Tonights presentation please join me in thanking them. [applause] and now to introduce our speaker for this evening who will tell you, Leeanna Keith is at the Collegiate School for boys in your city she is author of the untold story of the glass tower and most recently present article of the civil war the publication had this to say, sense of detailed accounts radicals and republicans at the roots for the civil rights movement. And socalled radical republicans. [inaudible] mainstream american and during the civil war. Please join me in welcoming Leeanna Keith. Cement thanks everybody to please forgive me for remaining seated. I just wanted tell you what happened to me i know you you want to hide broke my leg, which is a cement mixer pulled up beside me and sideswipe me and so i feel very lucky to be here at all. And i will be fine. So now im going to tell you the story about the civil war and after words all youre going to remember is i am that lady got hit by the symmetric. [laughter] what can i say, thats my story. I have been traveling, one thing about my book theres a lot of local history in there. Starting to happen in different places. And so when i wake up in virginia i taco its happened in virginia when im in new orleans i touch what happens in new orleans. I have to admit, this is not where much of the action takes place. In fact, just thinking about how to organize this talk, made me recognize certain pattern to the geography of the civil war, and of the whole movement, which in my story get started before make in the 1850s and continues to the end of the war 1854 to 1865. And then begins the north, moves to the west, finds its way into the south with the United States and if you know in georgia, this is the last place in a lot of ways that the movement. [inaudible] those no story about george until get to the very end of the war. I was intimidated on how to work it in georgia into the story prayed i been thinking about it. Anyway, the state that had the latest and least impact of the radical republican movement, and i just wanted tell you a little bit about radical republicanism before i get into the georgia part of the story. So the radical part people start believed that kansas should be a free state. And they were willing to organize themselves as immigrants. They were willing to take up arms if necessary to defend the idea of free. It operations the north and the west to courthouse is sometimes with battering rams, directing fugitives caught up in what they thought was unjust system. They would admit to be a john brown asked, and the Republican Party was home to a lot of peoples radical factions who were deeply engaged with john brown as fundraisers, and not only the secret six is browns coconspirators, there is also ranking republicans who made donations, who argued in favor of brown, to say brown was a hero once it had been staged and he was executed as a traitor. Being radical meant to lean into that idea. In shortly after Harpers Ferry the nation started taking down the war road to be a radical republican meant to be in hard work, to be in favor of a war that would not and if it resolved quickly. But would demand so much of the nation, that people became willing to confront slavery, and to terminate it. For the radical republicans, and the worlds of Ralph Emerson who was a radical, the good doctor, the bad is sometimes better. And the agony of this nation and the civil war was the only way were going to address these fundamental issues. As the work gets underway to be a radical also means to support the idea of military emancipation. First theres a policy they call the contraband policy which recognized property. And yet said that people brought into the military operations were being used for military purposes. And therefore they were contraband of war. And could legitimately be seized and protected, sheltered from being re patriotism. [inaudible] in the name of the military. And similarly radical supported the idea of military emancipation as it is realized in the emancipation proclamation. In late 1862 early 1863. To be a radical meant to support the idea of black military service and to advocate and organize which happened during the war. To be a radical meant the on the foundation of the military service, black men had earned citizen ship rights that should have been recognized, even while the war was going on before the 15th amendment, there was a movement to assure black men and women that they had full right to citizens, to recognize them in court to extend those rights and Citizenship Rights to black men at least. So that was the last step in the radical program. One of the most important and enduring steps. The last step that was only embraced by the radicals was the idea of confiscating and redistributing property in the south. The idea that treason must be made odious, and that the seizure of rebel states and the redistribution of that property to deserving african americans, not just the just deserved the rebel traders had earned, but the new social order in which africanamericans would be elevated beyond their status and could take their place among other citizens as Property Holders on people deserving of respect. In a way that was the most radical of all of the radical premise. As it happened, thats the one that makes the mark most felt here in georgia. Not really until this last piece of the radical agenda that georgia comes into play, as many of you know, but even though it steps one through seven have how the radical republicans dont mention here, georgia is home to famous Sherman Field order that designated 30 miles from the coast and could only be occupied by black people starting in january 1865. And that each black family that established itself in the formerly Held Properties would get 40 acres and practice to they are not part of the order itself, access to the equipment such as mules and other Farm Equipment the army had access to. And many of you must already be thinking, this is a problematic thing to present as an example of radical republicanism because we know who general sherman is, he is certainly not a republican. Right . In fact he really hated politicians. He is definitely not a radical. Next politicians and black people, hes quoted many times making extremely racist statements. He is not our man rumor setting the radical republican. I want to argue tonight that the team and policy of redistributing is the work of radicals and in the critical moments when decisions are made, the article 15 the radical republicans are present. At least two are present. One is James B Lynch ill tell you about an africanamerican missionary and activists whod been traveling with the army that just happened to be in savannah at the time is captured by shermans forces, and given to lincoln as a Christmas Gift and also present is edwin stanton. Lincoln secretary of war hes a democrat at the start of the war but hes a constant leading radical and so much so, so important in the movement, that his service as secretary of war becomes a fundamental issue during the ministration of andrew johnson, his effort just fire stands in a secretary of war culminated into johnsons impeachment in 1863 his near removal. I want to say that the radicals are present, and their presence behind the scenes. Of shermans field order 15 that was kind of a typical place to find, not so much lynch, the typical place of an stanton. His reputation during the war as a manipulator a back room operative, as a sneaky radical who puts his mark without letting his face be seen. You know, he is of course one of the more famous ones of the linkage administration and many of you may be familiar with lincolns famous statement about how important stanton services are to him how stanton was his locket and without that imagine how the work could have been won. Hes not the type of character that commanded a lot of loyalty and enthusiasm. In fact, stanton has two problems that keep him from being part of the radical public and movement to keep people from perceiving him as a humanitarian activist. One of those is his tendency to operate behind the scenes and ill give you some examples behind that. The other is his incredible direct rudeness for the stance and was he was incredibly intolerant of other peoples opinions he was incredibly impatient with people and expressed himself. He did not hesitate to speak out and say things that were not complementary. In fact, he was described as one whose rudeness was incredible whose unpopularity was amazing. [laughter] he was had amazing unpopularity. And the same critic described him as being different from lincoln as any person can be, lincoln was kindly, stanton was imperious and were lincoln was funny, stanton was rude and humorless. In fact he hated lincoln stories ecm depicted in the movie you see stanton say i cant hear another story, that is very true to his persona. [laughter] to its stanton sam a damn full that i daresay it must be true. [laughter] because hes usually right. And he always says what he thanks. [laughter] the same person who criticized him and described his incredible unpopularity is amazing unpopularity also said, this was also part of his strength. His total abnegation of himself in the emergency his willingness to defend, to be unpopular to never gauge and courtesies, to have every moment and every interaction to the grand purpose of winning the war and serving the union. It was greatness as well as his flock. Stanton behindthescenes operation, his reputation as a backdoor operator, is also. [inaudible] i will also say operating on the download in his way, stanton used on much too is a fancy idea specially that blackman could could serve in the United States army. In that certainly entitled them to the right of citizenship. He is very much an engine behind that idea. Im going to give you some ideas and examples of how that worked. He not only had this idea even before he kate became secretary of war but he had ideas once he became secretary how best they should serve, how they should be drilled, how the company should be formed, and how they should dress. And in this particular, he showing himself to be pragmatic as well as fun and advocating that black men wear red pantaloons when they listen the army. [laughter] the practical part of this idea is the army was well supplied with the red pantaloons. [laughter] those of you are civil war buffs i cower before you really, but those of you who know about the war no the craze for the british style uniform was epic. And as the company formed in the north, they decked themselves out if short jackets with french, sideways hats, and red pantaloons and other distinctive things, but these proved in the military context to be kind of a liability. [laughter] and so within some weeks, no white soldier is willing to accept these red prepositions and they have an oversupply. We can get the black people to wear them. Theyll be grateful for the opportunity to be have these nice pants, were going to give put these in uniforms. Not just to say its funny because it has a very unfunny element as well, but to the president appoints to stanton when he tries to hide because you cant see because internet can see of the red pants. There are two places that come early into the fear of union control, two places in the confederacy where he lived in 18611862 wheres most places the United States was losing in the first years of the war but the two places that are within axis of our navy, are easy for the union to control. The Confederate Navy cannot resist the bulk of the union naval power. And its easy to claim, lincoln gunboats there adjacent to georgia and South Carolina and florida. And also, new orleans which the union in the spring of 52 had the control of november 61 these two places are the first to really experiment with what is going to happen after slavery. What is that look like to break slavery and create a new social order . In happened also both of these locations will be home to the experiment, the first time the first experiment with enlisting black men in the army of the United States. Now, some of you may have sense the first were not in new orleans maybe kansas or North Carolina of tell us story worth the same time for experimental black regiments are some of these four different locations. But the hand of stantons most visible needs to new orleans and i want to tell you little bit about them. See islands, a place many of you georgians are quite familiar with, places like South Carolina, hilton head, these places fall early into union command and they really become home to social experiments in the sea islands is northern missionaries who came down to teach, to organize, to try to establish successor kind of labor system, to slavery and to find ways to make money and make the world a better place. At the same time it becomes home to not the first but the second order of general emancipation issued by the union general. I tell the story of my book about the command in st. Louis, division of the west where fremont the summer of 61 says an emancipation proclamation and immediately shot down by the lincoln administration. That said thats not within the authority of the gentle, thats not within the authority of the president. And fremont was forced to rescind his emancipation. But in much more lowprofile emancipation takes place in the sea island theater. Where a general, david hunter was a friend of lincoln any radical republican took command and even before he arrived, he had advertised a present lincoln himself, his intention to break slavery and to experiment with the new social order. He pleaded in a letter to lincoln, please, let me have my way as regards to slavery in such a way that i can leave a mark. I promise that none of the responsibility will fall on you, i will take it all on me. A lot of commanders in chief would not want to hear that. Lincoln was ready to hear that he was eager to experiment. Also very eager to moderate and control the discussion. Lincoln calls was called autosave if you look at his policy and action, he was very careful to use deception, to use silence to build Public Opinion in favor of things that were important to him but were controversial. David hunters intention to make trouble welcome news to lincoln, so long as hunters going to petition to keep it quiet. If he can keep it quiet, it creates a great opportunity to see just what happens to an issue of emancipation order, and thats what happens. He issues an order in which she says all of the obvious people in the Department Staff are declared henceforward forever free. And the next day follows up with another proclamation all men of military age in the sea island district are subject to description we are going to begin the process of forming black regiments. So he does, he senses Junior Officers to the plantation, they find a healthy and ablebodied men, they encourage them to join the union army, they appoint officers and they create a regiment calls himself the first South Carolina volunteers. In the evening precipitate military operation into florida. Lincoln likes it, thats very interesting what happened in jacksonville and are interested in that. Try to keep going but try to keep it quiet we dont people talking about this. We dont talk about it. This is her stance and, stanton plays a role in helping to encourage general hunter, and also to encourage general hunter to be quiet. And yes, the news gets out. Something like this cannot be kept under wraps. Especially when theyre beginning to engage military operation no promises about asking questions. This is bad news for stanton he doesnt want to hear it. The leading voice of the radicals in the senate, he said stanton wished general hunter had been allowed to free the slaves without talking about it. [laughter] stanton was actually quoted to say damn him, why do he do it and say nothing about it . As it is a becomes a controversy that lincoln has to weigh in, lincoln actually writes a letter where he says to slaveholders you cannot be blind to signs of the times. Look at whats happening. Even though he doesnt permit them to move forward and requires hunter to issue a counter order, when disbanding the first carolina volunteers bradys reading and ready for the idea of the inside. They want to know how did hunter get that idea . Whats the connection between hunters black regiment in the War Department secretary stanton . Sanders has already couldnt do that. That would be betraying information is only shared between myself and the president. He doesnt use the word executive privilege so he doesnt testify the name of executive privilege but he is the way down in South Carolina he has to answer a whitten query from congress on their read aloud in congress. To be honest, it makes people laugh. I just want to read you has he created a regiment for slaves . And hunter says no, knowing didnt. He said theres no regimented regimented of slaves, there is a fine regiment of persons whose former masters are fugitive rebels. [laughter] men who everywhere fought for the appearance of the national flag, so far indeed are the loyal persons composing this regiment from seeking to avoid the presence of their rivas owners customer that they are now one and all working with this wonderful industry to place themselves in a position to go in for an effective pursuit of their tutorials proprietor. [inaudible] they also asked, what is your authorization to do this . How did you supply them . Did you have direct authorization question mckee said no, they didnt tell me i could use these guns to create a black regiment but also did they say uses shovels to dig a ditch . Use this campus to make him, hes looking at the tools is being sang at his disposal. And as the commentaries read aloud and congress, the radical republicans are laughing. In fact, because the smoking gun is not present. They want to know if the War Department has supplied them, yet they cant really use the presence of 50000 pairs of pants as evidence that hunter was authorized to enlist 50000 black men. If they ask the question about whether or not the pants were red, they might have been caught then. But they covered his pants in that particular. The emancipation and hunters conscription failed, at least initially. It remained in an informal congregation, the officers would stay with them, they participated in skirmishes and later still be part of the United States color troop are made legitimate. The other places happens is in the city of new orleans. It felt of the union, as i said and 52 and is occupied by one of the great colorful characters other republican civil war era guy named Benjamin Butler of massachusetts part i love to tell you stories all night, im not going to im going to say instead that one of butlers subordinates and general from vermont who was a real Bernie Sanders style but it. Passionate abolitionist, is facing north of new orleans were camp parapet is his basic operation, north of the city. And in these areas theres information and 19 engine 62 to administer an area where people who are recognized as low unionist, are permitted to operate plantations or slave labor it remains. And yet, general is not going to participate in any scheme like that. He is very much opposed, when he has asked organize black regiment means in this area to build levees other kinds of manual labor he says no, im not a slave master. I did not come down here to force people to labor. Im happy to organize these men. He began drilling and in may and june and july in louisiana , takes the field to teach these guys how to fight. And it becomes a national story. And a controversial one. Or people like conservative senator faiz lincoln of saying hes upsetting the social order, the africanamerican army, we have this hypocrisy sick can you imagine anything worse than general because i cant . Anyone who feels im going to surrender this field and leave my card about slavery unplayed is deceiving himself. Lincoln is also very interested, stanton is very interested, and built this program to build a black regiment. Again keep it out of the headline, lets let entrant not let people hear about that. Stantons writing to butler and you are a political god, you are savvy guy. And im sure you know how to keep this out of the paper. Wheres my quotation . It is confidently hoped that using your skills of discretion, he was so deal with the question as to avoid any serious embarrassment to the government. Please. And yet butler sees an advantage for himself. And being the guy that happens to have this great resource. In a sense, the person who figures out how to mobilize his number the first one figure house gonna win the civil war. And he wants to be that guy. And so does lincoln. So to stanton. They have a vision of incorporating the army that becomes the official policy behind the state with the emancipation proclamation. And it becomes a subject of this huge organized campaign. The general of the United States had left it say more about the story, a 60yearold man dressed in the Mississippi River valley and the texas air of the word will he will spend almost two years traveling up and down the Mississippi River, visiting contraband camps and Army Facilities to say i am here to enlist black soldiers. Interest of black peoples in the same interest of the union and winning the war. Anything we can do to get security among the africanamerican men to get them to join with the army of the United States. Its good for the union, good for the country. I so stanton puts his full force behind this idea. And in a way, he is the unseen presence the results of the enlistment over 180,000 men in the war in the last stages of the war where their energy and numbers needed so much and they get victory. No one who fits this description. George was incorporated, as you all know, that was by sherman who was before one of the great racists of the civil war era. No one except sherman could have gotten away with what sherman did which was to say there will be no black soldiers. Uncle billys army thats what he said, anticipate allwhite army the one that lands the land campaign, and marched to the sea. But sherman cant avoid the black presence in georgia. The issue of the end of slavery. Because his army is with refugees as he moves to the state. He is ultimately created military operations, humanitarian crisis, and something that sherman cannot abide. And soaked by the time of his victory in savannah, when he presents the city of savannah to lincoln as a Christmas Gift, his army is accompanied by at least 10000 refugees from slavery. Many of whom are in very dire straits. When they escape from slavery they dont come equipped, there will be eight families trying to make oath at a cooking pot or blanket. He has to figure out not only how to give humanitarian crisis for which she has very little sympathy. But also, how to move the army sufficiently in the presence of so many civilians. By the time he gets a savanna hes very eager to find solution to the problem of refugees from slavery. But by that time also, he had gave a bad reputation. Even ulysses grant, who is shermans dear friends, is concerned by the winter of 1864 in 1865 that shermans values not as they should be. That he is not operating in keeping with army regulations, which as i have said encourage people to consider the interests being identical to the interest of the union and the military efforts. And there are specific concerns with civilians many of you civil war buffs may know about the ebenezer disaster in which civilians lost their lives, they are concerned about statements he has made first set of orders regarding occupying savannas, he makes reference to be surplus negroes, horses and mules. This statement got in trouble with Supreme Court of the United States the chief justice of big figure in my book, he doesnt come off that great in my book and agreed in other books he is ambitious, striving, selfinterested person. Id just what to give a moment for his willingness to complain about shermans talk. Who does that . Whos going to say i want to talk to sherman i think you did the wrong thing. I think its a misfortune that you give them horses and mules and it sure to be historic prayed that kind of behavior attracted a lot of for sherman and even grant felt it was important to get a grip on what was happening in savannah before sherman continued. And it was grants idea that stanton go to savanna to meet with sherman. So in a way the hidden hand behind the hidden hand behind the order 15. Sherman said thats a big deal for sherman to go out to war and emergency circumstances when he did at this time he was so concerned about doing it for him personally is a 50yearold guy hes not ready for combat. He goes and gets new Life Insurance before he makes his trip. He doesnt unannounced, scouts and other dignitaries with a makes it clear he is there to look into shermans business about racial relations he wants to look about whats happened it ebenezer creek, wants to talk with the process of recruiting the troops, he also wants to know more about what sherman plans to do regarding the black population in the vicinity of savannah. He wants sherman janelle because not only interested in the military phase of the situation, but he also, stanton and lincoln have an agenda and interest on what happens to the black population and what black people want. At shermans request, or it stantons request, sherman will assemble a group of 20 africanamerican leaders the famous conference its called the Sherman Company look weak, conversation, between sherman, stanton, and these 20 men, 19 of whom were local men former land slaves, and one was a radical republican lynne she was a northerner. That will show you a picture of lynch, here is an incredible box relief sculpture that was commissioned by the state of mississippi went lynch died of Natural Causes in 1862 he is it a carpetbagger and it was to the legislature and had no one had the heart and a lot of people black and white who worked with shows to stay and said he was there for the public good. He was in fact a sort of great example of the heroic the republicans, black, white, male, female the personal sacrifices, lynch was a missionary of the african episcopal church. A disciple of incredible missionary bishop of the africanamerican episcopal church, lynch and others into the south, in 1863 to accompany the union army and to cooperate with the union and establishing new churches. The army actually plays a very direct role in establishing new black churches by seizing the properties of rebel white churches. This didnt happen just not only in georgia but everywhere. That was especially dangerous for episcopalians who had part of their liturgy a prayer the president of the United States. Unit prayed for Abraham Lincoln . If not going to take your carriage. Many people would risk that they werent aware of how serious the union was about that. Churches all across the south closed and her sunday i just learned about was the entire episcopalian district was all episcopalian ministers were prohibited from using churches from louisiana. Everywhere they had facilities on to people like lynch with black churches and schools. Using their tax laws are using confiscation acts, there seizing property that had belonged to establish white families and put them in the hands of people like lynch who would use this to establish schools for black children, and lynch happen to be in savanna at the time of shermans victory and was working there was schools is a prominent political man but everybody else is more common than he does. He doesnt always agree with what that person says. For one thing, when stanton asked point blank, what is been your experience of working with general sherman, lynch did not want to answer that question. Since i only know enough but he doesnt knows much about sherman with interpersonal to safety is a good guy or not. Also, the spokesperson for this group of africanamericans, when asked, said that the best thing for black people would be to separate themselves from the white community. The hate from white people towards black was so great it could not be overcome. The best way would be for them to deliver separate. He is integrationist, but inservice of this that black men, black families needed access to land the pickup separately from the white population. So this is conceived. After the meeting it basically says no white person can live within 30 miles of the coast and 40acre plots will be provided with the military and designate 40 acres and a mule. The only place it happens in that way during the war and sets a template for expectations after the war, what it really means to confiscate and redistribute property, ultimately they were settled on the acres it proved to be temporary. One of the great early defeats for the radical movement, the support for the idea of permanent recent distribution will never form that will give black people of the south a measure of coming up in the world. It was protected but never made it. In fact, the other part of the radical republican agenda was more successful would push Civil Rights Act that at least temporarily opened up both races, especially the fourth memo, protection and due process for all americans. In the 15th amendment to lay the foundation for africanamerican voting. Its a real democracy. That is my story. I hope you have some questions and i will take your comments, thank you. [applause] host i have a microphone if you raise your hand so i noticed you focused on the executive branch, reconstruction. Of course im big into wade davis and Patty Stevens paradigm interested to hear because we know so much about what are the roles are playing in your book question which so they are there. Its an interesting thing that at the same time my book was published, another book was published a wellestablished author. His is called congress at war and its all about the congressional rattlers. Adjusting the title of this book made me aware how little my story is about congress, you are absently right. Congress comes into my story, its in the 50s with the response to kansas and the brassica act, the caning of sumner, but definitely in the war years to when there is a lot of contesting edit interpersonal level cane strikes, and all kinds of stuff like that is happening in congress. We told some of those stories. I did not get down into that much legislation except for where it really directly affected the question of what it means to create black soldiers, what it means to create security with black families. You cant just go off apart from the union if you dont feel your family will be provided for. How to recognize marriages among enslaved persons where marriage has been banned. And how to create legislation that provides for the widows and these marriages. I tell stories about congress, but i certainly do not tell much about congress. I really am kinda glad to know that there is a complementary book, and that really we fit together quite well. Its true my story is a little bit of a tear below, especially about the army, whats happening with missionaries, whats happening with that abolition movement. So, you are absolutely right. I dont tell that much of the story of whats happening in congress. Thank you for all these stories. My question is where does lincoln stand on the continuum of the radical republic, is there tension . Is it difficult or easy political decision for him . Thats a great question. Lincoln is regarded as a moderate. As a moderate or conservative, i take issue with that a little. Saying that when he makes his debut in politics in 1856, when he enters into this moment, the first words that come out of his mouth our house divided cannot stand. That is a radical statement, right . We have come to the idea that a house divided cannot stand in that lincoln is going to put all of his power towards making that house ceased to be divided. Thats actually quite a problem in 1857 when he makes a comment really does imagine theres going to be a confrontation and the forces are gonna win. He is so chastised by having made that statement, that he doesnt say anything rattle again for the rest of his career. Not until the very last speech he makes. He goes out in public to say things that are radical, but behindthescenes, he is very aware. Is aware that the americans of the 1850s and 60s is living through cooper address does not advocate for anybodys favorite policies, he nonetheless imagines we are going to create society in which white makes white, white makes mites, that sort of righteousness of antislavery will prevail over everything else. During the war years, he pursued radical policies and might have presented them quietly with indirection, manipulating Public Opinion, and gradually developing the good working relationship with the radicals to share with him this sort of unwilling commitment to winning the war. That is usually done with lincoln, comes was good friends during the warriors, even though two men could hardly be more different than those two. Sumner is so air died, prim, lincoln as you know was a frontiersman not less respected, like to use lincoln as a punching bag. Sumner was he was six weeks ahead of you. Right there, so even though he get scarce credit from this group they have other ways to replace him in 1864 at the ticket, in fact his policies are radical. He is the one who creates the United States color troupe that went to war. And by the end of the war he has begin to advocate for black men, he writes the governor a letter and says what if we let the really intelligent ones and those have been in the army, register to vote . And then in the last speech he makes, he makes a similar comment. That of course is the call that pushes John Wilkes Booth over the edge, it will be the last speech he ever makes. Thats my lincoln who does seem to be a little to the left. Im curious, the picture on the cover your book what is at event customer so that is the 1h amendment, chronologically that is not in my story. [laughter] that happens after the civil war, once the war ends. But its very true to my book. These people are people of color, they are dignified, they are patriotic, they are celebrating, thats whats happened. And in a way that is the great achievement, they arrived into the constitution with protection for black voters and civil rights for africanamericans. I have a contemporary question since you are involved in education, my question is are College Prep Students today being taught the history of the early years of the Republican Party . My students are. [laughter] i am a high school teacher. I have been working with my students on this project from the beginning. Every tenth grader has written a paper about the radical republicans. [laughter] and they have listen to me talk about them and they have turned up documents for me, summer researchers and i teach a course in the civil war its all about the research. They help me find a lot of the things i talk about in my book. They are out there. They are not like me theyre very hyper students. Theyve got the whole world at their fingertips they can stroke the words in and then they are looking in this old paper and also in a military document. Sos you sound like a delightful teacher. Thank you, thank you. If you like the civil war you will like my class. [laughter] i have a question, you mentioned the free black payment is colloquy towards the end of the march to the sea. Im wondering if the true blacks had a coalition with what the radical republicans were doing at the time or how they felt about that . Thats a great question. The last chapter of my book is about the black republicans, which was in the first stages of my book that was a kong diggnation thats a Steven Douglas called Abraham Lincoln into black republican meeting, but by the end of the story, they are actually black men who are republicans. There are a handful of them that participate in my events of the 1850s, people like the langston brothers of ohio, he got them in boston. And as the war turns up more and more of the population of the deep south, southern black men begin to identify people like galloway, from North Carolina, or 70s name im forgetting. And these folks join with people like lynch who come into the south as sort of adjunct to the army. And who remain as elected officials, once black voting is underway. Theres a map at the end of my book, justin South Carolina just how many africanamerican men establish themselves. Thats a story mostly about reconstruction. What ive ones that ive identified i mapped arrived during the warriors, i want that part of the phenomenon. The Republican Party becoming a crosssectional alliance of whites and black men. It is a temporary arrangement, ultimately the republicans decide to have aye on whites, north and west combination forget about the south. Thats what happened with the reconstruction and after words. Temporarily anyway, in 1850s, especially in the warriors and during reconstruction. There really was a Republican Party that included large numbers of africanamerican. You mentioned a great number of very interesting radical republican men. Where there any radical republican women . Thats a great question. My focus on the war has diminished a little bit the role, field look to the pictures you will see there are number of women players who really are important in the story part and 1850s the only ones who really goes is tubman, she does that in the sea islands with the encouragement of radical republicans. She actually leads a military operation. If you see harriet they have a low clip at the end of the movie where she rides into or rolls in on the county river to a very densely populated slave people and brings them out. Brings out 700. She was actually paid like an army major, later she drove pension from the United States army. She was the director of that mission even though she worked with aye officer a radical republican, montgomery. He deferred to her, she said to him who should be bring in to support you she said it bring in montgomery. They all played a role. Especially in the years before the war went lucy stone, stanton, are Major Players in forming the Republican Party, very prominent republicans. Simon thats the perfect last question, the next lecture there check them up the in congress today. She couldnt set that up better. [applause] if you would please remain seated, so i can get her to the signing table, since she seems to be a little harder to walk out. All get to a 30 minute. We will look at some authors who look at disease and pandemics. He is er doctor jeremy brown discussing social isolation during the 1918 influenza epidemic. Normal people die, and by october 2, on the front page of the Washington Post we were told that the work hours of change. That the federal day has been staggered to check the influence of spread and the people are to take shifts. Now washington d. C. Was not the only city to do this by any means. In fact, it happened in most of the cities that were affected. The idea was that if we could stop people from mingling, although we did not know it was a virus, that was causing this, we did understand somehow that keeping them away from people is probably a good idea. So, businesses were closed down in some places, restaurants either close down or stagger their hours, stores had staggers hours, that was in an attempt to keep people spaced away from each other. So the working hours of the federal government changed around the beginning of october. I talk about this piece of this reporting in the book its a particularly sobering one which comes a couple weeks after the announcement of that closure. Bathtub or 13th the Washington Post reported, the headline is a ghoulish coffin trust, the price of coffins has skyrocketed. This was an example of people people taking advantage of a terrible situation. In fact, they write the coffin trust is holding the people of this city, of washington, holding the people of this city by the throat and extorting from them outrageous prices for coffins and disposal of the dead. In fact, the Washington Post here goes on to suggest that the department of justice should step in and instantly put a stop to the high prices of coffins. It cost more to bury your dead, because the coffin maker uncanny makers figured they could make a buck. To watch the rest this program a defined other books pandemics, visit our website, booktv. Org. Tight pandemic and the wordbook into the search box at the top of the page. Follow the federal response to the coronavirus outbreak at cspan. Org coronavirus. I are also available as podcasts. Host it was a pleasure to