Q&A: Ain't Nothin Cheap About These Laughs

Wait, it's yet another Q&A video?? He must be running out of ideas.
I did end up making that Etsy store. The closure tablets all sold out, but there's other cool shit up for sale there: atunsheifilms....
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[@scottie_2024]

Professional historian and experienced Civil War museum curator here. Consider this feedback from the field: never stop what you're doing. Dismantling the popular myths about the war, its aftermath, and The Lost Cause is a constant struggle for us, and distilling the unpleasant facts about these topics into a palatable and relatable form is the mission of public history. You do very good work, and I'm more than happy to represent my colleagues when I say so.

[@thorpeaaron1110]

I suggest all Lost Causers look at his videos and learn .

[@blackflagsnroses6013]

@@TCB405 ain’t that the truth, thankfully we have historical documents and records to help dispel the historical mythology promoted by the southern slaveocracy. The methodology for analyzing this period appropriately is treating the cultures as distinct nations in a federation where their interests reached insurmountable tensions. As well as what lead to the deterioration of Jeffersonian values into reactionary aristocracy and religiosity among the southern elite. The gentility corrupted by slavery.

[@__mindflayer__]

@@TCB405 yea. Southern schools specifically.

[@janellevans878]

For several years now I say the North won the war but South won the history. I will not digress into flying foreign flags in America.

[@pyromania1018]

@@thorpeaaron1110 They do the former, and dismiss him as wrong out of petulant stubbornness, usually. But every now and then, someone actually ponders his words and, after some source and fact-checking, realize (sometimes slowly) that they've been lied to.

[@kirby7294]

He looks like his mom dressed him for school picture day.

[@j.yossarian6852]

He looks amazing, don’t listen to the mean comment man bby

[@richmcgee434]

Better than the Nazi uniform. :) Or the Confederate one, although I'm not sure which one I hate more.

[@kirby7294]

@@j.yossarian6852 I'm not insulting him, my style is the exact same. Just let's be honest now...

[@zainmudassir2964]

Mom! 😭

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

I think he looks fantastic, but that sideways tie is totally fuckin’ with my need for symmetry!

[@richmcgee434]

"Thou art cozy with Satan!" I think i'm making the Witchfinder General's Christmas vid part of my holiday traditions, like listening to Alice's Restaurant on Thanksgiving.

[@PakBallandSami]

lol

[@sirllamaiii9708]

That song is such a classic

[@giladpellaeon1691]

I'm just waiting to see if the Witchfinder General will ever do a vid on (likely to him) the most wretched hive of scum and villainy... Rhode Island. I always love the occasional dig he makes at my state and would love to see a debate between him and Roger Williams.

[@dragonsword7370]

I need this on a tea cozy as witchfinder general merch 😩

[@DiamondKingStudios]

@@giladpellaeon1691 Rhode Island with all the Puritan dissidents may be out there, but the Witchfinder General seems like the kind of guy to refer to Maryland as "second only to the Frankish Louisiana in all its unfettered popery" or something

[@KingsandGenerals]

At this point, you probably have spent more time in this crypt than at your home

[@annoyedbipolar7424]

weird that the comments section doesn't recognize the channel.

[@thedislikebutton3425]

@@annoyedbipolar7424because that channel doesn’t cite their sources properly and isn’t as professional as atun shei

[@bombarded15]

And sounds like an AI/TTS monotone reading a script​@@thedislikebutton3425

[@jamesnurgle6368]

"aint nothing cheap about these laughs" has so much dolly parton energy

[@Frommerman]

"Do you have any idea how expensive it is to look this trashy?"

[@shamasmacshamas7135]

If you *were* to make a Checkmate, Hitlerites! series, you might lead off by giving a critical eye to what I sometimes call the Church of Saint Rommel, looking at his Works (North Africa Campaign, Ghost Division in France), his cozy relationship with Hitler, and the mythology that was built up during the Cold War.

[@tacklengrapple6891]

The only thing I dislike more than that church is the Church of Saint Patton. Half the mythology around the man comes from a damn movie, and people who’ve never read about the Eastern Front.

[@gdbalck]

Not to be outdone by the almighty savior, The Manstein. TIK’s got a good take one that one 😂 EDIT: The link for your convinience: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZy4nJyQd7yCosU&ab_channel=TIKhistory

[@GregStachowski]

I read that as Checkmate, Hittites! Which I think would be hilarious in its own way, especially given Atun-Shei's earlier work.

[@astratan2238]

@@tacklengrapple6891 to be fair, there’s also potential for a counter-course ‘checkmate Stalinites’ for people who manage to go too far the other way as well.

[@chrisbonin2174]

Oh great idea! You could also do a video on Halder and his role in the clean Wehrmacht myth.

[@ImperatorZor]

Augustin Mouchot (1825-1912) was a french engineer who developed the first solar power system in the 1850s to 70s. In short it used a dish shaped array of mirrors to heat a central boiler driving a small steam engine. It was funded by the French Government, as France was short on coal. This is the first example of Concentrated Solar Thermal Power.

[@philiphockenbury6563]

Cool.

[@Jasmixd]

@@philiphockenbury6563 Quite the opposite.

[@GuyNamedSean]

I love these examples of someone inventing something long before it became useful on an industrial scale. It goes to show that people are unendingly brilliant and it's really more a matter of what we need at the time as to what technology we come up with.

[@page8301]

A French military engineer invented the first self driving vehicle, a steam car so to say. There is a video about a replica of it somewhere in YT if you are interested in seeing it. It actually works!

[@seansteele6532]

Can’t wait to get a giant foam tablet that says “ROBERT E. LEE” on my wall and having to explain it to guests who don’t know this channel.

[@boomanchu2]

Why does "The crypt has served its time" translate to "My partner has threatened bodily harm" in my head?

[@philiphockenbury6563]

Probably accurate.

[@Zomana9]

good question

[@ryanstudham640]

The crypt looks INCREDIBLE. That set looks better than most any I've seen in a movie this year.

[@gehtdichnixan3200]

in a movie it would be cgi shit

[@tobiaswilhelmi4819]

I think the main advantage of a physical set is at the same time it's main disadvantage: it is very time and cost intensive. And because of this the artist thinks twice about the size/shape/material/procedure. Meanwhile the CGI artist opts to make a 'good enough' version, so he has a quick result, thinking that he/she can make a more sophisticated version if needed (while in reality this never happens, because who has time for a second version if the first one is good enough).

[@balabanasireti]

Haha, no

[@balabanasireti]

@@gehtdichnixan3200 Nah

[@enginerdy]

Usually there’s nothing too wrong with the actual CGI, but it looks like crap because it isn’t composited well with live elements or isn’t integrated well with the camera motion and lens distortion The funny thing is I thought he was sitting in front of a green screen because of the fisheye effect lol

[@AtamiskxIx]

"Every room's cozier with a tree." "THOU ART COZY WITH SATAN!" gets me everytime. 😂

[@kostas225cmp]

I had figured the "weirdness" of the Puritan documentary's visuals was meant to capture the dread and existentialism that someone in that period might've felt: feeling not like yourself or that the world makes sense in Civil War-era England; the depth and unknown horror of a seemingly endless and alien land that you have to call your home; the seeping dread of wondering when the next Native attack will come, etc.

[@509Gman]

Or seeing the hand of Satan behind every twist of fate. Takes a weird mind to be that paranoid.

[@LordVader1094]

​@@509GmanAs Atun-Shei himself has said before: no, not really. People believe in alien abductions now, in a supposed "age of reason", let alone back then when there were WAY more grey areas for belief in the supernatural

[@TheMaghorn]

If you do sell the tablets, it would be really cool if you signed them as Billy Yank and Johnny Reb.

[@SplotPublishing]

Use the left hand for Johnny? lol

[@Ballin4Vengeance]

Sign as “X X X” for Johnny Reb

[@stewartmarshall4112]

@@Ballin4Vengeance Interestingly, young people, from both North and South, even on farms and out in the country, were often as well, or even better, educated than today. Any study of soldiers' letters shows this. As a boy in the 1950's, I was lucky to know my Great Grandmother at age 101, who recalled being taught both Latin and Greek as a girl in a one room school house in Texas.

[@altdooby]

@@stewartmarshall4112 its a stereotype roll with it

[@AlRoderick]

Johnny Reb is the physical embodiment of the KZbin comments so we know he is at least mostly literate.

[@natecrookshank8472]

I get that you want to end Checkmate Lincolnites on a good note. That's probably a good idea, to be honest. But there is something to be said for just how much your audience LOVES those characters and the dynamic between them. Mayhaps you could do future videos about the two characters traveling through time and experiencing episodes of history, maybe they argue about current events based on their own perspectives, maybe they just only do something as simple as stumbling across each other in their daily lives. All I'm saying is that it would be a huge shame to say a real good bye to these characters. By all means, protect the value of Checkmate Lincolnites itself; but billy yank and johnny reb are just too good to be underused.

[@civilwarwildwest]

If Albert Pike doesn't come crawling out of that crypt in full 33rd degree York Rite Masonic regalia for the Checkmate finale, we're gonna have a problem LOL.

[@KYPopskull]

As a mason, I’d enjoy that

[@civilwarwildwest]

@@KYPopskull After the revolution, you get to live :)

[@AnthonyOksenholtPersonal]

@@KYPopskull Brother I second that.

[@konstantinosnikolakakis8125]

@Rusty Shackleford As a matter of interest, you guys still exist? What the hell do you do? Or are you not allowed to talk about that. Asking because my city has an old Masonic temple which is now home to a daycare service and a catering company.

[@civilwarwildwest]

@@konstantinosnikolakakis8125 LOL Yeah we still exist. We're an international 501(c)3. We do a lot of that fun Fred Flinstone buffalo horns ceremony stuff and the rest of the time it's ALL local charity projects. It sounds like the local temple you're talking about (which is the fancy word for a Masonic lodge) is still called that because it's a historic building, but that Masonic chapter either moved or disbanded.

[@hannibalbrown]

I've said it before and I will say it again, we need the witch finder general to do a video on EVERY Holiday. I look forward to Halloween and St. Patrick's day 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@richmcgee434]

St. Valentine ought to go over big with him too. Especially now that it's used to sell sex toys as well as candy and flowers. :)

[@occam7382]

Those would be vile Papist/Pagan/Irish traditions to our old friend the Witchfinder General.

[@mickaleneduczech8373]

Yeah, I hadn't even thought of St Patrick's day. That would be epic.

[@MsJeanneMarie]

lol I just want to see more Witchfinder General in any context.

[@scouttyra]

I would love to see him react to pride

[@danic_c]

I'm Costa Rican and I don't remember how I first stumbled upon "Checkmate Lincolnites!" but it has quickly become one of my favorite series on KZbin. Not only did it completely blast any chance of me falling into Lost Cause myth beliefs, but it also kind of got me into the history of the Civil War as someone who really didn't know that much about it.

[@ryann6067]

Thank you for what you do, your attention to historic detail, primary sources, and facts, and especially for the great service you do in the public-history realm. I’m a working professional curator in the history field (as well as a fellow Yankee Masshole), I cant thank you enough for the work you’ve done in the public-history realm and the importance of addressing the topics you have in your catalog of videos (especially in debunking the Lost Cause). Bravo 👏 sir! Happy Holidays!

[@saadkhan1128]

As a student from a foreign land, you have really helped me study and dispel the myths of the lost cause, As 4 years ago i would just listen to Conservative, Confederates propaganda artists. this helped me open my eyes, never stop making videos. God bless you.

[@BrianHartman]

I'm really going to miss Checkmate Lincolnites. Those were some of my favorite KZbin videos. Thank you for your service to the community.

[@Jechti307]

True True

[@samuelglover7685]

I almost get the sense that he wants to distance himself from the series, as many creative people will look askance at their earlier work: "I'd never do that *now*", or "If I did it all over again, I'd do X and Y and Z differently." But that's just his self-awareness showing. His Civil War vids are jewels, and a really valuable counter to mental cancers being pushed by people who are *not* acting out of good faith. Whatever he turns his talents to next, it'll be worth watching! But I wish he'd give some idea of what to call him -- Atun-Shei? Andy? What?

[@BrianHartman]

@@samuelglover7685 If there was one criticism I had of his videos in general, that would be it: He doesn't introduce himself. That's not super-uncommon. Knowing Better doesn't introduce himself either (which is why I can't remember his name right now. :))

[@sevret313]

It will be sad to see Checkmate Lincolnites go, I hope we'll see an inspired concept with different characters in the future as the format is really great.

[@Its-Just-Zip]

At the risk of accidentally psychoanalyzing our beneficent host I can probably say as somebody who learned most of their preliminary American history through the southern public school system, it's kind of hard to grow up really anywhere in the US at this point without having been influenced by the lost cause myth at some level and it likely only gets more influencing the further south you move. And I'm strictly talking about the textbooks here. Like no joke. My 7th grade history textbook specifically and in no uncertain terms called the civil war a states rights conflict. Now I am lucky to have had very good teachers during that time who recognized the horrible inaccuracies in the subject matter they were required by law to teach and went out of their way to teach us the not lost cause version of American history while also plainly stating that if we see this question on a standardized test, we need to answer in the exact opposite way that we are being taught in class because the standardized test takes the lost cause as the true history

[@paulastiles5507]

Well, you're not wrong and I suspect Andy is being too hard on himself. I was always skeptical of the image of the Union being a bunch of slovenly, incompetent fuckwits and the Confederacy a band of plucky, doomed heroes for a lost cause, especially because I've been fascinated by Harriet Tubman since I did a presentation on her in fourth grade. But I was definitely exposed to it as *the* mainstream theory about the Civil War. It was only much later that I was able to dig under that nonsense and confirm my suspicions. The DAR really did their best to hide it in public secondary education.

[@FirstLast-di5sr]

There's also the parallel issue of classes never getting as far as to be able to covering it before the year ends...

[@ZytphenA]

This dropped as I was rewatching one of your videos on New Orleans🎉❤ Sell as much of the set as possible - part of any theater/production company is minimaxing merchandise and waste

[@mdccxcii6340]

I would totally buy one of those tablets. Are the Stonewall Jackson and Stonewall Jackson's severed arm tablets still intact?

[@InquisitorThomas]

He already promised to give the arm tablet to a relative, so I’d recommend attempting to seduce one of his family members to try to get first dibs on checkmate Lincolnite props.

[@thomaszupan6308]

I want to say thank you for Checkmate Lincolnites and your contribution to historical entertainment, KZbin, and debunking the lost cause. I've been keeping up with you since Gods and Generals when I was taking a Civil War History class around Spring 2020, right before and after COVID. I want to say your content is some of the most enjoyable stuff on KZbin and it's always a treat to see you post something new. I was a bit hesitant to try out the new stuff and I realize that was a mistake, your 1950's Frozen Man series and your movie, and newer standalone stuff. My favorite videos of yours are the Upstairs Lounge Massacre and the Metamorphosis of Prime, and they were insanely enjoyable, and I attribute it to my own philosophy. I hope you don't treat Checkmate Lincolnites as burdened success, or as your worst videos, because I think they are not only a product of the time and success, but also how it's shaped you as a creator and the imaginative take on bringing it into a more art-centric Atun-Shei. I hope you can read my comment and smile because despite being a small blip in all of the comments, your content is seriously awesome. Please keep doing what you're doing as I feel like you're so underrated and a huge fact to why I still study history at college. I cannot wait to see your future works, especially the upcoming Sudbury Devil one!

[@yttube4865]

When I think try to think of an Atun-Shei video, the hurricane katrina video always pops into my mind first. Just him sitting on the porch with the spray paint marking the building as cleared is stuck in my head.

[@MasterOfTwisted]

Honestly I’d buy that Robert e lee tablet.

[@Arizonaball1]

"I'm like one medical emergency away from... I don't know" Now that's what I call late stage Capitalism!

[@jaceyeah]

I would like to say that Atun-Shei Films' "Checkmake Lincolnites" pulled me out of my Lost Causer phase

[@509Gman]

Me too, and I spent my formative years in the land of Lee and Jackson. Can’t look at Lee Chapel in the same way after his “Lost Cause Religion” segment

[@thunderbird1921]

I never really fell into that trap, but it did open my eyes to some stuff. I didn't realize just how insane the Confederacy truly was. I DID know however that the antebellum South was INCREDIBLY classist and manipulative toward the poor, many of whom at the time were illiterate. The more I read about the Confederates' craziness and tyranny, the more I see why there was stuff like the Free States of Winston and Jones. Those plantation elites were evil monsters.

[@umjackd]

I was born in the US, but spent basically my whole childhood abroad. My family are Asian immigrants to the US, so in very many ways, our identity with being American was quite tenuous. We had American passports and family there, but as far as conventional ways to identify yourself with the nationality, we didn't have much. My school wasn't American either, so I just had little to no socialisation in American identity. So for me as a kid in the 90s, Gettysburg was the movie that helped me learn about the history and heritage of American society. I got really into it, which is a very strange thing to talk about now when I look back on it, as an Asian kid growing up far away from the US, but I do think it was my way of grappling with at least being American on paper. I liked the idea of going to reenactment events and stuff like that, but always knew somewhere in the back of my head that I probably wouldn't fit in (though there were Asian soldiers on both sides). At the time, that movie really romanticised the Southern cause, and I bought into it, for some of the reasons you've mentioned in this video. One of the biggest differences from then to now though, is that now we have content creators like you to give a critical eye to such things, and I really think it's good work. So thank you for that.

[@matthewpalmer7184]

I know this is a random ask and I'm just some dude on the internet, but if you want to talk academic response to your videos, and the actual modern educational issues in teaching Antebellum/Civil War/Reconstruction history in academia and at the college level, I'd be more than happy to hit you up about it. I'm a PhD Candidate (defending in April!) on memory and identity history, and have taught multiple sections of US History to college students. I have a LOT to say about how high schools are preparing (or not preparing) students for college level history, especially in relation to these topics. As well, I deal primarily in MYTH in memory history- my dissertation covering the early Second World War and propaganda in media, however I also do deal with Lost Cause and other american myths.

[@FirstLast-di5sr]

Just wanted to say I've greatly appreciated you're entire body of work! Thank you good sir!

[@plcthelegacy4131]

I want to ask, with Checkmate Lincolnites coming to a close, what would be the next Subject to cover?

[@AtunSheiFilms]

I mean... I cover all sorts of other topics on this channel. So I'll keep covering things like colonial history, New Orleans history, non-Lost Cause related Civil War stuff, film, literature, etc. I'll just continue to make whatever catches my interest, as I've always done.

[@Sableagle]

@@AtunSheiFilms Any danger of you coming to visit York and the vast number of "dissolved" monasteries and nunneries and abbeys around here? We have a ridiculously bloody history of christians replacing christians and being replaced by christians who were then replaced by christians, along with the various Royal Houses fighting over the biggest box under our collective tree and that one Cromwell guy who ... {sniff} ... how to express it? Ah, he, ah, _influenced the Zeitgeist_ and has _not been entirely forgotten_ by the populace. Yeah. Like that. Consider it expressed. If you are coming round, let me know. I'll buy you dinner and beers, maybe lend you a tent. (I own no sofa.)

[@plcthelegacy4131]

@@AtunSheiFilms Thank you

[@thunderbird1921]

I'd be interested in a Checkmate Washingtonites series, if he ever wanted to make one. There's a lot of myths especially in more recent years about the American Revolution that need disproven (such as the insane claim it was to keep slavery, Britain would not abolish the slave trade until 1807, one year before the US, and kept slavery as an instution going until 1833).

[@5urg3x]

I was first introduced to the lost cause in middle school, and I didn’t even grow up in the south. Suburban western NY, public school too…my American history teacher laid it on pretty thick. “No it wasn’t really about slavery, it was states rights and economic yada yada…” - I remember kinda believing it but not really caring all that much. Then Penn and Teller did an episode of BS where they parroted the lost cause talking points, and I was for whatever reason, kinda into it at the time. Looking back now it’s pretty embarrassing. They did a lot of really dumb episodes by today’s standards. The climate change one, the smoking one…lol.

[@conservativecatholic9030]

Do you know which episode that was? I would like to watch it but there are 8 seasons and no episode specifically targeted to the Civil War. Could it be the episode on reparations?

[@5urg3x]

@@conservativecatholic9030 Yes. That’s the one. They had a total clown on there, a black guy marching around in public with a confederate uniform on. Lmao.

[@nemzizlamont9083]

If you put the propa for sale you could do an auction and give the money to a charity if that's something you would like to do. Love your videos and the way you tell history. Checkmate Colonists next? Have a great one! ❤️

[@thrandompug2254]

I think your use of Klaus is excellent. I think you're treating him as ridiculous but not just as a vector for lowbrow humor. There is a point to his presence and he has a role to play in the wider story

[@trevorlarimore2416]

I would love for you to do a Q & A over the early colonies, from the establishment of Jamestown and Plymouth to around 1700 I remember you saying on your historian battle with Brandon. F 🤣 that you knew the most about early new england history and I am extremely interested in soaking up any knowledge or information you or your youtube community might have on this topic. Im a bit biased due to my ancestors coming from the Plymouth Colony and Jamestown but I hope all your other subscribers would find this type of content very interesting. Thank you for all that you but into your videos!

[@vaderbuckeye36]

You should raffle or auction off the parts of the set you’re planning to scrap! If you don’t feel like making the money off of it, you could make it a charity event!

[@frederickthegreatpodcast382]

I know this channel was built on Checkmate Lincolnites, but the Witchfinder General makes me laugh so much more!

[@MANMAN-kj9de]

That Novella sounds fascinating. I hope you eventually either put that out some where for reading, or go through with adapting it into a film. Keep up the great work.

[@theoriginalt-paine3776]

I really appreciated what you say about your own history with the Lost Cause narrative, and the ways you’ve grown since adolescence. It is totally possible to be knowledgeable about history, and to acknowledge when the government was actually in the right, and did something good, while also having a healthy distrust of the government, and firmly hold to fucking the system while acknowledging the parts of it that work. A black & white world view, and an all of nothing mentality is immature, and I think we all start there, but the more we grow the more we realize that that most of the world is actually grey, and being all or nothing about anything really isn’t very healthy, nor practical, nor conducive to success & happiness. In many, many ways the system is bullshit, and demands change, but there are also parts of it that are good, and which work, it is grey, like most things involving humanity.

[@Cwitch67]

I found your channel through The Loopcast. EXCELLENT WORK! Valuable, important, and other adjectives. I come from a "'twern't us. We got here in 1870," Southern family, and every one of them will be receiving greetings with a link to your channel. I'm SO tired of the monument argument; I really need your help.

[@TheThoughtAssassin]

Is a Checkmate Churchillites or something like it coming? (Debunking Wehraboo talking points like Clean Wehrmacht)

[@zoiders]

Whenever the closet Nazis come out of the woodwork trying to rehabilitate The Heer I hit them with the book "Soldaten: On Fighting, Killing, and Dying". What a lot of the white supremacists with a Germanic fetish don't realise is that the BBC and intelligence services wired the German POW camps for sound and recorded their unguarded moments which is what the book covers. They admitted to all of it. On tape.

[@dreamypizza8458]

that would be pretty cool

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

That would be fun, if just for the angry wehraboo reactions in the comments when it is mentioned that 80% of all regular German army divisions documented themselves committing war crimes.

[@LauseMarkA]

Another professional historian (now retired but still cranking out books) . . . Don't stop what you're doing. It's great. I couldn't be a bigger fan. And I've also been circulating your work among my colleagues and students.

[@LordAleco]

I love everything he makes but I have to say I really want to read that novella after that brief description

[@TheBigJoshyShow]

love you brother! Keep up the amazing work

[@TheBigJoshyShow]

SELL EM! hahah

[@owendemers6047]

Watched all of Ken Burns' Civil War. You're right. It does include a lot of Lost Cause stereotypes disguised as "Oh the war was so complicated!"

[@thunderbird1921]

It also leaves out huge details. I don't ever recall it talking much about southern Unionists, the breakaway regions, or the Russian Empire sending ships to stop British meddling. The older I get, I feel it was a rather shallow and simplified documentary series in some aspects.

[@LordVader1094]

​@@thunderbird1921Wait, Russia sent ships against the British? Tell me more

[@thunderbird1921]

@@LordVader1094 Around 1862, Britain was in a diplomatic standoff with Lincoln and the Union as they were angry about their needed cotton imports being stopped by the Union blockade of the South (some also viewed it as a chance to stop any truly "United States" from challenging their global power). Relations got even worse when ships from both nations got in confrontations (plus British shipyards began to construct warships for the Confederacy, such as the CSS Alabama and the Laird Rams). It began to look grim for the U.S. as no one seemed to really be interested in acting as a major ally. Then, one day, without any prior notice, around 1862-63 (I forget off the top of my head which it was), foreign warships began approaching the US east coastline and were identified as being the Russian Navy. Soon after the ships laid anchor and the Russian commander spoke with American officials. He told them that they had been ordered to North America by the imperial government of Czar Alexander II and that a second fleet was being sent to the West Coast. If the British attacked the U.S. and began to militarily support the Confederacy directly, they were commanded to take orders directly from Lincoln and engage the British immediately. It later turned out that Alexander was an admirer of Lincoln and was himself a reform-minded leader with emancipation as a goal (he liberated the common serfs from the Russian nobility in 1861, and was beginning to start building Russia as a more modern society). Reportedly his only big criticism of Lincoln was that he showed too much mercy on the Confederacy and should have gone total annihilation. Back to our story, Britain FREAKED THE HECK OUT when this warship deployment happened and soon backed down, possibly saving the Union. The Russian sailors were literally given a ticker tape style parade in New York City, and a cry across the Union shouted "God bless America, and God save the Czar!" Britain even after the Civil War was so terrified of a potential U.S.-Russian alliance (which could hugely shift the world power balance) that they agreed to pay damages to America and hand over ships not yet delivered to the Confederacy. Before 1917, the U.S.-Russian relationship was VERY different, and had they succeeded in forming a democracy (such as a constutional monarchy), it is entirely possible that we may have formed a Special Relationship with the Russian Empire, instead of Great Britain. Alas, that isn't what ended up happening, but who knows what the future may hold?

[@filmandfirearms]

The argument for bad history in games leading to misconceptions is not even comparable to the "video games cause violence" narrative. People absolutely take imperical information from games seriously. Being a former RSO and gun salesman, I can attest to the amount of times I've seen people who know nothing about guns apart from video games. I used to be one of them. Video games are a great tool for learning, I think Hearts of Iron does a great job of showcasing the logistical struggles of every nation in WW2. For example, Japan's dependence on their holdings in Manchuria and their pressing need to conquer China simply for self sustainment. However, that same power is also often misused. For example, the famous Stalingrad sequence from Call of Duty, which is basically an interactive version of Enemy at the Gates. It perpetuates so many false notions about how the Russians fought the war

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

Unfortunately nothing can probably be done to prevent people from believing that everything they see on film, or play in a history-based game, is real. You have actors who play despicable characters in outright fantasy settings (Joffrey in Game of Thrones, for instance) who get insulted by "fans" when they're out and about, because some people just can't can't grasp that it was a performance and the actor isn't that character. You can't fix stupid.

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

Please make more content with Karl! Kasarda! Watching this with the auto subtitles is hilarious, it's checkmate Lincoln Heights every time.

[@peterlepper5199]

This comment is likely going to get buried but I thought I'd at least put it out here. I'm almost certified to be a history teacher (just about finished with my Master's program, just have to do my student teaching and take the pedagogy exam) and your content inspires me. I discovered you through the Checkmate Lincolnites series (which is absolutely stellar, by the way), and I've been working my way through the rest of your videos ever since. The one about Hannah Dustin and King William's War particularly impressed me. Your command of the material is frankly astonishing (rattling off information the way you did while paddling up a river Following Bienville?) and your presentation is never anything short of engaging. I can only hope to make my lessons as entertaining and informative as your videos. Normally I'm more of an ancient history / medieval guy, but thanks to you, I've picked up a few books on the Civil War to brush up on my content knowledge for that vastly important period. From one student of history to another, thank you for doing what you do.

[@AnthonyOksenholtPersonal]

Only so much you can do in one series. I enjoy your work and I am glad to see Checkmate Lincolnites end strong though I kinda wish it wouldn't end. You have some fucking talent on a level I can only wish I had. Keep up the good work man. Maybe one day the industry will see real talent without the plastic bullshit and somebody will pick you up professionally. Edit. More Frozen 50's Man PLEASE that shit is funny as hell.

[@orinjackson975]

Being the guy that used to be the kid in grey at the cemetery. My family still helps take care of one that flies the rebel flag on graves. Your videos have definitely brought me closer to centerline than anything else.

[@mr.e8561]

Have you & your fellow historian content makers ever considered marshaling your skills, creating a shareable content style ( skits) and pitch a show for P.B.S.? They could use some fresh faces & ideas.

[@zoiders]

Will you ever tackle the subject of Americans thinking that the colonists and the British were somehow completely alien to one another during the Revolutionary War?

[@Alte.Kameraden]

Honestly I think many Academics kind of look down on KZbin Historians, or as I like to call them "History Tubers." Unless said channel is large, or the person hosting it is already a historian outside of just youtube, like a few academics, and authors also have channels. I've seen some channels catch even mainstream historians like Ian Kershaw and Richard Evans contradicting themselves often within the same chapter or paragraph which is interesting to see. So it does let you know that even big names in the historical communities are not perfect. So I find it weird when I see some people looking down on youtube historians when they make mistakes as well.

[@dclark142002]

I would love to see some content covering the myths of American foreign policy being pro-democracy...covering Filibustering, the beginnings of American imperialism, the lack of a rejection of fascism through the 1950s, and the actual logical outcome of our foreign relations with other countries to this day. Could be really interesting and has plenty of scope for involvement by Claus and friends...as well as a number of other unsavory characters.

[@Man2quilla]

Glad to see the crypt getting a bit more screen time

[@SonOfExcess]

Please don’t end the checkmate lincolnite series - it’s some of the best content on KZbin and is doing the world a massive good. I myself had a lot of my views changed because of this series (for the better I might add)

[@whitemountain_]

just saying I would definitely buy one of those closure tablets, get that shop set upppp

[@javierganzarain4559]

I'm glad Andy brought back the Spyro ost for the background music

[@pacificostudios]

As one of your Patreons, I urge you to make more Checkmates whenever you feel inspired. Your work is awe-inspiring and valuable, especially your historical insights.

[@upinarms79]

Not gonna lie, I am going to miss Checkmate Lincolnites!, but I do understand the need to move on and not over-do a series, especially if you feel you've said all you needed to say with it. I think that series was one of the things that helped me put the final "nail in the coffin" of my own hold-out misconceptions about the Lost Cause. Being Southern, I've been bombarded with it my whole life, and while I've never been one to entertain revisionist history, I think I still wasn't as critical of if it as I should have been because I was missing some of the details that often get glossed over. So thanks for all the hard work you've put in to make something so entertaining and educational. I do hope you don't completely retire these characters forever though, because they are absolutely brilliant.

[@pathutchison7688]

With history, it’s best to not have beliefs. It’s better to have ideas. You can change ideas much easier.

[@capnstewy55]

That sounds like a better version of a recent Jamie Fox movie.

[@rodneylove8027]

I'll buy a ticket to that racist vampire/black Van Helsing deal!

[@Sparten7F4]

Somehow, I choked on my coffe twice watching the first five minutes of this, lol. The coffee is now, needless to say, resting on the table for the rest of this.

[@chrysshart]

I agree wholeheartedly with your statements about using fantastical/alternate history in entertainment media and the fact that it's education's responsibility to give folk a solid grounding in facts. I also think it's important that we parents be involved in our kids' lives and be there to offer context (and remind them what's fiction and what's fact) when needed. I'm not talking about helicoptering or anything like that, just wise oversight and awareness. Separately, I'd love to see you do another "Checkmate, _!" series addressing other historical fallacies/resurgences once Lincolnites is complete. I found your channel through that series and I love the way it's presented using actual comments from people on the Confederate side, as it were. And you don't just present them all as wild-eyed, pitchfork-bearing racists. You include those folk, but you also include less unhinged viewpoints and people who just seem to be misinformed. Your rebuttals are delivered with compassion without being overly soft and you manage to strike the perfect teaching balance between grace and authority.

[@jeffmacdonald9863]

I think it helps a lot if it's really presented as fantasy/fiction, not as conspiracy theory. Doing something inspired by it can be great, but you need to be more careful if your whole plot is "someone finds out the actual conspiracy theory is true" and does so by walking down the same arguments the real conspiracy theorists use. And yes, I'm looking at Dan Brown here. :)

[@jarodstrain8905]

Personally, I've always liked to save props. I used to have a storage unit dedicated to just that. And it often saved me a lot on new projects.

[@S3BAST1AN696]

NOOOOOO the Crypt is my new fav filming location 😭😭😭 especially with the little jokes on the tablets Edit: you could genuinely make some of the crypt as buys avilable to patrón or ar a tierra rewards or christmas raffle!

[@melissamybubbles6139]

Checkmate Lincolnites have been some of my favorite videos on all of KZbin. Thank you. Could you bust some other myths at least occasionally?

[@MegaBanne]

This set is so well made that I have a hard time not thinking this is a blue screen from an actual crypt or something.

[@joeskys2362]

Amazing work I must say!

[@gerrygamache5677]

Thanks!

[@Blazcowitz1943]

Love your content and can I say, I particularly love the use of OG Spyro music as well! :)

[@rlosable]

Said before, will say it again: You do great work! If it were up to me, please do more about colonial American history. A topic not very present on YT and I enjoyed all the content you made on it so far!

[@gorillaguerillaDK]

Lee always had a roll of duct tape on his head - and yes, it’s a mystery why! Many historians has suggested that it was probably to avoid falling apart out of sheer shame!

[@samuelglover7685]

West Point might consider it as well. Traitor Bobby Lee AND Mike Pompeo? Time for some serious self-searching.....

[@PakBallandSami]

being on youtube can really make people depressed and being a youtube content creator it is always normal to feel burn out and making the same style thing over and over again can make you feel burn out this is why most youtubers should try new thing or take a look at there videos and improve over them and your a very talented person you can make batter stuff man

[@PakBallandSami]

atun-shei films you are one of the best history youtuber man i love your videos they are great you deserve to get more views and subs your keep up the good work

[@aaronlouis710]

Give the closure tablets away!

[@Lorenzo-yc7zh]

We need racist Dracula vs count blackula That shit would be wild

[@samuelcameron8215]

Am I the only person that misses the New Orleans history videos?

[@Rednecknerd_rob9634]

You ain't, brudduh.

[@jacobsomebody9266]

It would be great if he made some more of them.

[@JellothePallascat]

Your use of Spyro music in videos is always fantastic and up lifting!

[@PakBallandSami]

dame he a gamer lol

[@answers_to_penguin]

Yes. I actually find it a little distracting because a part of my brain is always occupied trying to remember the levels. I feel it’s usually Sgt. Byrd’s base.

[@answers_to_penguin]

Or Hurricos.

[@JellothePallascat]

@@answers_to_penguin the big dudes have the electric diodes and you have to help the SpongeBob voice actor get them all back!! Yes sir!

[@answers_to_penguin]

@@JellothePallascat Oh shit that was the same voice as spongebob. I never made that link as a kid. In my defence, not being from the US, I’m not sure when they started airing it here and when it was we got a dubbed version. Yeah that specific challenge got my nerves.

[@mrsnufflegums]

The closure tablets would be a neat Patreon or other crowdfunding reward to send people

[@joshuasutherland6692]

You should sell the tablets for sure. I wouldn't but if I had money I would.

[@retrokilroy2506]

"From the Crib-pt" 😆

[@AmericanArchon]

Really looking forward to Checkmate finale and what comes next. I'd love to see more long-form stuff like "In Defense of Puritanism." I'd REALLY love more Frozen 50s Man.

[@pmgn8444]

Argh! 9+ months till the Sudbury Devil!

[@sa-iw4dr]

Take the audio out of your shirt then under the tie back over from the right, that way you won't have to keep positioning it to the place it won't go because of the wrong angle. Love your shows, keep at it! I tell people to watch you.

[@TheOlsonOutfit]

You could probably raise some decent funds auctioning those closure tablets.

[@waylonmarble5181]

I would love a 'Checkmate, Lincolnites!' format for other topics

[@thexalon]

I'm always down for some tales from the crypt. Too bad you're giving up being a crypt-keeper.

[@owendemers6047]

Will you ever do a break down of Ken Burns Civil War? Love the channel.

[@unknownuser6940]

How do you get your sources, and which ones did you reject? Ik that the History Channel isn't very reliable anymore (which is very unfortunate), but I am curious where you find them or use a similar process.

[@Thats-Not-Helpful]

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm already eyeing up an empty spot on my wall for one of those gravestones 👀

[@pseudonym8791]

Just spitballing here, but we never did get to find out what became of Gen. Slauson at the end of Ravenous. Someone might want to look into that :D

[@knotsbygordion]

Suggestions for the graves: sell them as dart boards!

[@Kardel_VA]

Answering youtube comment questions in a crypt is just fitting.

[@noahjohnson935]

I have a question, in one gag during Checkmate Lincolnites had the Union soldier talking about the Confederacy integrating Slavery into a plan for industrialization. Is there any books talking about that? A lot of stuff related to the Civil War never talks about how the South was simply planning on staying agrarian with no real idea for industrialization and your comment with that has made me curious

[@oranjethefox8725]

My mom lived across the street from Anne Rice, apparently she was really fucking weird- so are the rest of the books in the Interview with a Vampire series.

[@Billy_yank1865]

i get sick and tired of the argument " slaves were treated well" that would be a good one for checkmate lincolnites