So as not to disrupt the event. And when we get to q a please line up at the microphone it will be great as we are audio recording and cspan from a tv as well. We really like to have your questions in there. Following q a just leave your chairs where they are we have a couple more events today. Today we are very excited to welcome robert plumb with his newest book the better angels. A collective biography of five extraordinary civil war how the conflicts left openings for women for those roles usually held by men showing the depth of their passion and commitment. Harriet tubman tireless work of the underground railroad where she began the work that led to the American Red Cross chronicles how Harriet Beecher stowe to ride on goal toms cabin and then to be inspired by military actions with the battle hymn of the republic. So demonstrate for patriotism by advocating for a national day of thanksgiving. And a Brother Union and arms and written for Montgomery County historical society, the Washington Post and Washington Post magazine among others. Please join me to welcome to politics and prose robert plumb. [applause] thank you for that introduction. That politics and prose if you are at a musician getting to play at Carnegie Hall so this is really wonderful. Because this was released on march 1st and is womens History Month but the 100th of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote and never got a chance to vote but certainly the things that they did during the course of the American Civil War pave the way for the suffrage that came later after the 20th century. What i will do today is give a shot a snapshot of these five women and then read brief passages and then to sum it up by talking about the ten most critical characteristics these women possess that allowed them to do the things that they did. But the fact that they were women gave them additional hurdle that they all overcame. And then to give more energy than what they did. The books title come from Abraham Lincoln which incidentally 1861 and then in terms and then to acknowledge that in the address but then to rely on those better angels of our nature to bring this country back together after the war was over. And then to ensure the union succeeded. The five women very briefly Harriet Tubman who took her role primarily in the antebellum period before the war starte started, 1849. She freed herself. People call itself liberation. Even more astounding came back again and again theres probably between 70 and 80 people she freed over the course of 14 years and extraordinary thing and then not until she wrote Uncle Toms Cabin with the whole story of slavery not only with facts and figures but with a compelling narrative with the characters in the book some favorable and some not so favorable. Just like no other thing has been done in the past selling over 100,000 copies the first week it was out. It started out in a magazine with popularity during the course of this year and then turned into a book 1852. And in the early 18 sixties the war had just begun she came to washington with her husband. Who was a piece of work and not shy about talking about his ability to do great things. And then with the Sanitary Commission with the early version of the red cross. And friends across the potomac and to watch the Union Soldiers parade. But on the way back they were surrounded by Union Soldiers and one was the fact they were very young. Not much older than her own children and secondly they started to sing. When they started singing was john browns body. It was a very arousing marching to but those that accompanied her across the potomac and said you know harriet, you could do better job than that. That is denigrating to john brown. So she process that obviously and then went back to the hotel where she and her husband were staying in up in the middle of the night grab some paper and started writing. Writing a poem on scratch paper. The next morning made a few tweaks but basically it was what it was going to be. The battle hymn of the republic. She had it published. A little later and harpers weekly it took off. Civilians were moved by its lyrics and coming to the forefront what the union cause was really about to some extent it was bringing the union back to gather that could be unified argument but a harley raise peoples spirits and when she talked about dying to set men free the whole purpose of the war took on a new tone with the emancipation proclamation set off on a new track. So the next person to talk about this clara barton. We tend to think of her as a nurse and indeed she did do nursing duties but her real strength was the ability to get medical supplies that were sorely needed out into the field where they were needed most. Yes she did nursing duties but i think she was a medical logistics genius but its true when she took a wagon train of medical supplies to the antietam battlefield, the doctors on the field the surgeons were binding wounds with corn husks from the nearby cornfield they had run out of sheets from the nearby farm house by tearing them up. She was in the right place at the right time just behind the canon where the action wasnt people lived up to that. The next person to talk about is the least wellknown. Sarah hale in the mid 18 hundreds was famous because she was the editor of a womens magazine first the womens journal and then the book she was the editor of the she was also great at attracting american writers and giving them credence in their publication and she paid back in those days a lot of people picked up stuff and just ran it because copyright was pretty loose. A long time would use the magazine as a marching platform. Believing that women need to be educated and colleges and poughkeepsie new york raising enough money to establish college and also for them out Vernon Association so it could be renovated after falling in great disrepair. Womens advocate but american history. The only one born in the 17 hundreds right after washington took office so perhaps an older version of what is appropriate in the way of womens rights. So now i will just read some sections that could give you a forward of these women and then to follow that with my listing of characteristics or qualities that i think allow them to do the things that they do and did. First starting with Harriet Tubman. She crossed the masondixon line into pennsylvania after her arduous journey alone. Accomplished with courage and skill she later admitted , when i finally crossed the line i looked at my hands to see if i was the same person. There was such a glory over everything. The sun came up gold through the trees and over the fields. I felt like i was in heaven. And she continued her freedom was not without apprehension she finished by saying i had crossed the line i was free. But there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land. And then the concept of her technique that she used how Harriet Tubman used to guide her slaves took advantage of the estuaries and creeks and tidal marshes these natural features hope to provide cover for small bands of runaways to freedom tubman made use of the natural features and primarily at night relied on the stars and reported she could tell time by the stars and find her way by Natural Science as well as any hunter. Along with the knowledge of nature and the ingenious mind which was also willing to use force if called for. She routinely carried a pistol with her and prepared to use it against any slave catchers or runaway who if caught would be forced to reveal the escape route. Tubman was ready to sacrifice one runaway for the good of the group there are no instances were reported of tubman having fired her firearm at catchers or runaway slaves but it gives an indication of the resolve this woman had. The next person i would like to talk about is Harriet Beecher stowe. The novel Uncle Toms Cabin took on his it was never explained before she detailed human stories of cruelty and suffering with the long drawn characters with sympathy depending on rules in the narrative. With those proponents of slavery that fared from her writing what she was on her belief which was evil and only evil. And they saw a justification for slavery were treated with equal disdain and Uncle Toms Cabin. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and then they bombarded the press with the claims the book was filled with distortions and exaggerations and outright lies and depicted cruelty to slaves were not typical of normal behavior among slaveholders. So stowe employed a different strategy she produced a publication to explain the characters and the veracity of the scene described in the body of law that existed to protect the institution of slavery. It appeared under the title a key to Uncle Toms Cabin presenting the original facts and documents upon which the story is founded together with corroborative statements. [laughter] hard to put that on a tshirt but it got the point across. Her was to support her case with facts with real people writing a proslavery and then the newspaper ads giving rewards for runaway slaves she confounded her critics with facts and data and examples of cruelty and human malfeasance to other human beings the reality of the enslaved humans was put out into the open by a determined 41 yearold mother who was outraged at fellow human beings were being treated in a nation founded on the nation one the notion all men are created equal. The power of Uncle Toms Cabin to change Public Opinion about the nature of slavery and the need to end it is indisputable. Abraham lincoln was reported to have said at first meeting Harriet Beecher stowe in the white house 1862. So you are the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war. [laughter] next motivation in time of war represents a combination of circumstances the civil war was no exception. Victories on the battlefield with inspired sense of purpose and visionary and effective leadership combine for the soldiers who fight and citizens who support them. In the early stages of the war, 1861 through 1863 with a few exceptions there is a time so for the union the sense of purpose was rekindled by the emancipation proclamation and juliet ward House Movement and later coupled with a bold move to change the leadership of the union army in the spring of 1864 word coalesce to turn the corner for the union for a victory. To be anticipated in the wars of house anthem siding we would never call retreat to sift out the hearts be swift my soul. And then i would like to talk about of clara barton. Pursuing her desire to take supplies to the warfront and take an active role for Wounded Soldiers she approached the head of the quartermaster deep role in the district of columbia and followed him into his austere office. Initially he rebuffed her the barton persisted and announced she had three warehouses of supplies ready to go to the front lines. Her passionately backed by the three warehouses of evidence of her ability to deliver caused the gruff kernel to relent. Its hard to argue with the facts. He gave part in the use of a wagon and a driver as well as permission to take government transportation including passage on a boat through a union depot in virginia. Also to her delight a pass signed by the Surgeon General barton traveled and distributed the supplies. And then return to washington to accumulate more supplies. Following the success of the battle of manassas under the leadership of robert elee has the invasion of maryland catching her breath after the devastation resulting from manassas and that was even more convinced she was needed on the battlefield but you had to be in place just before and during the battle and with that reliable source learn the Confederate Movement in september 13. Quickly approached her patron saint so she could venture to Harpers Ferry where she anticipated the casualties and granted the request and then loaded the wagon with bandages and crucial serials and then departed for frederick mound. So by december 16 barton teamster and their supplies reach the army of potomac near sharpsburg maryland. There was the impending sense of gloom. It was all made and used by human flesh and human beings and animals. And at the very brink of battle where she could treat the wounded with minimal delay. And then to unfold over the next 24 hours with the engagement of the civil war on both sides to view on the battlefield to rename the angel of the battlefield. And finally sarah hale, the least known of the five that im talking about, for a person born for the constitution the United States having participated as a child and the inspiring celebration of a communal feast, here are the strong motivation to see this continue and it started out under george washington. And with those that followed for those great men who did not know north or south and loyalty to the American Family and exploration and mikaels Guiding Principles for her campaign for a national day of thanksgiving. September 28, 1863, she began to write for zeal for the cause and the fact that her youngest daughter had died suddenly the previous may and the two key governors and secretary of state William Seward and clearly sets up the importance of the role they held 21 had to play in the proclamation. So less than week from her letter the president issued a proclamation that urged americans to observe the last thursday in november is a day of thanksgiving. Hale was delighted her work to secure the endorsement for the national day of thanksgiving was complete like the signature on the unambiguous prop and interchangeable step toward bringing the nation together under lincolns leadership. I would just like to comment briefly on the qualities these women had. Americans both men and women have daunting odds in the civil war years but confronted the hurdle to overcome thousands upon thousands that experience the war personally or indirectly during the four year duration. Loved ones were lost and those goods destroyed. And then to play crucial effort in the north and south and that was an important accomplishment and then to achieve the significant sustained results before and during and after the war. We acknowledge being in the right place at the right time plays a crucial role to achieve success. Powerful defining characteristics set these women apart from others and then to discuss the founders of the United States we would benefit from contemplating the example by exploring the shared and unique characteristics of the five angels what are these characteristics that they demonstrated and how did their response lead to success when other odds were stacked against them and the critical characteristics to find a way that these women could set themselves apart. And then to successfully navigate. These characteristics and what to do this coming week. [laughter] persistence was in their bloodstream, faith, courage on the battlefield especially was sarah who was age 39 and raised her five without marrying or depending on any other person but herself. Thats the kind of courage. Selfassurance, persuasivselfan , discipline and sovereignty. We think of sovereignty as nations as sovereign but these women were sovereign. And free from external control and had autonomy through most of their lives. I like to have a quote from clara barton that is appropriate considering what you just heard she said at the end of the war as the memory fresh in her mind but also enough time to think of the context of that war. Heres what she said. That would not be to show you of those tracks and the plumes in the breeze someone must follow closely in their steps crouching to the earth and shelter list themselves with no pride or glory or fame or praise. Heartbreaking with pity and hands in blood. This is a side that history never shows. I hope in some small way that this book addresses Clara Bartons concerns about being lost to history. [applause] number one how long did it take you . Using mr. Lambs technique, number one how long did it take you to write the book . Number two what we are sources . And number three what was the most interesting and unexpected thing that you discovered . [laughter] its not just the writing of the buckets the research that goes into it. That takes up a lot of time. And that nonfiction writers have how Much Research do i have before its not necessary and its overwhelming . Considering research the three and a half or four years. Who are my sources . I read every book i could get my hands on with the book on with those women. I went to all the locations where these women conducted their efforts and then to see Harriet Tubmans location and i have been to her home in auburn new york where she died in the early 19 hundreds. And through all of that coming very influential how i prepared one prepared this. What struck me . So they all had real flaws and they are real human beings. Clara barton had the entrepreneurial problem. She started red cross but did not want to let go of it or take your hands off the entrepreneur who started a company reaching Great Success but doesnt want anyone else to take over. That was a flaw. She was great friends with henry wilson who was senator she was not afraid to tell anybody. You know, i dont think what you are telling me senator wilson would approve. [laughter] so there was that aspect. I could go on but they were human beings. I know you have been fascinated by these five women. They are all notable. But at any point have you considered others to include the runner