Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 1

Public Historians Tackle American Controversy:

A Review of the Role of Public Historians in Addressing Race and Slavery in America

David J. Clay
Seminar in Public History, HIST521
American Military University
September 13, 2015
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 2

Historians who specialize in American history have long struggled to find ways to deal with

controversial issues such as slavery. It can be a difficult task as the subject of slavery, and the

causes of the Civil War, can often evoke a wide range of emotions from different people. Public

historians find themselves in a strong position to create a safe and open dialogue and to have a

free exchange of ideas on these important subjects. Those they encounter often feel they are on

more of an equal footing as they visit museums, battlefields, and even public lectures. They are

not in a class, with a professor setting the agenda, where they may feel the need to appease the

professor in order to pass the class. They are there by choice, by interest, and often times more

willing to openly discuss their opinions and understandings of history. When managed properly,

and introduced in a sensitive, yet honest style, public historians can pull back the veil and open

the door to Americas painful past in order to better help the nation move forward.

For years historians preferred to overlook the issue of slavery as best they could,

preferring to focus on other subjects in history. Even at Americas Civil War battlefield sites.

When the national battlefields were established, beginning in the 1890s, there was a desire to

use these sacred sites as a way to bring together the North and South and continue the work of

reconciliation.1 The battlefields were looked upon as a field of honor, where blue and grey could

gather in honor of their shared service. To allow this to happen with no hostility slavery was left

out of the picture despite its role as the single greatest cause of the Civil War. Today, it is

important for historians to go back and revisit slavery, bringing it out of the shadows and putting

it back in the public eye. As Ira Berlin put it, American history cannot be understood without

slavery.2 Why is it important to shine a light on slavery in America? Berlin makes it clear when

1 Horton, James Oliver. Slavery and Public History: The Tough Stuff of American
Memory. Kindle ed. New York: New Press, 2006. 3255.

2 Ibid, 188.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 3

he argued that Americas most pervasive social problem is rooted in the institution of slavery,

making slavery ground zero of race relations.3 In order to address race in America in the

modern era historians need to go back to the beginning, only when society can have an honest

discussion on slavery, and its role in defining race in America, can there be any hope of truly

healing the racial divide experienced today.

Race in America was defined through the evolution of the institution of slavery. Most of

America, when they think of slavery, think of the institution as it existed in the last few decades

immediately preceding the Civil War. However, slavery existed in what is today the United

States for many more years than not. Slavery did not begin out of a desire to brutalize or strip

the humanity of the black race, but it evolved into a story of victimization, brutalization, and

exclusion.4 Behind the brutal reign of the slave master is the millions of stories of those

enslaved; that is a story of refusal to be dehumanized and victimized, and a story of a community

forged in hardship. Continuing to silence these stories only serves to continue the victimization

in the modern world. Race was defined by slavery, and race relations will be understood through

slavery. The public historian must open the door and begin the real discussion. It begins with

understanding that evolution. The history of slavery is best understood when broken down into

the five generations; Charter, Plantation, Revolutionary, Migration, and the Freedom Generation.

The first of the Charter Generation arrived at Jamestown in 1619, their story is best understood

through the life of Anthony Johnson, an African brought to Virginia and sold as an indentured

servant in 1621. In this era slavery as it is understood today did not yet exist, slaves like

3 Ibid, 208.

4 Ibid, 272.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 4

Anthony were able to obtain their freedom, own land, and even held slaves of their own.5 Race

was fairly equal in America; there were more white indentured servants than black, the former

slaves had standing in the courts and could petition the government, they were also free to marry

whites as much as blacks. The African was not a backwards person, but not was always a

popular person. Race in America was not what it would become, and slavery was not something

reserved only for the African. With each following generation conditions for blacks in America

continued to deteriorate. The Plantation Generation lived hard, shorter lives, and few escaped

bondage. Slavery was a labor source needed in the growing plantation, and to obtain that labor

the African slave trade grew. White indentured slavery sharply decreased as slavery became

something identified as a black condition, they were now property that could be left to the heirs

of estates.6 The once growing population of free blacks continued to decline.7 Race in America

was being redefined. As slavery continued to evolve in America, life for black Americans

became more of a struggle. They became an unwanted part of society in many parts of the

North, and held in bondage backed by the power of the state in the south. By the time slavery

had evolved into the Migration Generation conditions were at the worse for the enslaved blacks

of the south. Slavery had redefined race in America as a superior white race, and a backward

black race that needed slavery to have any chance at civilization.

There were many slave holders who viewed the African as a backward savage incapable of living

a civilized life without the system of bondage in the south. Historian James McPherson

5 Ibid, 324-335.

6 Hawthorne, Julian. The History of the United States from 1492 to 1910. Kindle ed.
Vol. 1. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1910. 1813.

7 Horton, James Oliver. Slavery and Public History: The Tough Stuff of American
Memory. 386.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 5

describes American slaves as something more akin to cattle, encouraged to breed in order to

grow their numbers to meet the insatiable demand for slave labor.8 By the 1840s the south had

come to view slavery as a great moral, social, and political blessing a blessing to the slave,

and a blessing to the master.9 Slavery provided cradle to the grave care for the black, it had

civilized them and afforded them the opportunity to work in support of their own wellbeing.

Moreover, it provided a more secure system than the free labor system in the North that had led

to much poverty, and to those whites seeking wages for their labor the slave system prevented

black labor from flooding the market and decreasing the value of whites.10 In fact, in the 1850s it

was argued that the slave was better off than the free black.11 It was more out of a concern for

the slave finding the desire to fight for freedom, the free black population was a risk to the

institution. So much so that the in 1853 the Richmond Enquirer supported the removal of the

free blacks from Virginia calling them an evil and moral danger.12 In 1859 it was argued that

slavery was the best state in which the black community has even been found, and the fact that

slaves who earned their freedom were at times voluntarily re-enslaved seemed to support this

belief directly from the slaves themselves.13 Even after the Civil War race was defined by the

8 McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Kindle ed. New
York: Oxford University Press, 1988. 740.

9 Ibid, 1037.

10 Ibid.

11 Link, William A. Roots of Secession Slavery and Politics in Antebellum Virginia. Kindle ed.
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2003. 2998.

12 Ibid, 3075.

13 Ibid, 3096-3107.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 6

deeply held belief that whites were the superior race and the blacks could only survive under the

protection, and heavy yolk, of the former slave masters.

Once the slaves gained their freedom the south went into damage control, determined to maintain

the power of the master race over the subjugated blacks of the American south. The southern

whites feared the freedom of so large a body of ignorant negroes thereby ushering in the age of

black codes.14 The codes restricted the freedoms the African-American community had just

acquired, placing them back into a state near that of slavery. What was most upsetting was the

idea that this race, that had long been subservient to the white race and that the wealth of the

south was built on, was suddenly free. As a result they had a large influence by the power of

their vote, and in states across the south they used that power to take control of the state

governments. As a result of legislation passed by African-Americans states like South Carolina,

Arkansas and Louisiana found themselves deeply in debt, and the white community was up in

arms about the idea that they were being ruled by the subservient race without their consent.15 In

order to take back power violence was used to discourage blacks from voting, or to chase them

out of the statehouses. Laws were passed, beginning in Mississippi, to prevent the black

community from voting through a series of tax laws, reading laws, or the famous grandfather

clause in Louisiana that allowed a person to vote based on their status prior to black suffrage.16

It is painfully clear that slavery is the single greatest influence in the evolution of race relations

in America. A legacy we live with today. As a result, public historians cannot shy away from

discussing the historical role of slavery and race without distorting American history. But it is
14 Lingley, Charles Ramsdell. The United States Since the Civil War. Kindle ed.
Project Gutenberg, 2006. 130.

15 Ibid, 210.

16 Ibid, 337.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 7

equally clear that slavery was the direct cause of the American Civil War, another historical fact

that cannot be overlooked by historians, though powerful forces have succeeded, until recently,

to disconnect slavery from the Civil War.

As public historians welcome guests to Civil War museums and battlefields across the country it

is important to interpret the full story of the war, its aftermath, and perhaps most importantly, its

causes. To understand the full context of the war historians must explain how the country found

itself in a position where brothers and friends alike would turn on one another. It began with

slavery. There is no need to rehash the causes of the Civil War, volumes of books have been

written on the subject and today historians are largely united on the fact.17 However, the public is

still divided. As the research has demonstrated to this point, slavery was the driving force behind

race relations in America for more than 300 years. Public historians need to address this tough

subject, but knowing how slavery defined race is not enough, the public historian must also

understand how public memory plays the role of continuing the public divide on slavery, the

Civil War, and race relations. Understanding public memory is key, it is the most powerful force

preventing a real discussion on slavery and race in America.

Public memory is often influenced by a number of factors that have the ability to change the

representation of a historical event with the passage of time, a public historian must serve as a

mediator between history and memory to get to the truth.18 Dr. David Blight refers to memory as

one of the most powerful elements in our human constitution.19 In his 2002 keynote address

Dr. Blight stressed the importance of understanding how public memories develop and how they

17 "Civil Wars Causes: Historians Largely United on Slavery, But Public Divided." PBS. April
12, 2011. Accessed September 13, 2015.

18 Hamilton, Paula. Oral History and Public Memories. Kindle ed. Philadelphia:
Temple University Press, 2008. 92-141.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 8

influence perception of historical events. They are a part of each person, and as they develop

they revise those memories. When it comes to slavery Dr. Blight argues that public memories

are not so much about growing amnesia, but more about a pure desire to avoid the uncomfortable

subject.20 Why avoid the subject? The poet Robert Hayden argues that history can be accusatory

and challenge moral authority, but it can also force society to interpret the past and imagine

ourselves into the events of the past.21 Historians are trained to do recorded history. They look

to facts, documented evidence, and research history that has left behind evidence to be reviewed

and verified in an effort to interpret the past. Memory is personal, it is passed down from

generation to generation and each new generation takes ownership of the memory as they try to

forge a community bond. That memory is often illusive and has created alternate versions of the

history of slavery.

Not long after the end of the Civil War Jefferson Davis penned his book, The Rise and Fall of the

Confederate Government. In his book he tried to rewrite the history of the Civil War as a war

about anything other than slavery. The trend continued from there. In 1909 Eugenia Potts wrote

a romanticized piece on the slaveholding south. Potts writes about the plantation being laid out

as a shining example of beauty, efficiency, and production. It is interesting that the essay, The

Old South, describes white cabins for the colored community that were complete with an

infirmary, grandmas caring for children, and referred to the household slaves with endearing

19 Blight, David W. "If You Dont Tell It Like It Was, It Can Never Be As It Ought to Be." The
Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition. 2002. Accessed
September 11, 2015.

20 Ibid.

21 Ibid.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 9

terms such as aunt and mammy.22 Potts referred to the incubus of slavery that opened the

doors to an intellectual and industrial era, an ideal lifestyle for both slave and master. What is

more disturbing, Potts wraps up the essay with the phrase, Alas! For the plantation days! Alas!

For the easygoing spirit marked by the times! There is little doubt that Potts would struggle to

find many African Americans making such a declaration. This romanticized version of history

has been promoted for over 100 years, if more proof is required the movie Gone with the Wind

provides plenty. But this idea invaded nearly every historical setting, including the classroom

and history textbooks. Even as provocative a book as it was at the time, Uncle Toms Cabin,

created the image of slaves as servants who were lovable, but limited in abilities.23 Today, this

misrepresentation of history, what is often known as the Lost Cause propaganda, is often

promoted and defended by groups such as the United Sons of Confederate Veterans, United

Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Southern Heritage Coalition. Groups like this prefer to

remember the south either devoid of slavery, or if slavery is remembered they prefer to

remember it as a benign and gentle institution.24 Historians must fight the effort to distort

history, public historians must tackle controversy.

Public historians are in the best position to take on the tough stuff. According to a US

Department of Education report in the mid-1990s, a majority of high school history classes are

taught by teachers without proper history training, and 82% of colleges do not require history

22 Potts, Eugenia Dunlap. Historic Papers on the Causes of the Civil War. Kindle ed.
Lexington, KY: Ashland Print., 1909. 31.

23 Horton, James Oliver. Slavery and Public History: The Tough Stuff of American
Memory. 873.

24 Ibid, 925.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 10

courses as part of their degree programs.25 But recent studies have proven trips outside the

classroom do more to stimulate an interest in learning history. This allows the public historians

in museums and historic sites to really connect with visitors, Americans believe they will get a

truer understanding of history at museums leading to 80% of the public putting their faith in such

organizations.26 And many such sites have introduced an honest interpretation of slavery with

success, proving that in the right setting, where the organization has the trust of the general

public, an honest discussion on slavery is possible.

To introduce slavery and engage the public it is important to understand where the public is most

willing to discuss this tough subject. Arlington House made the effort to introduce the story of

slavery into its programs, they even opened the restored slave quarters. Their efforts revealed

guests preferred the interpretation of the house focus on the family, but guests were more

inclined to discuss slavery in the slave quarters.27 Colonial Williamsburg, which has a long

history of slavery, has had varying degrees of success with including slavery. Perhaps their most

controversial effort was a planned slave auction in 1994.28 Emotions ran high in both the white

and black community. A white visitor protested with a sign that read, Say no to racist shows,

while the NAACP tried to prevent the show which they felt trivialized the dehumanization of the

slave.29 Williamsburg was determined to move forward with the event, while they understood

the sensitivity surrounding the idea of trivializing suffering for entertainment they insisted this

25 Ibid, 883-894.

26 Ibid, 914.

27 Ibid, 1011.

28 Ibid, 1042.

29 Ibid, 1042-1052.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 11

was an educational program. The political director of the Richmond NAACP agreed saying,

Pain had a face, indignity had a body, suffering had tears.30 As painful as the program was to

watch, and many visitors were moved to tears, it was a demonstration on the need to educate the

public on the true horrors of slavery, and serves as an example of a successful attempt to bring

from the shadows one of the toughest parts of our nations history. Perhaps one of the most

important places to discuss slavery, where it was most often ignored, is the Civil War battlefields.

The effort to integrate slavery into their education mission was no easy task.

For far too long the National Park Service ignored slavery and its role in the Civil War, denying a

complete understanding of one of the most pivotal moments in our history and failing to put the

war into a proper context. The idea of splitting slavery from the war at battleground sites began

with the public memory carefully crafted by former confederates and their descendants.31

According to Dr. Dwight Pitcaithley, former Chief Historian for the park service, this has denied

the nation the ability to complete the important work begun by the Civil War. The park service

has a mission to educate, and in the 1990s it was determined that the parks needed to broaden the

historical context of the educational programs at battlefield sites. It was decided by park

managers that:

battlefield interpretation must establish the sites particular place in the continuum of

war; illuminate the social, economic, and cultural issues that caused or were affected by

30 Ibid.

31 Pitcaithley, Dwight. "Barbara Kingsolver and the Challenge of Public History." Barbara
Kingsolver and the Challenge of Public History. 1999. Accessed September 11, 2015.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 12

war, illustrate the breadth of human experience during the period, and establish the

relevance of the war to people today.32

The park service was attacked on several fronts as southern heritage groups began assaulting this

new approach as insulting and slanderous to half the soldiers who died on the field, and they

demanded such political and ideological issues be left to the classroom. Such groups insisted

that battlefields were sacred ground where all the fallen should be honored and only military

tactics should be discussed, despite similar parks from other eras, such as the USS Arizona,

having a fully integrated educational approach. But the park service also addressed the incorrect

memory cultivated in the north which believed the federal mission was a righteous moral mission

to eradicate evil from the country. The truth is that even the Republican platform of 1860 did not

call for the abolition of slavery, but promised to protect it where it existed, and Lincoln himself

declared the war was not fought to end slavery but to preserve the Union.33 But the park service

remained committed to their mission, and new exhibits at various sites across the country proved

that slavery could be introduced in order to allow a greater perspective of the war without

dishonoring anyone who fought who died on that sacred ground. More importantly, the public

has shown great acceptance and appreciation of the opportunity to explore the tough subject in

greater detail at a site they have full faith and trust in.

Slavery. Just that one word, seven simple letters, can cause so many emotions to flare up in

so many people. It brings about anger in some, puts others on the defensive, and causes many

others to choose to disengage and avoid the subject all together. But from the time our nation

32 Ibid.

33 Laone, Ronald, and Jay Laone. The Republican Party: A Father and Son Review of
GOP History. Kindle ed. Bloomington, IN: IUniverse, 2012. 191.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 13

began in the early 1600s until the end of the Civil War in 1865 slavery was a part of the

American identity. It provides many lessons to be learned from, and it requires open and honest

dialogue and historical review to help the nation defined by this evil to come to grips with its

impact on our society today. Public historians are in the best position to bring about this open

dialogue and honest exploration of slavery and its role in defining race in our society. When

someone steps into a museum, or onto a battlefield, they have a sense of being on equal footing.

They are not there to be lectured, they do not need to pass a class, and they are not reliant on the

public historian agreeing with their position to win favor. They are there to learn and engage,

and it is the duty of the public historian to provide a safe and open environment in which society

is able to acknowledge, and learn to deal with, Americas controversial past. It is important to

bring slavery out of the shadows so communities can heal the racial divide in America today.

Public historians cannot shy away from tough subjects and must be willing to tackle the

controversial past of the United States.

Bibliography:
Blight, David W. "If You Dont Tell It Like It Was, It Can Never Be As It Ought to Be." The
Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition. 2002. Accessed
September 11, 2015.
"Civil Wars Causes: Historians Largely United on Slavery, But Public Divided." PBS. April 12,
2011. Accessed September 13, 2015.
Public Historians Tackle American Controversy 14

Hamilton, Paula. Oral History and Public Memories. Kindle ed. Philadelphia: Temple University
Press, 2008.
Hawthorne, Julian. The History of the United States from 1492 to 1910. Kindle ed. Vol. 1. New
York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1910.
Horton, James Oliver. Slavery and Public History: The Tough Stuff of American Memory. Kindle
ed. New York: New Press, 2006.
Laone, Ronald, and Jay Laone. The Republican Party: A Father and Son Review of GOP
History. Kindle ed. Bloomington, IN: IUniverse, 2012.
Link, William A. Roots of Secession Slavery and Politics in Antebellum Virginia. Kindle ed.
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2003.

Lingley, Charles Ramsdell. The United States Since the Civil War. Kindle ed. Project Gutenberg,
2006.

McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Kindle ed. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1988.
Pitcaithley, Dwight. "Barbara Kingsolver and the Challenge of Public History." Barbara
Kingsolver and the Challenge of Public History. 1999. Accessed September 11, 2015.
Potts, Eugenia Dunlap. Historic Papers on the Causes of the Civil War. Kindle ed. Lexington,
KY: Ashland Print, 1909.