Given the unique discussions posed by each speech, I find it difficult to find much of a unifying theme beyond what Jaclyn already discussed and the fact that they are all–obviously–about the Civil War, so I will instead briefly discuss some aspects of the speeches I found particularly striking.
I am in absolute agreement with Jaclyn that one of the most important points of Rally on the High Ground is providing a complete context in which to understand these battlefields. The first thing that struck me in the series of speeches was Jackson’s note that most Americans do not visit National Park Civil War sites and that, even when they do, few will visit more than one. This further contributes to the issue of fragmentation of Civil War memory, and shows how influential a single historical site can be. After all, as Jackson alludes to in his speech, most people visiting a Civil War site will go to one, read about it, and then decide that they have learned enough about it and move on. This speaks directly to our obligation as historians to remember that, if someone does take the time to read the work we do on Dowling, for most of them, this could be one of the few things they learn about the Civil War. For this reason, it is critical that we provide a complete context that addresses all of the issues, otherwise we risk misleading our viewers.
Of all the speeches in Rally on the High Ground, though, the one that stuck with me the most was Eric Froner’s on the changing definition of freedom. The most important point to me in that speech was the idea that most of the major changes in perception and understanding that have come about in American society have been the result of war. It is easy to get bogged down in the causes of the Civil War, or debates over the legacy it leaves behind, and forget about the dramatic and immediate impact it had on Americans. When you think about the Civil War, it is truly remarkable how, in less than five years, a country went from being overwhelmingly divided and, for the most part, in staunch support of slavery, to reunited–so reunited that slavery and race issues were sacrificed to propagate a reconciliationist dialogue–and slave-free. As we have learned, the answer can be far more complicated than what I am about to say, but, at some basic level, the sheer shock and trauma of war dramatically changed people’s opinions, as war has done repeatedly in American history. It is fascinating to see how the Civil War was what sparked discussions over the iconically American concept of freedom.
A recurring theme throughout this collection of speeches–and all of the books we have read so far–is that the Civil War continues to affect contemporary history. Freedom is a concept that is frequently evoked today in the name of a variety of disparate causes, much as freedom was both the reason the Union and the Confederacy went to war in 1861. At the same time, Froner argues that, in the wake of the Civil War, freedom–the shining beacon for which both the victors and the losers fought–was subordinated to other more pressing values of reconciliation and moving forward. Froner states that freedom is invoked by many groups today in support of many different causes. But, if the legacy of the Civil War is any indication, once these groups have succeeded in their aims, will freedom continue to be their first priority or will this be cast aside in favor of other issues, much like freedom and rights for blacks was sacrificed for nearly a century to promote societal healing.