Civil War Roundtable: History of The Lost Cause

Meeting Overview:  The American Civil War is surrounded by vast mythology.  Indeed, it is far to say that there are two independent versions of the war.  On the one hand, there is the history of the war, the account of what, in fact, happened.  On the other hand, there is what historian Foster Gaines calls the “Southern interpretation” of the event. This account, “codified” is generally referred to by historians today as “the Lost Cause.”  This version, touching almost all aspects of the struggle, originated in Southern rationalizations of the war.  It then spread to the North and became a national phenomenon.  In the national mind, the Lost Cause represents the popular history of the Civil War; it has been, to a large extent, substituted for the actual history of the war.   As his presentation, we’ll have the chnance to examine the genesis of the Lost Cause, it’s central tenets, and contrast these with the actual history of the war.
Speaker:  Ian Schroeder – a lifelong history buff with a Masters Degree in Public History from St. Cloud State University.

Tuesday, March 14 at 3:30pm (doors open at 3)

For more information – contact Andy Ditlevson – aditlevson@gmail.com, 320-241-8477

Find the Central MN Civil War Round Table at: https://www.facebook.com/cmcwrt

Free and open to the public. Feel free to bring a friend!