Counter Legacies of The Civil War

Kirk Savage, University of Pittsburgh
CUNY Graduate Center, July 20, 2016

In this highly relevant presentation, Kirk Savage speaks on the legacy of the Civil War and its continued impact on shaping American identity. Savage examines counter legacies by critiquing a Confederate statue in St. Louis, a monument to a Confederate Cherokee Legion in North Carolina, and the concept of “remembering those who have fallen for your freedom.” He closes by exemplifying the fact that there are stories we choose to forget and how that in itself is also a form of counter legacy.This talk took place on July 20, 2016, as part of ASHP’s Visual Culture of the Civil War Summer Institute, an NEH professional development program for college and university faculty.