm 69th, nice hehe.

[@Bazoinkerz]

I was looking forward to this day, and it is here!

[@rct3LP]

Great Video. Good to see not many lost causers in the comments (or maybe you just removed them in which case, good decision) :)

[@metroulas]

While most of the lost cause is absolutely ridiculous and later, abhorrent, I actually agree or have no problem with a few of the things that it puts forth; namely that it was ultimately a numbers game. I personally have no desire to delete anyone's comments. If someone is wrong I think the proper course is to address why they are wrong and try to teach them something.

[@ivan55599]

Those maps presented don't tell enough for those who live outside of USA.

[@herobrinesblog]

Just what i needed, had a shit day, fucking needed this, thank you!

[@DSnake655]

First, I've never seen a warning before commenting. Good on you. I had an ancestor in the War of 1812. Just...putting it out there.

[@matthewhaywood7815]

2:20 they sure know beards mustaches then I can only have a neckbeard that looks awful

[@socialanarchy081]

Another video from my favorite Albuquerque Turkey. YYAAAY

[@Crazael]

49:46 People always forget about that little exemption there.

[@michaelweinman9051]

32:56 Is this the greatest speech ever?

[@KennyZ1615]

New video. This please me

[@SafetySpooon]

KITTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@robertoguevara2635]

Would be interesting (at least for me), a video abbout William Walker, a man who tried yo conquer my country Costa Rica and failed (epic fail). You gringos don't mention him enough, in my opinion.

[@chriscasperson5927]

He's already done one on Walker, The Golden Circle, and the Filibusters.

[@hammerheadtheseawing3263]

My 3x great grandfather fought for the confederacy (22nd Alabama Infantry for those who were wondering), he was captured in 1863 during the skirmishes at Dalton, GA and was taken to a prisoner camp in Illinois if I remember correctly. Luckily he survived, because if he didn’t then I (nor the rest of my family) would be here. He rarely talked about the war when it was over, but it’s still interesting how many Americans have ancestors who took part in this war. For some of us, it still defines who we are to this day.

[@waytoohypernova]

​@@crampaholic...proud of every one of who..?

[@lerk.]

What’s the melody in the intro called? In my country it’s used for a pretty racist song about learning to read.

[@CynicalHistorian]

It's called The Battle Hymn of the Republic

[@chidoman1595]

Which country?

[@pabloni1117]

Who tf made the Battle Hymn racist?

[@swerges]

Loose the damned music, impossible for many people to listen to this otherwise intersting podcast :-(

[@metroulas]

I can't even hardly hear the music