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 l