Years ago I sent Mr. Foote a letter asking if you would sign one volume of his Civil War trilogy I owned if I sent it to him. Soon after I received a hand-written note back from him saying he did not sign his books but thanking me for my interest. The note, which he signed, was on a small piece of note paper written with a quill. So even though I do not have a signed book I do have (and treasure) a personalized and signed note from him. I later learned he had written the original draft of his 3 volume book long hand with a quill. If you have ever seen his 3- book set you can imagine what a task and labor of love that must have been. That original draft deserves a place in one of our finest museums or archives. He was an amazing man to be sure and a true southern gentleman.
@MrCrchandler
4 жыл бұрын
He wrote everything with a dip pen (and he had dozens of them). He said the pause to dip the pen gave him time to think.
@lorenheard2561
4 жыл бұрын
What a treasure! I'm so thrilled you have that.Who else would send you a letter written with a quill pen now!? People barely write anything with a modern pen and paper anymore.I fear we will not see or know the likes of any gentleman like him rarely or ever again.
@seantig479
4 жыл бұрын
Appreciating history so much, you find yourself becoming an indispensable part of it. Mr. Foote must have thought highly of your request. I trust you keep the note inside the cover of one of his books? Don't forget to write this information for inclusion with his signed note; it will verify the provenance for posterity. Your quest has become an heirloom.
@tootiejamba
3 жыл бұрын
I think he speaks with a quill too. A great man indeed.
@MsSpock1
3 жыл бұрын
Wonderful. I have been a fountain pen writer from childhood right to the present time. At junior school we had dip in pens with inkwells on our desks. Oh that this is gone. Well done Shelby
@Nik-sk7qr
4 жыл бұрын
As an Englishman I love his accent and his knowledge of the American Civil War, I could listen to him all day long.A great man sadly missed.
@jamestaylor2920
3 жыл бұрын
Shelby Foote had what I considered to be the quintessential Southern Genteel accent. His speech pattern, cadence, tonality, vocabulary, and humor were spot on. It is Shelby's voice I hear whenever I read lines of dialog for Atticus Finch ('To Kill a Mockingbird'), Lucien Wilbanks ('A Time to Kill'), and many characters from novels of William Faulkner. I dare say that Ken Burns will be remembered as much for preserving Shelby's voice for prosperity as for putting the War of Northern Agression into context. As a fellow Mississippian I am forever in his debt.
@kellykempkilroy
3 жыл бұрын
It’s rather ironic a Brit loving his accent, while the Yank usually loves the English accent...actually the London accent. Cheers 🍻
@alexhines9128
3 жыл бұрын
@@jamestaylor2920 I hope that was a little cheeky comment in calling it “The War of Northern Aggression”
@jamestaylor2920
3 жыл бұрын
@@alexhines9128 Alex, it was not meant to be cheeky. I was endeavoring to be accurate. This is a term used by Southerners (before, during, and after the war) to describe the incursion of Northern ideals and Federal troops. Some have stated that the phrase originated in the 1950's during the struggle to desegregate the south. The study performed as a basis for this conclusion used as a source, a search using the Google index of news papers. Google started with as a left leaning organization and has continued to fall further to the left such that they have now scribed an arc surpassing 270 degrees. Yet, even their research list a reference using that phrase in a 1862 speech given by a Union General, { ...In Google’s indexing, it appears exactly once during the conflict, describing the war, not as a proper name as it is commonly seen today. (The single example in the 19th century comes from an 1862 speech by Union General John Alexander McClernand, who cautioned Tennesseans that “you have been told, gentlemen, that this is a war of Northern aggression. I deny it. It is no war of aggression. It is a war of defence, of defence of our common Constitution and Union.”) ... } Apparently General McClernand in 1862 deemed the phrase prevalent enough and important enough to include a denial of it within a speech given to Southerners. Clearly "Southerners" were discussing the "War of Northern Aggression" at or before the beginning of the Civil War. Looks like Google has been attempting to obfuscate history yet again.
@haplessasshole9615
3 жыл бұрын
I think Brits imitate Southern accents better than Yankees do. And I love to listen to Shelby Foote. He sounds so much like my grandfather, it's hilarious. Also, there's a tempo and shape that Southerners give to their storytelling that can't be duplicated. I wish to goodness he wouldn't say things like, "I think they've got it wrong," when he should be saying, "I have a different point of view on the battle flag," though. I dislike the "I'm right/you're wrong" game.
@michaelratliff9449
2 жыл бұрын
I met him in 1983, he was a great writer and a true southern gentleman..he is very well missed..nobody could ever replace this fine fellow..RIP Mr. Foote
@mickmacy6161
6 ай бұрын
I always wished I could have heard him speak.
@valaudae1809
4 жыл бұрын
In his epic 3 volume Civil War, Shelby told the story of General Lee, on horseback and accompanied by a British Army officer acting in the capacity of observer, watching veteran Confederate soldiers marching past. As they approached, there was nothing remarkable but as they passed it was obvious that the men had cut or worn through the seat of their pants and were devoid of underwear. Aghast, Queen Victoria’s officer and gentleman exclaimed - “My God, General, the mens’ backsides are showing!” Cool as a cucumber, Virginia’s finest replied - “ Don’t worry Colonel; the enemy never sees the backs of my Texans”.
@frankstefini3392
4 ай бұрын
Outstanding ! I love it.
@lance7399
2 ай бұрын
Haha great stuff
@bassmangotdbluz3547
4 жыл бұрын
Shelby Foote was a southern gentleman, a fantastic story teller and an absolute national treasure. I mourn the loss of him.
@lindsayrogers6690
4 жыл бұрын
His contributions to the wonderful Ken Burns’ documentary “The Civil War” were outstanding. He mixed academia with a terrific dry sense of humour. A sad loss.
@nmelkhunter1
4 жыл бұрын
Just like you, just like you....
@virago1776-h4g
4 жыл бұрын
@Roger Martin He wasn't in denial of anything. He just understood the complexities involved in the situation.
@liamstuck6769
4 жыл бұрын
Ray Davis “Not a single soldier in either side fought for or against slavery in their minds” ... in 1865 10% of all union forces were black. Almost every memoir of confederate soldiers, from private to general, mentions fighting for slavery Every single declaration of secession mentions slavery as one of the, if not the primary reason for said succession Why the fuck was Glory Glory Hallelujah so popular in the north? This man is a southern sympathizing fucktard confederate
@rayoliver7244
4 жыл бұрын
You are exactly correct,their are Gentlemen and then there are SOUTHERN GENTLEMEN,I'm 68 LIVED in TENNESSEE ALL MY LIFE,My Father was a TENNESSEE COLONEL AN Award giving to Him By THE GOVERNOR OF TENNESSEE,He spoke that slow Savannah DRAW like PROF. FOOTE ,I read everyone of his BOOKS,his perception of the Battles,The People,The City,S were JUST AMAZING To say the least! HE studied 1,000 OF letters written by MOTHERS,WIVES,SONS,AND ALL FACISTS OF THE REAL SOUTHERN HEART DURING THAT TIME!! Not the PROPARGANDA AND HALF TRUTHS COMING OUT OF THE NORTHERN NEWSPAPERS THAT WERE CARRIED ON INTO THE TEXTS OF TODAY! REMEMBER SHERMAN BURNED EVERYTHING ,OUR WORD MEANT NOTHING ,WERE IF WAS NOT FOR SHELBY FOOTE THE REAL SCOPE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN TOLD IN OUR LIFETIME,OLE ABE WASN,T WHO YOU THINK HE WAS,ENJOY WHILE YOU LEARN THE REAL TRUTHS READ HIS BOOKS ,YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED!!!
@GEM850
4 жыл бұрын
To me the Confederate flag had its beginnings as a battle flag pure and simple. Unfortunately many have come to hijack that flag for their own personal and twisted objectives. I have ancestors who fought for the South who certainly didn’t own any slaves. They were drafted into the Confederate Army. One of the issues is that we view this from our modern perspective and put our morality and social mores upon it. I certainly wish Mr. Foote was alive today to give his interpretation on our current views on this matter.
@stanb990
4 жыл бұрын
It began being seen as a racist symbol of segregation in the 50's when state capitols started flying it over their capitol buildings as a sign of solidarity against the rising Civil Rights movement. We tried to take it back as symbol of regional pride in the 80's and now due to the actions of one jackass it has come under an attack from which it will never recover in my lifetime
@stanb990
4 жыл бұрын
@Garrison Nichols racist jokes and stereotypes probably don't bother you either. You're the guy saying "It funny cuz it true"
@sigp3657
4 жыл бұрын
If you look at the words of the creator of the flag they tell a different story.
@stanb990
4 жыл бұрын
@@sigp3657 that is not and never has been the flag of the Confederacy That is Lee's battle standard. Lee fought only for Virginia and would have fought for the Union if Virginia had gone that way. It is a battle flag carried as a symbol of Southern pride by men who Churchill called the fiercest fighting men in the world. After Reconstruction there wasn't much left for us so we became the nations warrior sect. All the way through the Korean war that flag was carried in recognition of that
@sigp3657
4 жыл бұрын
@@stanb990 that don’t change what the man who created the flag said the flag stands for .
@charlesbogle2495
4 жыл бұрын
A true Southern gentleman. Rest In Peace.
@sugaashow
3 жыл бұрын
@MultiBagram the war was about freedom/session from the rothschild central banking cartel more than it was about slavery. Less than 1% of southern whites owned slaves.
@sugaashow
3 жыл бұрын
@MultiBagram what lmao? Shut the f*ck up. You have absolutely no idea who the rothschilds are…they literally funded the trans Atlantic slave trade. I’m going to end this conversation now because you’re clearly ignorant and not capable of viewing history from different viewpoints.
@sugaashow
3 жыл бұрын
@MultiBagram LMFAOO imagine shilling for the most evil family on the planet. You’re a disgrace to humanity, truly.
@sugaashow
3 жыл бұрын
@MultiBagram “you hate blacks and Jews because I say so!” imagine being such a delusional piece of leftist trash.
@3charliekelly
3 жыл бұрын
@MultiBagram I’m not sure you listened to the video because Foote didn’t show sympathy towards either side. He said no soldier on either side gave a damn about the slaves/slavery. I feel like your assumptions flawed your claim from the beginning and therefore I must say, “Erroneous on both accounts!!”
6 жыл бұрын
A teacher to the end of his life and I respect him tremendously for it.
@liamstuck6769
4 жыл бұрын
“Not a single soldier in either side fought for or against slavery in their minds” ... in 1865 10% of all union forces were black. Almost every memoir of confederate soldiers, from private to general, mentions fighting for slavery Every single declaration of secession mentions slavery as one of the, if not the primary reason for said succession Why the fuck was Glory Glory Hallelujah so popular in the north? This man is a southern sympathizing fucktard confederate
@liamstuck6769
4 жыл бұрын
Hubert Walters thank you for proving my point, my good man :)
@billpowell120
4 жыл бұрын
@@liamstuck6769 Yes..You said it ..the Truth..this guy telling folk-lore propaganda..like that shuck'n and jiving ..BLK Confederate ,HK ... lies and misinformation for that 'lost cause .. here's a video that supports the Truth about Confederacy during the civil war time..how the Confederacy viewed the era. m.kzitem.info/news/bejne/zYmt3IxrgqGkjag
@kevinpayne3482
4 жыл бұрын
cajunO21 I’m sure mr burns regrets using mr. Foote
@DylanVotaire
4 жыл бұрын
Liam Stuck yes, you are correct, sir.
@dceufan
4 жыл бұрын
Shelby Dade Foote Jr. We lost a living national treasure on June 27, 2005. #USCivilWar #USA #CSA
@thinkordie7292
4 жыл бұрын
Politics as usual. As a "black" man, I have my reservations about the stars and bars but I would never infringe on your right to hold it to you
@thinkordie7292
4 жыл бұрын
I can respect the culture reference, but it is unfortunate that using what you love,the powers that shouldn't be can get you to fight their wars.
@mathewmcdonald3657
3 жыл бұрын
You understand freedom. Very refreshing to see. Free speech is about protecting all speech. Even the despicable. We can not tolerate any infringement on free speech otherwise it’s not free speech.
@ravenmc2011
3 жыл бұрын
It all about perception. Alabama can’t afford any PR hits
@dlpogge
3 жыл бұрын
While I share your respect for individuals' rights to self-expression, if you choose to express yourself - to exercise your free speech - you have to recognize that there are inevitable costs for speaking your mind. Speech may be free, but it isn't cheap. More to the point, however, while I too respect individuals' right to speak for themselves, when governmental bodies fly a flag they represent all of the people and they represent force. Therefore, there is something else involved when they embrace a symbol, and that is where I believe the real controversy and the need for debate begins.
@jamestaylor2920
3 жыл бұрын
@@dlpogge I take it that you will have no issues with Antifa and BLM thugs brutalizing your loved ones, threatening your life, parading countless litigants through the courts swearing to your inappropriate sexual advances, and destroying your professional livelihood because you failed to pay lipservice to each of their ever-changing list of purity tests. In your world view there are consequences for speech. Their world view doesn't match yours so it is only a matter of time until you experience their consequences. In my world view, I may detest everything that you say but I will defend your right to freely express it in an open and civil dialog. The only consequence to political speech is that some political candidates loose elections. Any other consequences should be investigated as a crime. Flags are symbols that represent different ideas to each person. No flag purports to represent everyone. People pledge their allegiance to their flag. There are provisions to propose changes to flags and there are procedures by which the citizens can vote to change their flag. It is a two stage process. The citizens vote on whether the flag should be changed. If their vote affirms the need to change the flag then committees are formed to suggest alternative flags. The citizens then vote on which new flag will represent them. My state flag was recently changed. It did not follow the two step process. The majority voted overwhelming to keep the flag everytime it came up for a vote. A newly elected governor made an executive decision to give in to special interests and change our flag as was in his political purview. By doing so he violated a political campaign promise. I do not like the new flag, but I am not protesting in the streets, setting fires, or shooting people. I will work feverishly to ensure that he doesn't make it through the next primary. Should he win the nomination I will vote for his opponent. I will make it my life's mission to ensure that he never wins another election and I will vehemently object if he is ever put forth as a political appointee. My state representative, whom I worked to elect and reelected even though he is not affiliated with my political party, has forever lost my vote for similar reasons. He is a good man that voted with his heart and for what the majority of his constituents desired. We part political ways, but remain friends.
@novelist2008
9 жыл бұрын
It was a waste of my time to read all the 1,000s of writers who think they knew Union and Confederate soldiers' motivation to fight, when I could've simply read Shelby Foote (paraphrasing) "The northern soldier fought to preserve the Union and the southern soldier fought for what he thought was the second American Revolution and neither one gave a damn about slaves." Boys and Girls, let me save you the burden of research through those same 1,000's of authors and books I read, Foote has expressed the bottom line of it all, the same conclusion I came away with, and the millions of letters solders wrote home (including all four of my own Confederate grandpas) say exactly the same thing.
@sammyadlock5049
8 жыл бұрын
+Randall Scott Thank you!
@powderfinger6597
8 жыл бұрын
+Randall Scott U nailed it! My great grand pa, born in Germany, was a 1st LT. with Morgan's Raiders, 10th KY Cav.
@iainhowe4561
8 жыл бұрын
When Shelby Foote is talking about the U.S. civil war, by far the smartest thing to do is to stop talking and start listening.
@baxterhawley9115
7 жыл бұрын
No one could have said it better. Thank you for saying so. I love it.
@kingslegion1
7 жыл бұрын
very easy to explain to any one with a rudimentary education in history.. Mr, Jefferson Davis spoke it very plainly and it is why he was elected unanimously without opposition at the beginning when there was no one seeking to be a pen mightier than....." Uneducated the slave is unfit for freedom ... educated he his unfit for slavery.. if you cannot see the wisdom in this by todays situation... then I must say you are insane. the whole idea of the south is that the black was a human.. not a third as prescribed by the north < and remember there were many states who had slavery in the north until 1866, surly as a teacher you know this. now this is just the answer to the rudimentary argument .. the truth lies in the reality in ,,, who is going to decide the issue.. the fed or the state,,, by constitution,, it must be the state,, after the south lost the war it became the fed... this is why men in the south fought without shoes and ate acorns to survive... they believed in a constitutional government.. ///// which no longer exists. good day,
@bkt1965
9 жыл бұрын
there was only one Shelby Foote a scholar and a gentleman always
@ohhenry2009
7 жыл бұрын
Absolutely.
@gnozza8683
7 жыл бұрын
ratliff2006 how do you know that?
@bryannoyce
7 жыл бұрын
There is no evidence, this is called "Critical Theory". They just criticize anyone or anything they don't like, without prof or justification. It stops the argument that they were losing and turns it into a emotional shouting match, which they might win.
@Hi-lb8cq
7 жыл бұрын
Brian Turner true....Shelby is awsome
@adacompliance
7 жыл бұрын
Stryder Tesshu: you poor thing, try to understand context and do reading comprehension, THEN you can beat your wife and children
@sonnyblack71
4 жыл бұрын
Mr. Shelby Foote was the best thing about Ken Burns The Civil War I could listen to him all day!!!
@drthunder1143
4 жыл бұрын
I could listen to him read the classified ads, and it would still sound good!
@jamesbrew3813
4 жыл бұрын
Ken Burns is a national treasure!
@bucksatanII
3 жыл бұрын
His story about meeting Babe Ruth as a kid in the Baseball documentary is really interesting
@dawnpeterson1269
4 жыл бұрын
I loved listening him. When he passed, the world lost a great man.
@darrenduncan1674
2 жыл бұрын
The world lost another old southern racist from the so called "great generation". Yeah they were great alright great at being insanely cruel lynching murderers and segregationist oppressors of blacks. Rotten evil old bastards.
@Deltaworks23
2 жыл бұрын
@@darrenduncan1674 Weak bait from an ignorant fool. Edit: I am referring to you.
@ElbertWR
4 жыл бұрын
Mr. Foote was wrong about that none of the soldiers on either side were fighting for or against slavery. The THOUSANDS of African American soldiers fighting for the Union would beg to differ. This group is often forgotten in history, especially in the South. Also remember that there were Regiments from every state in the Confederacy fighting for the Union. Where in the South can you find a statue or memorial for these men? General Lee (who once swore an oath to 'protect the United States against all enemies, foreign AND domestic') had a favorite Corps Commander, Gen. James Longstreet. A man who he always trusted. Yet you cannot find a single statue of him anywhere in the South. Why is that? Could it have something to do with the fact that after the war was over Gen. Longstreet supported the Union and reconstruction? These facts clearly show that 'preserving history' was not the main thing on the minds of the people who were erecting all these statutes in the South.
@MrRadioGypsy
4 жыл бұрын
You are referring to the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, which was also the subject of the movie 'Glory'. At the end of the Civil War, many freed blacks joined the Republican party, since the Democrats heavily favored slavery beforehand, as a means to make the South's vast agriculture viable and profitable. As Shelby pointed out, it may depend on who you asked just what they were fighting the war for. I had many, many relatives fighting on both sides of that war. Many of which were either maimed or killed as a result. Either side saw it as a patriotic cause. Of these, most were fighting for the Union. Lincoln made it about slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation, after the first cause for Union. That changed the entire tide of the war. Both sides believed that God was for their cause. Lincoln believed that God was punishing the whole country because of slavery. The Battle for Gettysburg was the beginning of the end of the war. But the numbers of black soldiers that continually joined the Army did help to change the tide against an ever shrinking numbers of Confederate troops.
@arimfshapiro7907
4 жыл бұрын
Foote is an addled old man. He's 100% wrong. Words change meaning. Symbols change meaning. The confederate battle flag has become a symbol of hatred, racism, and oppression.
@MrRadioGypsy
4 жыл бұрын
@@arimfshapiro7907 You cannot change the meaning of words and symbols from their original historical context and then apply the changes to the same historical events without distorting history. it's certainly disingenuous for you to try that to fit your politics. You cannot call a dog a chicken. That is called "lying." The fact that others changed the meaning of the flag at a later time doesn't justify your change. It only means that both of you are wrong . Enjoy your dog soup.
@troubledsole9104
4 жыл бұрын
@@MrRadioGypsy Do you seriously think the KKK and the NEO Nazis thnk the confederate flag harkens to the South's rich innocent heritage? This is not revisionist history. If the Confederate flag ever had a purity to its symbology, it has long been corrupted. You can't be serious in 2020 and not realize all of the pain this country has put on its oppressed people for centuries. It's time to man up and accept that our past is nothing we should be particularly proud of and do the right thing.
@LordMephilis
4 жыл бұрын
@@troubledsole9104 our past? Are you a southerner? Or are you referring to the US's history overall?
@thehunter3386
4 жыл бұрын
I could listen to Mr. Foote for hours! A consummate gentleman, a brilliant scholar, an historian without peer. I find it amazing, to my mind, how much Mr. Foote resembles General Lee. I think he’d chuckle at that.
@tedosmond413
2 жыл бұрын
reminds me of the warden in Cool Hand Luke.
@WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1
7 жыл бұрын
Although my sympathies regarding the Civil War lie primarily with the Union (a distant ancestor of mine, Charles E. Hazlett was one of the junior Union commanders at Gettysburg) I think there is a lot of laziness today (2017) in accessing the Confederacy, it's goals and nature. Many Confederate troops could barely afford shoes, let alone slaves. Foote is absolutely right. It is a very complex subject and should be treated as such.
@tripp8833
3 жыл бұрын
Its really not that complex. The state of S Carolina - who started the secession movement - said it was specifically about slavery. The north and south states were arguing abt slavery for decades before the civil war as well. Mr Foote’s loyalty to the South has him overlooking the horrible atrocities they committed.
@tripp8833
3 жыл бұрын
@Jonathan Taylor No one considers the opinion of the rank and file when judging the basis for a war. Most battles until the 19th century used a significant # of mercenaries, they had literally no motive but money. When judging the motive, you look at why the Southern politicians chose to secede, and that was obviously about slavery given the debate at the time.
@tripp8833
3 жыл бұрын
@Jonathan Taylor the Southern people elected said politicians. They were presumably, then, in favor of slavery. And then taking up arms against the United States - treason. I have ancestors that fought for the confederacy, there’s no need to romanticize what they did. They were proto-Nazis.
@WW-ug1jk
3 жыл бұрын
Rest assured that the US civil war, like all wars, was about power, control and money cloaked under the guise of righting some kind of morally repugnant wrong (like slavery, babies bayoneted in incubators, weapons of mass destruction, whatever - it's the oldest trick on earth). They can write ad nauseum otherwise but that simply flies in the face of all recorded history. There's slavery all over the world right now and my church is independently helping to address this in Africa where the problem is growing especially child slaves. We have approached government agencies here, diplomats, African officials and guess what none of them give a damn. The news is about as much what they report AS WHAT THEY DON'T. It's also a big problem in the Middle East and China and NO ONE CARES. People need iPhones and cheap products and the new plantations are global corporations.
@tolivr
3 жыл бұрын
@@tripp8833 Much like the northern soldiers who practiced genocide against the Plains Native Americans in order to to steal their lands to sell them to other white supremacists and railroad corporations. Those Americans were proto-Nazis.
@biddyearly9262
Жыл бұрын
I'm convinced this man lived during the civil war. I'm going to buy his books. A great historian. RIP Mr Shelby Foote.
@theodorearaujo971
2 жыл бұрын
It's shocking that Mr. Foote states that the South saw the Amendments to the Constitution coming, and that is why they attempted to leave the federal system. No such legislation was proposed, and Lincoln himself stated the preservation of the Union was more important than the abolition of slavery where it was being practiced. Shame on him and his name to state that no one fought because of slavery. The "State's Rights" argument is undermined by the very legislation that the Confederate States enacted to leave the Union. Slavery is the sole reason the Southern States objected to the election of Lincoln. South Carolina seceded on December 20, 1860 before Lincoln was even inaugurated. Shame on Shelby for seeing the Confederate effort for anything other than the continuation of slavery, and the battle flag as anything other than what it is...a monument to white nationalism, and the continuation of slavery supported by the Southern Baptists and Southern Methodists, and a fair number of "Copperheads" in the North, and everyone who fought for the South. Everyone.
@shirtless6934
4 жыл бұрын
He is wrong on the constitutional history. The Southern states seceded in 1860-1861. At that time, there was no hint that Congress would seek to amend the Constitution by abolishing slavery. On the contrary, on the eve of the war, Congress proposed an amendment to the Constitution that would have prohibited Congress from abolishing slavery, and that proposed amendment was endorsed by Lincoln in his first Inaugural Address. But the South wanted more. They wanted to carry their slaves from place to place, including free states where slavery was illegal. They did not respect the "states rights" of the Northern states, and the only "states right" they did support was the state's right to have slavery.
@williammccarthy2265
7 жыл бұрын
BTW: Most southerners did NOT own slaves.
@timrandall9479
5 жыл бұрын
Only 1.5% owned slaves. It's like the wealthy 1% now.
@emilyharring4353
5 жыл бұрын
William McCarthy but slavery played a huge role in the south’s economic growth
@GeorgePenton-np9rh
4 жыл бұрын
But most southerners wanted the slaves kept in slavery on the plantation. The Battle Hymn of the Republic says it best: "As He [Christ] died to make men holy let us die to make them free".
@cuchulain1647
4 жыл бұрын
Tim Randall You’re wrong. Check the 1860 Census. 6 percent owned slaves. That, however is a misleading statistic. The better statistic is to look at “family units” which was a value within that census. Of viewed that way, and accounting for the total white population, you now have 30 percent of the white population who come from a family that owns slaves. - You can still argue your previous, biased, sentiment. “ not many people owned slaves, therefore there was another reason to fight”. You can now say that 70 percent of people not only did not own slaves, but didn’t have any family that owned slaves. - I am southern. I love the south. I don’t like the north, generally speaking. Don’t argue disingenuously, argue with the right numbers. Also, don’t be a pussy. - Deo Vindice.
@peterwodzianski1958
4 жыл бұрын
First slave owner was Anthony Johnson. Check his demographics.
@jfredknobloch
4 жыл бұрын
I got to spend some time with Shelby many years ago and he was a brilliant writer and a great historian. But on the matter of the flag, as a native Mississippian, I could not disagree with him more. If all wars are indeed economic then this war was about slavery.
@jshepard152
4 жыл бұрын
Why is what he said so difficult for people to comprehend? He doesn't say it wasn't about slavery. He said it wasn't *all* about slavery.
@troubledsole9104
4 жыл бұрын
You are absolutely right.
@troubledsole9104
4 жыл бұрын
J Shepard It depends on how you look at it. For the wealthy/ruling class, of course it was about money. Regardless of their ideology, they had everything to gain monetarily by keeping slaves. Why else would we have the Missouri comprise? For the working class, it might have been for states rights, but let’s face it, did they really have a stake? As usual, they were used by the ruling class and bullshitted into thinking the civil war was for a higher purpose, which it wasn’t.
@jeje1020
4 жыл бұрын
Please put on your thinking cap and do some research into just howany people in the South actually owned 20 or more slaves, very few. Hell, a majority of the South did not hold slaves at all. Economic dependence on slavery would have only concerned a very small group. The war was not about this, it was about the State's rights to govern themselves. Men would not have gave up their homes, livelihoods and lives (from the North or South) over the issue of slavery.
@troubledsole9104
4 жыл бұрын
@@jeje1020 I am not surprised, but think about it. Why did we fight in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Korea? The working class is always on the front lines even when they don't have a dog in the fight. In so many ways we have been conned, coerced, and drafted to do the bidding of wealthier and more powerful men.
@michaelmusso7618
7 жыл бұрын
Shelby Foote was an insurance client of mine years ago. We would discuss business in his study . He told me stories of his friendship with Cybill Shepherd and books he had written apart from the Civil War Trilogy.
@royalhumpy
4 жыл бұрын
The problem I have is that, at about 1:00, he makes reference to the Emancipation Proclamation as affecting "private property". He is, of course referring to human beings as private property. That's plain wrong no matter how you try to spin it.
@alanbozard4701
4 жыл бұрын
True. But like anything else you give a little and it’s never enough!! They saw it leading to not just the banning ofslavery which we all know is wrong but to them pushing for more states rights. They wanted no part of the north pushing their ways on them.
@royalhumpy
4 жыл бұрын
@@alanbozard4701 While there may have been other concerns over other issues, the armed defense of slavery cannot be overlooked. Again, that's wrong no matter how you try to spin it.
@DylanVotaire
4 жыл бұрын
Alan Bozard most citizens in those states did not want to secede.
@johneyon5257
4 жыл бұрын
royalhumpy - thanks for making that point - i forgot to do so in my post - now i don't have to edit it
@TheDoorspook11c
4 жыл бұрын
For many, the other questions of the civil war are as callous as the sidelining of the slavery issue. For slaves there was no other issue. For free men afraid of illegal enslavement there was no other issue. The "other issues" are just a smokescreen to give the lowliest most degenerate, treasonous, snakes some semblance of honor, intelligence, and character. As secessionist garbage and treasonous trash whose major and primary cause was white supremacy and slavery they deserved a gallows walk, to the last wide eyed flag ogling drummer boy.
@OldSchool1947
4 жыл бұрын
Shelby Foote describes the "nuance" that is so needed now. So many see things in terms literally of black and white. We seem to be almost as divided as before the Civil War.
@OldSchool1947
4 жыл бұрын
@Christopher Triplet Yes indeed! A great shame.
@tedosmond413
2 жыл бұрын
He is very similar to the warden in Cool Hand Luke.
@nuancolar7304
7 ай бұрын
Yep. It's entirely impossible for any one person to stand in one place, at one point in time, and get the full and proper perspective on any subject of history. As he said, it's true that a lot of idiots have misused this flag for their own uses, and it's fair game to oppose those people. But we should not allow misusers of history to deprive us of the truth.
@georgeschaut2178
2 ай бұрын
As a Canadian, I was under the impression that the Civil War was fought to end slavery & preserve the union. Why can't all politicians just go with that concise answer?
@ZephaniahL
2 ай бұрын
The negro population has also worked up to a pitch of hatred that is probably unprecedented in U.S. history -- this, too, must be recognized to grasp the situation.
@todd92371
8 жыл бұрын
I want this country and its people to be strong enough again to be able to withstand the opinions of those they don't agree with.
@yugandali
7 жыл бұрын
You either don't understand the word "withstand" or the word "democracy."
@ronin2999
7 жыл бұрын
AT Hiker ...talk to the liberal left about that
@ScottLedridge
7 жыл бұрын
Those neo-Confederate are a sensitive bunch. Hopefully, they'll come around.
@rogerwhite1815
7 жыл бұрын
Stinger 4186 Go waste someone else's time because you're not worthy of mine
@yugandali
7 жыл бұрын
Let's see, what do you call someone who supports a cause that lost? Oh, losers.
@gregorydonatelli3429
5 жыл бұрын
In October, 1965, I was born in Illinois. I was taught that the Confederate Battle flag was just that. A battle flag. I do not like that certain fringe groups in our society have associated that flag to their "cause". All Americans today should respect the Confederate Battle Flag, it did, for four years represent the armies of a separate nation. Respect American History, all of it, both good and bad. Thank You Shelby Foote, may you rest in peace alongside the 640,000 Americans who died through those long 5 Aprils.
@rogerpack9848
4 жыл бұрын
@B.T.W 01 travel the back roads thru southern Illinois and you will see the confederate flag flying from flag poles in peoples yards,i saw that myself.People that move out of the taxed to death liberal state of Illinois move to one state more than any other and that state is Alabama.You can look it up.
@rogerpack9848
4 жыл бұрын
@B.T.W 01 I am born and raised in Alabama,i was just quoting fact not opinion,I do believe though that the worst thing a northerner can do is come down south and tell us how they did things up there.Alabama has been my home for 69 years and I've seen plenty of America and yet I choose to spend my life in Alabama.
@kyledonahue9315
4 жыл бұрын
I’m not entitled to respect the flag of traitors, especially those who took up arms for a cause as immoral as slavery. The Confederacy is vilified in modern times and rightfully so: it’s an tragic piece of American history and an enduring stain that continues to blacken the south’s reputation.
@kyledonahue9315
4 жыл бұрын
B.T.W 01 I’m not sure what you’re getting at. The original comment asserted that Confederate veterans were entitled to respect, which is a statement I strongly disagree with given the cause for which the Confederacy fought. If you wish to honor your Confederates ancestors that is entirely your business. It is, however, quite odd to do so as a citizen of a country which the Confederacy sought to destroy and who’s soldiers were killed by those flying the Confederate flag.
@Arcticpaddler
7 жыл бұрын
Shelby Foote was a master historian. His clear-eyed interpretation of history, largely free of the entrapments of emotional sentimentality, were a gift to the modern age--and a breath of fresh air.
@johngeverett
4 жыл бұрын
I understand his point, and agree with the complex perspective he takes, but it boils down to this: I believe that if there had been no slavery, there would have been no secession and no Civil War.
@caseynicholson9190
4 жыл бұрын
Slavery was not isolated below the Mason Dixon. Study up. Your wrong.
@PrepperStateofMind
4 жыл бұрын
It was a cultural war. Foote is correct, slavery was not a concern until Lincoln made it one. His action enabled free slaves and enslaved to take up arms and help the north.
@stevenrhodes2200
4 жыл бұрын
People forget that slavery was a holdover from America's time as British Colonial Subjects, our Founders and Statesmen petitioned the King of England to end its practice in the Colonies and were denied.
@jmelcher24
4 жыл бұрын
Read up on the nullification crisis. Secession came very close to happening 30 years before the civil war began and it had nothing to do with slavery. It was about tariffs and the debate over state powers vs federal powers. The divide between southern and northern society was well underway before the debate over the expansion of slavery came into the limelight
@TheWaveofbabies
4 жыл бұрын
@@jmelcher24 And it didn't end in secession. Unlike later, when the expansion of slavery was in jeopardy, did South Carolina lead the south out of the Union.
@FAngus-ly8lk
4 жыл бұрын
1) Shelby Foote acknowledges that the Confederate flag became the flag of the KKK long after the Civil War and of white racists during the Civil Rights period 100 years after the war. It's a little late in the day to claim now (or 20-odd years ago when Foote gave the interview above) that the flag should be given a pass, as it was somehow not meant to be a symbol of slavery. That's a little like a modern German arguing that the Swastika was originally a pagan fertility symbol, first used more than a thousand years ago, and really does not symbolize Naziism, and that it is unfair for it to be banned in Germany today. Would you swallow that argument? 2) The Confederacy was based almost entirely on a labour-intensive, single-crop (cotton) plantation economy in which the primary economic input was the unpaid labour of millions of human slaves. To argue that the potential loss of this mass of human livestock was somehow not the primary cause of the secession of Southern states and the Civil War is specious. Several Confederate state constitutions and the Constitution promulgated by the government of Jefferson Davis state clearly and unequivocally that the supremacy of white people and the maintenance of slavery are fundamental and necessary to Confederate nation. To equivocate and say, as Foote does, that it's more complicated than that ignores this basic truth. 3) A century of postbellum poenage labour (in effect, a state-sanctioned form of slavery), thousands of lynchings, racial massacres (of which Tulsa was only one), Jim Crow laws, vicious voter suppression, substandard education, redlining and routine job discrimination, extend the debate (if there actually is a debate here) over the Confederate flag and Confederate monuments (the vast majority erected many decades after the war) far, far beyond any question of the meaning of the flag in 1860.
@AnnaLVajda
4 жыл бұрын
Yes it is sad had symbols are desecrated. You still see proper swastikas on buddahs chest because they refuse the nazi interpretation. As he just said too the flag was never meant as a symbol of white supremacy. I suppose all white bed sheets should be considered evil too since the klan dressed up in them though that was not their intended purpose either.
@jamesangus8504
4 жыл бұрын
Very interesting and discerning response. I have heard from southern Americans that the war was fought over states’ rights. Well, maybe so, but the only state right that mattered was keeping the slaves. All else flowed from that. Every state’s articles of secession published to announce they were leaving the Union spoke of the denial not just of slavery but its expansion to new territories and states as the cause of secession. To claim that slavery was not the primary cause of the creation of the Confederacy is specious and disingenuous.
@chrismaurer2075
4 жыл бұрын
@@jamesangus8504 It is my understanding that the reason that slavery was mentioned in article's of secession was because the secession issue was ultimately going to the supreme court and the southern states needed to have standing in order to peacefully seceed.Lincoln was even pro secession until it was going to happen on his watch.
@stevekeith4561
4 жыл бұрын
Secessionists… Democrat Slaveholders… Democrat KKK… Democrat Segregationists… Democrat Jim Crow Laws.… Democrat There is one institution extant today that is wholly responsible and should pay reparations… the Democrat Party.
@edwardgarea7650
4 жыл бұрын
Brilliantly argued.
@RichardGalli-r6i
Жыл бұрын
Perfectly said Mr Foote! RIP. I might also add - what flag was at Sand Creek, Bear River, Sacramento, Washita, Marias River, Wounded Knee? The same one I wore on my shoulder 27x years as a US Army paratrooper... In Africa they say "wash your hands before you point at me"
@Outspoken.Humanist
4 жыл бұрын
It is true that ordinary soldiers thought little about slavery, indeed in every war it is the poor that fight and poor men in the south had no slaves. However, the secession was primarily about maintaining slavery and this was the main stated aim of the leaders of the Confederacy. It is deliberately disingenuous to pretend that the civil war was not about slavery. If anything, it may be argued that the elite and political leaders of the southern states misled their own people into fighting a war which would not and could not benefit them and was only intended to protect the wealth and lifestyle of slave owners and those involved in the awful business of treating human beings as property. The problem with the flag is that history and tradition have given it two different meanings. To many people it is a proud symbol of their identity and a way of honoring their families. If a man has the flag painted on his car, he is not saying he wants to restore slavery, he is saying I am proud of my traditions. It would be wrong to try to prevent that. But the battle flag of the Confederacy is also the symbol of a deliberate attempt to destroy the United States and to establish a separate country. A country based upon slavery. Because of that, public use may be seen by some as representing and reminding people of traitorous intent towards the US. We should also be aware of what the flag represents to the black population of the US and that is brutal oppression and mistreatment. It is an emotional issue and one that can only be resolved by compromise.
@cmdrfunk
4 жыл бұрын
" It is deliberately disingenuous to pretend that the civil war was not about slavery" Did you even listen to this?
@davidgaskin7091
4 жыл бұрын
Agreed. A comment about your first paragraph. While the founding documents of the Confederacy did include strong statements of the righteousness of slavery and as one of the South's foundational tenents, Lincoln himself gave sometimes meandering statements about his motivations for prosecuting war against the South, which sometimes minimized slavery's role in that. It matters not if slavery was or it wasn't the primary reason war broke out. If the war was concluded with the South rejoining the U.S. but its slavery intact in the South, then truly the real war was lost. Slavery may or may not have been the primary reason that first shot was fired at Ft. Sumpter, but when the war was over, its abolition was absolutely the primary outcome. By that time, I think Lincoln understood.
@Outspoken.Humanist
4 жыл бұрын
@@cmdrfunk I did and I have heard other people try to pretend that the civil war was not about slavery. My response is a long one. I hope you will read it all. It is true that there were other issues and that most of the soldiers did not keep slaves and could never have afforded them but the primary and main reason for secession was to maintain the right to keep slaves. Allow me to offer three direct quotes from the video, to show that I did listen and to further my point. “it was the first amendment that had anything to do with private property” We should be clear here that by property Foote is referring to other human beings “they said we don’t want any part of this Union” "The war was one form of society against another form of society and because one of those forms of society included chattel slavery". And to be sure there can be no further misunderstanding, I will add three parts of the Confederate States Constitution. Article I No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law denying or impairing the right of property in negro slaves shall be passed. Article IV The citizens of each State shall be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States; and shall have the right of transit and sojourn in any State of this Confederacy, with their slaves and other property; and the right of property in said slaves shall not be thereby impaired Article IV The Confederate States may acquire new territory; and Congress shall have power to legislate and provide governments for the inhabitants of all territory belonging to the Confederate States, lying without the limits of the several states; and may permit them, at such times, and in such manner as it may by law provide, to form states to be admitted into the Confederacy. In all such territory, the institution of negro slavery as it now exists in the Confederate States, shall be recognized and protected by Congress, and by the territorial government: and the inhabitants of the several Confederate States and Territories, shall have the right to take to such territory any slaves lawfully held by them in any of the states or territories of the Confederate states Finally, a quote from The Cornerstone Speech of Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens. "The new Constitution has put at rest forever all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution-African slavery as it exists among us-the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution. Jefferson, in his forecast, had anticipated this, as the "rock upon which the old Union would split." He was right. What was conjecture with him, is now a realized fact. But whether he fully comprehended the great truth upon which that rock stood and stands, may be doubted. The prevailing ideas entertained by him and most of the leading statesmen at the time of the formation of the old Constitution were, that the enslavement of the African was in violation of the laws of nature; that it was wrong in principle, socially, morally and politically. It was an evil they knew not well how to deal with; but the general opinion of the men of that day was, that, somehow or other, in the order of Providence, the institution would be evanescent and pass away. [...] Those ideas, however, were fundamentally wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races" Such views make painful reading today but the facts are clear. Whatever other issues there may have been, the overriding reason for wanting to destroy the USA and become a new and separate country was to keep slavery.
@Outspoken.Humanist
4 жыл бұрын
@@davidgaskin7091 Thank you for your response. I take your point that the real war would have been lost. I have answered another comment below where i quote the Confederate Constitution and the Cornerstone Speech, both of which make it clear that slavery was the key issue. It is a shame that some people today are still either ignorant of the truth or do not wish to admit it.
@armorsmith43
4 жыл бұрын
The flag is also a symbol of how the Elite who started that war took a man’s honorable desire to protect his home and kin and *turned* it towards protecting their slave holdings: - They told men to fear his neighbor enough to want him kept in chains. - They told men it was worth leaving their wives to defend their homes from a war the South Carolina legislature started over slavery. The south deserves a new flag.
@jimnowak3960
7 жыл бұрын
My great grand father Wilhelm Loehr fought at Vicksburg with Waul's Texas Legion. He was fighting to protect his farm and family. Our family never owned a slave. The south fought to preserve their homeland. It makes me sad for the southern soldiers that lost their lives. Now we are dishonoring their memory and sacrifice by tearing down statues and confederate flags across the nation. It's history, let us not forget the past. God help us.
@josefbleaux6724
7 жыл бұрын
Jim Nowak Amen!
@yastepanov5748
4 жыл бұрын
Then why was the South willing to forego secession with the Crittenton Compromise of 1860, which would have protected slavery in the Constitution. Sorry, but no one would have had to protect ANYTHING if the South had not attempted treason.
@brandondowd6470
4 жыл бұрын
YA Stepanov secession, legally was “legal” or “right” to do then. No where in the constitution had spoken about the topic and so it was left up to the 10th A.
@Arturo-sm1tb
4 жыл бұрын
problem Jim is that you cannot have southern states rights without slavery. You would have to outwardly accept the institution of slavery if you want to have your way in the South, regardless if you and your family owned slaves. You are supporting slavery by fighting on its side. That is immoral.
@Arturo-sm1tb
4 жыл бұрын
@@yastepanov5748 thank you YA for setting things straight. The Southern apologists can never accept the truth that they are tied to the most immoral of institutions, regardless of the fact they did not own slaves, or whether they personally did not favor slavery. They are supporters of the imprisonment of innocent human being, by the mere fact of their support of the Old South.
@BoJangles42
3 жыл бұрын
Every Confederate state except Virginia cited the preservation of slavery as their main cause for seceding from the Union in their articles of secession. And for a war supposedly fought over “states’ rights”, it’s very ironic that the Confederate constitution required that slavery be legal in every Confederate state - a federal mandate that superseded states rights in order to prevent abolition of slavery within the Confederacy. The South seceded over slavery, pure and simple.
@sahb7834
2 жыл бұрын
Pretty obvious isn't it.
@MrFredcats
2 ай бұрын
Truth!
@charlessiwoku8310
4 күн бұрын
He said the confedaracy respect law above all. Not for the black man they didn't!😢
@charlessiwoku8310
4 күн бұрын
Same lost cause narrative!😢
@glennfarr2000
3 жыл бұрын
I respect and admire Mr. Foote. But I cannot agree with him on this.
@ralphpezda6523
2 жыл бұрын
The States rights argument is the argument that went on since prior to the founding of the Republic: federalism. That is, who is going to control, the States or the Federal government? If the States controlled, each State could enact its' own laws according to the wishes of its' citizens. If the Federal government controlled, they could overrule and/or void certain State's laws, such as slavery or no slavery. Control was the overarching issue, not slavery. Using our ideas of the present day to look at things of the past, and how things and thoughts on it developed a century + later, does not change how they were considered at the time they happpened. Doing so distorts history. History cannot be changed or eliminated no matter what anyone thinks of it today. Mr. Foote is right. At the same time you are welcome to your views.
@Heimdallr00
7 жыл бұрын
"Robert Tombs or somebody once gave the best definition of that war I ever heard, "It was a war of one form of society against another form of society, and because one of those forms of society included chattel slavery and the other side didn't, except to a limited extent, it's always been identified as a war over slavery. Believe me, no soldier on either side gave a damn about the slaves, they were fighting for other reasons entirely in their minds."" "Southerners thought they were fighting a second American revolution; Northerners thought they were fighting to hold the Union together, and that held true throughout the whole war, except for some people who were absolute partisans on both sides: fire eaters in South Carolina and abolitionists in Massachusetts. But most of the people were fighting because they were fighting for... Southerners once said I'm fighting because you are down here; if you want to invade my home you've got me to fight, others say you are trying to tear the fabric of the Union, therefore you should be put down and not allowed to do what you claim what you want to do." "It's a very complex subject and I'm sorry to see it degenerate into a such things as identifying that flag as a symbol of racism, it is not. It was never intended as such. [The] Confederacy respected law above all things." ~ Shelby Foote
@lightningbrigade257
7 жыл бұрын
R.I.P. Mr. Foote I learned a lot from your books. You will be missed.
@sorenschmidt1976
3 жыл бұрын
A great Man🤚...
@marklivingstone3710
2 жыл бұрын
What I always enjoyed about listening to Shelby Foote was, it was like he had been there. His knowledge and perspective was encyclopedic. I’ve never thought of history in terms of dates and events, it’s the characters and the stories behind that that help you understand a historical event. Vale Shelby Foote, you were the master historian on this subject.
@IsaacBeImont
5 жыл бұрын
Not the 1st time I've disagreed with Foote. The Confederacy only respected law so far as it allowed them to continue holding others in bondage.
@robertbrodie5183
4 жыл бұрын
I had the wonderful good fotune to happen on mr foote at getteyburg many years ago and he was kind enough to let me tag along i live close enough to the battlefield to know much of it extremely well but he made each area come alive and to tell a tale of humans on both sides not just grand tactics. As a soldier and combat vet he made it relate in a very real way to my own experiance
@kasimsultonfan
Жыл бұрын
Ed Bearss!!
@dcs5343
Жыл бұрын
What an absolute treat it would have been to know this man and to have been able to listen to him in person.
@stuartsteiner9820
7 жыл бұрын
This man is brilliant. Endless knowledge.
@Arturo-sm1tb
4 жыл бұрын
But this commentary was only about his opinion, which is hotly contested to this day, it did not state any facts about any battles of the War.
@1969cmp
4 жыл бұрын
Very good...but not perfect. Grant knew that a big causation of the war was to do with slavery.
@johneyon5257
4 жыл бұрын
stuart - but bad historical analyst with hideous ethics
@fredr4258
4 жыл бұрын
The Stars and Bars flag has my deepest respect as a flag of the United States beit to succeed from the union or to represent the infringement of the government on the citizens of the southern states. It never represented slavery to me until idiots made it their cause. It's a symbol of rebellion against what people felt as tyranny. Not a damned thing to do with slavery. TO get people to listen to this is next to impossible. This flag waves honorably over the remains of confederate soldiers who were fighting on the convictions of their rights as Americans. The way the bodies of confederates were treated on the Gettysburg battlefield by the north / union army was absolutely disgraceful in my thoughts. Back then people did not think nor cared. Lots of rabble on those battle fields. Was just a damned shame. It's going to happen again. We keep having our rights whittled down to nothing is sparking a new revolution just like the Civil war. Ok...I'm going too far for the scope of this forum. I love the Confederate flag as much as the Stars and Stripes of these United States as well everyone should and would if others had an ounce of brains. What a super video and well said. Thank you for sharing this with us!
@davidschlaefer8078
Жыл бұрын
I can accept the proposition that most common soldiers on both sides did not think of themselves as fighting for or against slavery; and that the issues which drove the North and South apart were many and complex. But slavery was far and away the chief issue among them, and the Founders' failure to abolish it in 1781, thinking it would slowly wither, virtually guaranteed a future rupture. And the 'property' involved was human beings, not land, buildings, or cattle. People. Men, women, and children.
@murrygandy6546
Жыл бұрын
My great grandfather and his brother were dirt poor north Mississippi hill farmers who never owned a slave. They joined & fought for the Confederacy for one reason - the Union was in their front yard burning & plundering their small farms. Ending slavery was a tremendous benefit of the civil war, but it was not the only reason the war was fought just as Shelby Foote stated. My fear today is that we have unfortunately learned very little from that terrible phase of our history and may be doomed to repeat it. God help us.
@jeffwarren6906
3 жыл бұрын
A brilliant historian and a true gentleman .. There are not many like him left that present history as the history actually was . It seems it gets embellished or twisted in order to support some political position or social construct .. He was the epitome of a Southern Gentleman ... You will not see another of his kind soon ,, maybe never ....
@captainamericaxxx3874
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you. I've always wonder what Shelby Foote would say about the flag. I knew this would be his answer.
@robertattaway3119
4 жыл бұрын
A really great answer from a true scholar.
@tedosmond413
2 жыл бұрын
reminds me of the warden in Cool Hand Luke.
@GalapagosPete
4 жыл бұрын
The Confederate flag was carried in marches against civil rights and by the Ku Klux Klan because of what it already represented; it was not their use of it that made it a racist symbol - it already was. To say that it “represents many good things” is simply wrong. The most one could say is that there are many otherwise good people who have, through ignorance or denial, allowed that flag to represent their culture. But the flag is not, and never will be, an actual representation of anything good. “...anybody’s private property…“ The “private property” of which he speaks was human beings. “And people who say that slavery had nothing to do with the war are just as wrong as people who say that slavery had everything to do with the war.“ The Confederate states seceded because of their love for human slavery; this is stated explicitly in their statements of secession. It is therefore far more reasonable to take the position that the Civil War was entirely due to the issue of slavery, because that’s what the people who started the war said it was about. “Believe me, no soldier on either side gave a damn about the slaves. They were fighting for other reasons entirely in their minds.“ Even if true, it is a relevant. The soldiers did not start the war, they were fighting at the orders of their governments, and the Confederate government had already stated in plain language the reason for their secession. That the Confederate common soldiers were not slave owners, and the Union common soldiers’ hearts did not bleed for the plight of the slaves, is not germane. “It’s a very complex subject…“ No, at its heart it really, really isn’t. The fact that many of the individuals who fought had reasons other than slavery for fighting does not matter with respect to determining whether the cause of the Confederacy was admirable. It was not. “…and I’m sorry to see it degenerate into such things as identifying that flag as a symbol of racism. It is not; it was never intended as such.“ Well, that flag was designed to be a symbol of the Confederacy, and the Confederacy was literally created for the sole purpose of preserving and extending the institution of Black slavery. So it would be rather difficult to see it as anything else. But, as Shelby Foote and many of the commenters here clearly demonstrate, it is by no means impossible; it requires only a capacity for, and dedication to, self-delusion.
@adrock4737
4 жыл бұрын
This is what a thoughtful, well-educated, well-spoken, well-meaning apologist for a violent insurrection in defense of an economy that relies upon chattel slavery sounds like.
@msh6865
4 жыл бұрын
You do know that only 2% of southerners kept slaves, right? So, what were the other 98% of the south fighting for?
@dewiz9596
4 жыл бұрын
MSH68 : Pretty much the same reason that people go to Afghanistan and Iraq to get their ass shot off. Because that 2% convinced them it’s a good idea.
@jds6206
4 жыл бұрын
@@msh6865 98% were fighting for misguided reasons.
@noeltaylor3594
4 жыл бұрын
@@msh6865 Yeah, but everyone else saw, didn't do a thing about it, (not that they could) and treated blacks like second class citizens, especially as Reconstruction ended.
@msh6865
4 жыл бұрын
@@jds6206 So, you were there and knew the minds and hearts of the 98% right? Right.
@darthroden
7 жыл бұрын
The KKK does not own that flag, it belongs to all Southern people regardless of color or creed -- particularly Confederate descendants who honor it properly. Make no mistake either, the efforts on the part of the Left and the racists to co-opt that flag fully are still not completely realized, not while there are still some who honor that flag properly as the living symbol of Southern heritage, cultural identity, and memorial to the Confederate dead that it truly is. Those of us who honor that flag still will never surrender it to the vile hands of those who would misuse it wrongly as an American swastika and we shall overcome their hatred with love, with honor, and with God's truth in our hearts. Deo Vindice!
@darthroden
4 жыл бұрын
@Lost In Margaritaville Political correctness is fascism with manners, it cannot improve jack shit, only tear down everyone. It isn't the nobody speaks out, its the fact that when people do speak out, those who control the flow of information don't report that.
@stephr9859
4 жыл бұрын
Excuse me it doesn’t represent my southern heritage
@darthroden
4 жыл бұрын
@@stephr9859 Well that sucks for you. ;) Fortunately for millions of other Southern-born men and women of Confederate descent representing the broad cross-section of the various peoples of the American Southland (aka God's country on Earth -- you know other than that place over in the Middle East) a much larger majority do not share your limited definition of Southern heritage.
@thomaswilliamjohnson3022
4 жыл бұрын
Don’t be mad u don’t have your baby blanket
@idleonlooker1078
7 жыл бұрын
He was - deservedly - a great authority on the American Civil War and he got his succinct views across without candour, in his inimitable and beautiful southern drawl. RIP Mr Foote!
@MsSpock1
5 жыл бұрын
An amazing man. I could never get enough of him. Listened to his every word x
@barrykelly2722
4 жыл бұрын
There were marchers in the Klan that did hold the Virginia Battle Flag. However, the Klan had / has own banner. Clear that up.
@barkingorifice
3 жыл бұрын
"never intended as a symbol of racism"... I understand Mr. Foote's point. Unfortunately having the KKK use it has made it a symbol of racism. Original meaning is of no consequence now. Idiots up here in the north put that flag on their truck windows and it is a symbol of rebellious behavior. The swastika was also a symbol that had nothing to do with the 3rd Riech originally. It is a design that has been used for millenia with various meanings. That does not change the fact that it is a symbol of hate and adherence to Hitler's ideology.
@robertortiz-wilson1588
2 жыл бұрын
Indeed, unfortunately so.
@John_21601
4 жыл бұрын
Nice words, but he knows damn well what’s really behind the flag as it’s used today.
@Hollywoodzz646
4 жыл бұрын
Shelby and his knowledge is needed now more than ever.
@rosep8481
4 жыл бұрын
Confederate apologist
@mollkatless
4 жыл бұрын
@racketyjack yes, foote was very knowledgeable about the civil war, but he had obvious blind spots. There was no reason more central to the war than slavery, and whether every single soldier thought about constantly or not, they all knew what the central issue was - foote was an apologist
@jamesvokral4934
4 жыл бұрын
@racketyjack It really doesn't matter how much he knows. If the battle flag started out without the meaning it holds today, it's largely irrelevant. It has morphed into a strong hate symbol for white supremacy, hate, and racism. It has to be relegated to museums with appropriate explanations.
@gilmoremccoy6930
4 жыл бұрын
@racketyjack Foote is why history was whitewashed in the first place. The Confederates states wanted to keep slavery so they fought the Union to do so. Every southern state wrote it in it's own Confederate charter that slavery was the most important reason why they were committing treason/sperating from the USA 🇺🇸. The actual documents are in the library of Congress. Look it up!
@robertguest5215
4 жыл бұрын
@@rosep8481 ....Knew more about the civil war,than you could ever hope to learn....
@handyallen
3 жыл бұрын
We'll agree to disagree on this Shelby
@coreyreese5848
4 жыл бұрын
Shelby Foote will forever be a legend
@bipslone8880
3 жыл бұрын
A legend to people that believe in the "Lost Cause"... Not for people that live in reality. He was a propagandist.
@davec8730
2 жыл бұрын
@@bipslone8880 the uneducated man bites back.
@rickyj5547
2 жыл бұрын
@@bipslone8880 rather believe that. Than hard left nonsense.
@timrandall9479
5 жыл бұрын
When Shelby Foote died we lost a national treasure.
@grahamjohnson2559
5 жыл бұрын
A fine historian . A fine man .
@bipslone8880
3 жыл бұрын
Shelby Foote was an evil Lost Cause propagandist.
@darrenduncan1674
2 жыл бұрын
He was obviously a white supremacist by his defense of the extremely wicked confederacy whose main objective was to perpetuate human rights violating slavery.
@darrenduncan1674
2 жыл бұрын
Lol. "A fine man." To whom? A fellow white supremacist and racist?😆
@richardbranton7396
2 жыл бұрын
He's not an historian, he's a novelist any serious historian will tell you Foote was not one
@robertortiz-wilson1588
2 жыл бұрын
@@darrenduncan1674 how can you possibly think he is a white supremacist?!
@Jtwhite224
4 жыл бұрын
To try and judge the flag based on today's context is crazy.
@donaldthomas9389
3 жыл бұрын
The problem is it's being flown and flouted in today's context. It gets my utmost respect when I observe it in museums, not flying from a pole in my neighbor's yard. Then it is the enemy of the American flag.
@rickyj5547
2 жыл бұрын
@@donaldthomas9389 what happened to the frist amendment for freedom of speech
@Stinger913
4 жыл бұрын
I appreciate that Shelby acknowledges the huge role slavery played in the role, while also noting there were other contentious issues that caused the divide. The fact remains that it wasn’t all because of slavery, but it was a very relevant issue.
@s2xg112
4 жыл бұрын
What were the other issues? The Confederate states specifically cited property rights-to own slaves as their reason to secede.
@victordavenport2626
4 жыл бұрын
You misspelled "very relevant issue." You mean "only reason, just obscured by other b.s. reasons."
@heathenhawk853
Жыл бұрын
@@s2xg112 Tarriffs and taxes , the Republicans were going to raise them to discourage Southern/European Trade , It was 10% before secession, The Republicans who had the votes were going to raise it in 2 steps from 15% to 50% which would have bankrupted the South . That was a huge reason , Slavery which fell under the blanket of States Rights to determine Their own laws of which Slavery was one of the reasons stated but was just a serious ailment of a much bigger disease of States vs a growing Federal Government , We see the results of that now with unelected Beauracrats stamping on all of Our Rights and Politicians who are owned by Corporations and Foreign Governments and not We The People .
@GH-oi2jf
4 жыл бұрын
The foot soldiers had their own reasons, but they didn’t start the war. The southern states seceded and went to war because the leaders of those states, the rich and powerful, wanted to preserve the institution of slavery.
@crippledcrow2384
2 жыл бұрын
A very true definition of the reasons for the War. The flag meant so much to the troops but never meant to be a racist symbol.
@guidototh6091
2 жыл бұрын
For millions of people it mean slavery and the fight to continue slavery. In the Jim Crow era it was used by individuals, States and terrorist organizations to celebrate institutional racism and oppression.
@carloscabrera7073
4 жыл бұрын
The first article of the constitution of the Confederacy of the United States prohibited the abolition of slavery. So yes, it was strictly about slavery. Your "feelings" be dammed.
@castiron2932
4 жыл бұрын
Carlos Cabrera Where are your people from?
@carloscabrera7073
4 жыл бұрын
@@castiron2932 from the Western hemisphere. For thousands of years before whitey came over.
@ericsimons9126
4 жыл бұрын
I’m with Carlos. Yes I get that the south has had a hard way of it since their rebellion failed. White southerners were treated poorly after the war. And most southerners did not even own slaves. But guess what? Slavery was in your culture. Slavery was your economy. Was the US government acting oppressive and tyrannical? Lost cause folks would have you think so. But if you’re going to start a war that killed over 600,000 people to keeping human beings as slaves after fighting for independence from your previous tyrannical government less than a century earlier - I kinda think your new world pass has been revoked along with whatever flag you lived and fought under.
@castiron2932
4 жыл бұрын
Carlos Cabrera your welcome - from Whitey
@carloscabrera7073
4 жыл бұрын
@@castiron2932 triggered much, snoflake? Be thankful we're only asking for equality instead of revenge.
@bustersmith5569
4 жыл бұрын
It's very sad he's gone !!!!
@daveanderson3805
5 жыл бұрын
I wish that I had a history teacher like Shelby Foote when I was young a truly great man
@Daveglorious
3 жыл бұрын
That would be something indeed.
@thomaspainerules3114
4 жыл бұрын
In the Lower South (SC, GA, AL, MS, LA, TX, FL -- those states that seceded first), about 36.7% of the white families owned slaves. In the Middle South (VA, NC, TN, AR -- those states that seceded only after Fort Sumter was fired on) the percentage is around 25.3%, and the total for the two combined regions -- which is what most folks think of as the Confederacy -- is 30.8%. In the Border States (DE, MD, KY, MO -- those slave states that did not secede) the percentage of slave-ownership was 15.9%, and the total throughout the slave states was almost exactly 26%. Yet In fact the States not in rebellion kept there institution of slavery during and after the Civil War until the ratification of the 13th Amendment. So was slavery really the issue for the Union or was It secession from it? Slaves translates into wealth and the civil war was grounded in the threat of taking away that wealth . Of course there were other issues such as the South baring the lion share of federal taxes in tariffs brought about by Andrew Jackson I believe but ya can’t get around slavery/wealth being at the root of this conflict as well. Although Secession wasn’t a new concept during that era . In fact several Northern States threatened to secede and Thomas Jefferson’s response was ,” If any state in the Union will declare that it prefers separation . . . to a continuance in union . . . I have no hesitation in saying, ‘let us separate.’” During the Presidency of Andrew Jackson South Carolina made threats of secession by calling for a State convention . Jackson contrary to Jefferson threatened to send in federal troops . However prior to the Civil War the South obviously over reacted since Lincoln who was personally opposed to slavery as he or his father never owned any, both still felt the practice immoral. However politically? “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality… I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied every thing “ Abraham Lincoln the great Emancipator President Lincoln also said that if he could save the Union without freeing any slave he would do it. Again was it slavery or secession for the North ? As far as the men fighting this war , I agree with Shelby 100%. In NYC there was a riot over the first military draft and the mob attacked blacks blaming them for the war and their being forced to fight it. The first volunteers certainly went with the principle of keeping the Union together but a lot of Northerners didn’t want to be drafted or involved. In my own opinion the North was t galvanized until Gettysburg, after Confederate troops first and only attempt to invade the North . In the South, Southernern Soldiers views could vary from stopping what they viewed as Northern aggression AKA self defense , patriotism or being pro slavery but I’m sure approximately 60% of Southern Soldiers who’s families didn’t own slaves opinions could vary or were forced to fight by the Confederate Government’s draft like their Northern Counter parts. And deserters and draft dodgers were hunted by the home guard in the South . Not much choice given to a young man of draft age . Yes that war was rooted in slavery and a government arose to continue it. The issues of States Rights and secession in this case came about on the heels of slavery. Which in a sense is a shame because states do have rights, just not the right for their citizens to own other human beings . And secession is a natural right . We as individuals do so in our daily lives . Ya go to a party it starts to turn bad and you leave or in other words you secede . States rights and secession are now shown in the light of bigotry and racism while Americans have been dealing with an ever intrusive Central Government. Remember the States created the Federal Government. In my opinion for what ever it’s worth states do have a right to nullify unconstitutional laws and secede if they do desire . Hopefully if and when they do it will be for a better reason than the one South Carolina started in December of 1860.
@VyperVenom
4 жыл бұрын
If only more people understood history as you do! It seems most people these days do not care to learn the details of why the war happened, and simply distill it down to "it was a war about slavery" and that is all they think they know about it. I am also saddened that so many people see secessation as treason, and damn the Confederacy as a bunch of traitors who deserve nothing but to have their graves smashed and spat upon. Thank you for your educated insight and actually knowing what you are talking about sir.
@thomaspainerules3114
4 жыл бұрын
VyperVenom , Treason is to intentionally to betray or bring harm to your country. The Southern States did no such thing attempting secession , they simply wanted to leave a party which in their eyes was going bad and the Union stood at the door demanding they stay and party in regardless. Why did they want to leave the party ? Of course continuing slavery was a huge part of it . But absolutely no way is Secession in itself treason and it’s not address within the US Constitution unfortunately . However our Founders were wize enough to know they couldn’t enumerate every inalienable right given to us by our Creator as mentioned in the DOI. However the 10th Amendment States, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” .
@denniscardinal1227
Жыл бұрын
It should be required reading for students of history in America, to read his three volumes about the causes and events of the American civil war. He was compelling and honest to both sides in his greatest work.
@keogh65
4 жыл бұрын
Shelby Foote...a true myth! All my appreciation and respect! Great man! From an Italian admirer and supporter of you! THANK YOU for everything you have left to us with your Great and Truly Southern culture! Very much obliged!
@lorenheard2561
4 жыл бұрын
Now he didn't just pull that out of his proverbial hat.He understood what he was talking about,and spent so much time listening to people and doing serious research and was a honest gentleman.
@jacobjones5269
4 жыл бұрын
Lol, but he’s wrong.. 20 years before the civil war, in 1841, cotton was 59% of all exported goods.. The South knew then they would eventually go to war.. No southern was leaving the union over any issue other than slavery.. Mr Foote knew that, he is lying for some reason?..
@lorenheard2561
4 жыл бұрын
@@jacobjones5269 So all the ordinary folks wanted slavery? Poor white people went to war.Slavery did not serve most people,it was inefficient and we can all go back in time and blame the guy who invented the cotton gin that made cotton even more in demand because it could help process it more in the 19th century.More demand,more insane reason to not let go of the tigers' tail(slavery) so it was more than a simple reason to not let go of your slaves if you had them.You ended up continuing it because of many reasons including the law of any slaves born into the Masters' Women slaves were his or hers,and where did you stop.War,yes would come but banks were involved,investors etc.Economics affected everyone.
@jacobjones5269
4 жыл бұрын
Loren Heard Precisely.. The whole southern existence depended upon it, and they knew it.. Heck, they even had strategies designed around cornering the market to enlist foreign help in bankrupting the Union.. 99% of the southern soldiers didn’t own any slaves, but they were most certainly fighting for that very right.. Once again, my home state mentioned Indian raids from Mexico as a grievance for secession.. Do you really believe Texas was gonna leave the Union for any other reseal besides slavery?.. Not happening..
@carlosbardales4179
3 жыл бұрын
I will agree and not with him. I believe most of the soldiers probably were not fighting due to slavery...but the politicians, oligarchy and business interests in the south sure were.
@FrankUnknown
4 ай бұрын
They made it clear enough in their declarations of secession. Modern historians equivocate and say "well, the causes were very complex, slavery was only a small part of it," and then you read the various secession declarations and they're all just shouting "we have to protect the institution of slavery at all costs!"
@daddo2413
4 жыл бұрын
At one point in Ken Burns's Civil War, Shelby Foote described a Confederate General as having a "manservant". A slave is not a manservant. A slave is a slave.
@rebel55th
4 жыл бұрын
General Robert E. Lee had a body servant and cook called William Mack Lee who was with him throughout the war. He cooked for all the main Generals in the Confederate Army and enjoyed it (according to his memoirs). HE was not a slave. He was later ordained in Washington, D.C., July 12, 1881, as a Missionary Baptist preacher. He never had anything but praise for his former boss. Facts not feelings
@paulshriver2404
2 жыл бұрын
Individual soldiers may not have been fighting to preserve/eliminate chattel slavery. But as we well know, wars are fought by poor boys for the benefit of powerful men. And to the powerful men directing the war, it was very much about slavery.
@agf1219
4 жыл бұрын
I have a great deal of respect for Shelby Foote. I understand completely what he is saying about his feelings about the flag, as the southerner he was. I will point out, that people of the north have no flag except for the flag of the United States. Pride in a battle flag equal to or above that of one's own country is concerning enough. That this flag would be adopted as the symbol of racism, by racists both north and south, diminishes any good a person should feel about its cloth and color. Many cultures over the centuries have used the swastika in their art and symbology. It took the death of millions by those that swore an oath to the swastika to render it offensive to the masses. I believe the Confederate battle flag is at those crossroads now. Those that feel pride in it need to change it so that doesn't occur. Maybe add the words 'Black Lives Matter' to it. That should do it.
@56squadron
2 жыл бұрын
My God, are you brainwashed. BLM has NOTHING to do with black lives, and the confederate flag has nothing to do with slavery. Just because morons like you think it does, doesn't make it so. Maybe finally EDUCATING people like you will "do it". Until then do the world a favor and shut up. You don't have an opinion, you are regurgitating slop you've been fed.
@WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1
7 жыл бұрын
Shelby Foote died in 2005 so I wonder how he would feel about the current controversy.
@76JStucki
4 жыл бұрын
Hmmm... with respect to Mr. Shelby Foote, I wish I could have had an actual dialogue with him on this topic, because I don’t believe this makes his case very well. I recognize that slavery and white supremacy were not the sole factors in secession or in the war itself. That I accept. What I cannot quite grasp is how this gentleman, and others, have created a separation in their minds between the Confederate cause and white supremacy. Anyone familiar with the era would have to acknowledge that white supremacy was stated as a foundational element of the CSA. So while it isn’t the only thing, it is definitely a significant thing. The motivation of each individual soldier is irrelevant; an army fights for the cause of the government it represents, regardless of the sentiments of its individual soldiers. The Confederate cause was one which rested on white supremacy, ergo a Confederate symbol is intrinsically a symbol of white supremacy without regard for the personal feelings of anyone on the topic. I really don’t know how else to see it.
@vancemack9019
4 жыл бұрын
The difference in your conversation would be that Mr Foote is a historian and your positions are presented in a manner which defines society and culture of 160+ years ago with the definitions of white supremacy today. Its true that people then saw slaves as only barely removed from the wilds of Africa. As such, the slave was seen in every way as inferior to a more cultured people. You shouldnt be shocked by that hierarchy (or what you would call supremacy). It existed in the African tribes which saw other tribes as less than and thus subject to subjugation, just as it exists in Africa today. And dont forget, prior to the southern slaveholder of the 1800's, the more culturally refined Europeans felt the exact same way about white indentured servants.
@76JStucki
4 жыл бұрын
Vance Mack I totally understand that. And I recognize that white supremacy existed on both sides of the conflict. The difference is that the Union contained white supremacy as a matter of the culture of the time (and could therefore change with the culture) while the Confederacy had it written into their founding documents and was therefore white supremacist by definition and could never be otherwise.
@76JStucki
4 жыл бұрын
Orn Gorn how the hell do you know what I am capable of understanding? You could give it a shot, instead of insulting me. That’s just completely unhelpful. Shelby Foote was a teacher and at least would have had the decency, patience, and manners to try to answer an honest question. I mean it’s safe to say I need to see a convincing argument, otherwise I would have changed my mind by now. But that’s no reason to dismiss me just because I have an opinion.
@vancemack9019
4 жыл бұрын
@@76JStucki You say I am disrespectful by insinuation, then set out to prove my point.
@gaian2000
4 жыл бұрын
Private property? Good grief. I was raised in Tennessee and that flag has no good connotations in my mind. The confederate battle flag and the Nazi flag are forever linked now. Their ideologies were defeated in 1865 and 1945. Let it go.
@rickyj5547
2 жыл бұрын
No gas ovens or death camp's or death showers in 1860s give us a rest
@stefanburns3797
3 жыл бұрын
If you take it back to it’s original meaning it was to protect the lawful right to own human beings
@miklmiklmtrcycl6009
3 жыл бұрын
Evidently I’m the only one who choked on his beer when Shelby said the emancipation amendment was the first to deal with personal property rights. That just isn’t right folks. Shelby is a complex man but if you read each states declaration of secession you’ll see slavery front and centre. Go look. They’re available online.
@kathleena4038
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, you are correct
@tinaanderson5540
7 жыл бұрын
Shelby Foote RIP When i want to know in depth correct explanation of that terrible War i head straight for this mans writings and videos.
@OGRamrod
Жыл бұрын
Soldiers most definitely did consider the slavery question in their minds. We have first hand letters from thousands of them who say so. Anyone who thinks people couldn't be convinced in 1861 to start killing each other over the right to own black people as property needs to go learn what Bleeding Kansas was. Secondly, I do think Foote here does bring up a good point: I think it is true that many Southerners were (shocking to our modern minds) completely divorced from the morality of the slavery question and it really was just a matter of, "The government exists to protect my property rights, not tell me what to do with my property," which was a common idea about the function of government in Early American politics. It really was for a good chunk of them probably a question of property rights and had nothing to do with the moral ramifications.
@jonnie106
Жыл бұрын
Don't miss the Alexander Stephens Cornerstone speech which when transcribed, spells out the idea and thought process behind the standing up of that new nation they gambled on. White supremacy...specifically over the African was its foundation. Whatever the dirt-poor, could-never afford-a-slave southerner thought morally of the practice, was surely trumped by a need to see it contained and controlled. Slave revolt was probably at the pinnacle of social fear. If marching to war ensured that the south's grip on the ears of slavery was iron-clad, preventing any notion of revolt, rebellion or freedom; pastors found it easy to rally men to the ranks by asking them to envision their white wives and daughters being accosted by brutish, sub-humans made free by the Republican party. From here, you get the most accurate example of 'defending their homes and families'. No need to say what the threat is, just defending homes and families is enough to be honored for
@geraldmiller
7 жыл бұрын
Read his book on the Gettysburg Campaign.
@Tymelessflyte
7 жыл бұрын
Damn. I am so sick of this Civil War arguing like 175 years or so after the damned thing ended. Haven't we got bigger problems to deal with?
@dr.penguins9953
6 жыл бұрын
well as result of digging up the grave its here kind of with racsim
@iracohen3864
4 жыл бұрын
The truth is the Civil War NEVER ENDED it just morphed into what we have today, So many issues stemming from it,
@troubledsole9104
4 жыл бұрын
Unfinished business for the blacks. They should have been like any other ethnic group like the Irish and progressed over the decades. It is shameful that they were kept down. This also applies to other oppressed groups like the NAs.
@rickyj5547
2 жыл бұрын
Can't wait for the new cvil war to start
@pfromturri194
4 жыл бұрын
We were taught in history class in the 1950s the complexities of the civil war. Our judgements of history must be placed in the context of those times, not in today’s context. Of course American history is practically not taught in our public schools any more. Thank you Shelby for your commentary.
@henrybierman8431
Жыл бұрын
We get taught some names some dates and oh yeah everyone prior to the civil rights act of 1964 was racist and wanted segregation and slavery
@donaldthomas9389
3 жыл бұрын
Tell me, without using the word, "complicated" if it wasn't about slavery why didn't the South simply free the slaves? Wouldn't that prove how little value slavery had to the Southern "way of life?" Then they could go on and fight only for their "honor."
@danweyant4909
4 ай бұрын
He almost says it when he speaks about the 13th Amendment being the first one about PROPERTY. Which begs, ownership of WHAT?
@rooseveltbarfield3167
3 ай бұрын
That's a bs answer foote. The secession documents of each confederate state specifically stated slavery as the main reason for secession
@JacksonHoulihan
2 жыл бұрын
It doesn’t matter if they came in and took away your “property” as you say, because they were human beings and you only had your self entitled right and not any real and genuine right to own them.
@patrickdavies5185
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you for speaking for us. There’s too much hate directed against the confederacy and our ancestors.
@tedosmond413
3 жыл бұрын
Hate directed at the other side too.
@zekehatcher2196
2 жыл бұрын
Both sides indeed have hate for eachother. However, it is true the Confederate Flag, and the Confederate States of America Flag, are hated on very much, for reasons that aren't justified. As someone who won't ignore the history of the flag, I understand why many hate it, but I know the reasons why aren't good reasons. The Confederate Flag represents the South. So whatever the South is, is what the flag represents. Last time I checked, the South didn't have slaves, and we aren't racist anymore (besides the *very few* racist whites, blacks, and Hispanics all bickering about eachother), so the flag doesn't represent that anymore.
@ericmcbride7879
7 жыл бұрын
as a black man I'm going to tell you true.... he told it like it was.. ."" those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it"" - Eric McBride
@costasgiotakis3895
5 жыл бұрын
Eric Mcbride BRAVO FROM GREECE.
@loualcaraz6497
4 жыл бұрын
How hard was it to hear when he so matter of factly referred to black slaves as property and chattel? And still he has the balls to say that the confederate flag stood for good things, too?
@curtisslone7243
4 жыл бұрын
I caught that too. He stated that the Emancipation Proclamation was intended to tell people what they could do with their property.
@thomasmichael5940
4 жыл бұрын
The CSA Constitution left no doubt that the South wanted to keep chattel slavery enshrined as what the vice president of the Confederacy called "The Cornerstone" of the very existence of the Confederacy. Shelby Foote should have read the CSA Constitution.
@TheBerylknight
4 жыл бұрын
The southern constitution was written by a bunch of corrupt southern plantation owners. You can't just look at that and then say that's what every southerner was fighting over. That's ridiculous. The average confederate solider probably didn't even know what was in the southern constitution. Not to mention the southern congress was a complete joke. Even Robert E. Lee held it in contempt.
@kiwicory100
Жыл бұрын
Marse Robert also said it was a battle flag and not a national flag, and as such, since the battle had been fought-and lost-the flag was meant to be furled and put away.
@gmccrarygm
4 жыл бұрын
this nation needs this type of knowledge and truth more now than it ever has.
@gilturner7464
4 жыл бұрын
Amen
@m.r.donovan8743
2 жыл бұрын
There are simple minds who accept what they are fed as fact... even if it is untrue. Mr. Foote calmly explains what that flag meant in the first place, and should mean today. It saddens me as well that a few pundits choose to say that is a simply a symbol of racism.
@tedosmond413
2 жыл бұрын
@@m.r.donovan8743 What is really sad is that people chose to make it a symbol of racism to help rally racists and enhance their political power.
@tdirtyatl
11 ай бұрын
Read Alexander Stephens Cornerstone Speech for the truth.
@UnclePlaysBadly
4 ай бұрын
@@tdirtyatlExactly.
@jerrylanglois7892
4 жыл бұрын
Come on shelby, the war was precipitated by the south ( fired the first shots ) to maintain slavery.
@joelkevinjones
4 жыл бұрын
When you’ve read every secession proclamation, as I have, come back and tell me slavery wasn’t uppermost in the minds of the state legislatures of the confederacy.
@charlesmay8251
4 жыл бұрын
Legislators yes but not to the comman man not the elites who wanted to control. I welcome diverse thoughts and differences of opinion. Good for you reading the proclamations and edicts of that time in history! Well done.
@richardharris8399
4 жыл бұрын
The symptom was slavery; the disease was federalism. Where's the line that divides the dominion of the federal government with that of the state governments? We're still having that disagreement even today. Everytime you read the word "slavery" in those proclamations, substitute 'abortion' or 'definition of marriage' and any number of other current topics and you'll find the real problem remains... how far does the power of the federal government reach? Do states have any redress against the federal government if it overreaches it's limits? Why is it illegal for a state that was 'asked' to join a union (as in the case of the original colonies as well as Texas, a former nation in it's own right) to "change it's mind" so to speak? No matter what you think of the issue of slavery, and I would never defend it, I would defend the right of my state to divide itself from a union it considered to be infringing on it's rights. Either way, it's academic at this point and even though I respect my relatives who fought for the South, including one who died in battle, I also respect the ones who fought in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, WWII, Korea and Vietnam.
@andgainingspeed
4 жыл бұрын
@@richardharris8399 - I'm a Libertarian and would like states to be allowed operate their states without the feds dictating every detail and limiting the states ability to find out what works best for them. We need idea diversity as it will drive innovation and states can adopt what works as they compare results. That said, historically "states rights" have been invoked often, not to try new ideas, but to protect the old ones which have ended up on the wrong side of history. As we acknowledge a state's rights we need to be mindful that the feds still have a mandate to protect all individual citizen's rights from infringement by the states. So if a state violates a person 2nd amendment right the feds should step in. And when the state violates the 14th amendment the Feds should step in. But if something falls outside the federal mandate, but the feds want to implement regulations/laws that only serve their political or economic interests, states individually or collectively should resist, in the courts, at the polls and in the streets if necessary.
@richardharris8399
4 жыл бұрын
@@andgainingspeed Understood. Don't misunderstand me, my comment was simply to point out that 'slavery' was simply the hot topic of the day, but the real fight was over a division of power. It remains today and is somewhat clarified by something I heard many years ago... the definition of "civil war" might be described as a war between 2 or more factions for control of a particular entity. What we had in this country was a war between 2 factions for control of separate entities. The only way it could be considered a "civil war" was to refer to who would control the states belonging to the confederacy and possibly border states along with territories. The term "civil war" is often used but almost never refers to the actual reason for it's occurence other than in naming the entity involved. Either way, it doesn't change the results or the long term effects.
@kyledonahue9315
4 жыл бұрын
Richard Harris “but the real right was over a division of power” Right... a fight over the federal government’s power to meddle with the south’s slaves. Logical acrobatics or not, slavery is unarguably the central reason for which the Confederacy fought the war. To say otherwise is contrary to everything the Confederates themselves ever said.
@sdingeswho
Жыл бұрын
The Southern Cross flag never stood for slavery - it’s a battle ensign. Foote is very much correct in stating that its use by racist hate-groups is a misappropriation. If I really wanted to make a racist statement, I’d fly the Stars & Bars, the actual national flag of the CSA. It would be a great in-joke, too, because aside from Civil War buffs no one seems to recognize the actual Confederate flag for what it is. You could fly one on any Main Street today and 99 % of people viewing it would not realize what it really is.
@jimmiller3009
4 жыл бұрын
Wish I could’ve met him. Sleep well good man.
@goodgracious6364
4 жыл бұрын
Many symbols have been tainted over the years to represent meanings far different than the original. For example: the rainbow, the swastika, the star, the fish, the third eye. Likewise, symbols only represent their relevance as they are personally interpreted in the here and now.
@cisium1184
4 жыл бұрын
Which is why such symbols inevitably decline, are inevitably resurrected, then decline again, then are resurrected again. The "here and now" lasts a millisecond before being replaced by a new and ever-so-slightly different "here and now." Across these heres and nows, the conflict over what symbols mean is a pure power struggle, and power struggles swing back and forth pendulum-like, while the competitors fortunes rise and fall as if riding a sine wave. Once you're on top, there's nowhere to go but down; once you hit bottom you have nowhere to go but up.
@canteluna
4 жыл бұрын
You are begging the question. There is no inherent meaning in symbols. Symbols are at the whim of human beings who define them which makes them necessarily temporal. Who cares about the original use of the swastika? This is an academic concern for historians. What should matter to us is not the TAINTING of symbols but the violation of human rights. What you call the "tainting of symbols" is actually the appropriation of them precisely because they have some cultural significance. Once tainted or appropriated how many of them are rescued and returned to their original meaning? There may be some but off hand I can't think of any. Because once tainted - perverted - it is difficult to rehabilitate them. Who now would fly a swastika flag claiming that the flag has no affiliation with naziism? (BTW, the rainbow, the star, the fish, third eye NEVER belonged to anyone, these are universal symbols - i.e. in public domain - that anyone can use. Right now - because of a white supremacist, illiberal, undemocratic madman in the white house, he and his followers have turned the mask (worn for practical non political reasons by most) into a symbol of what HE stands for - defiance of the deep state fantasy - all the while using the power of his office to MASK REALITY. I mention this because I think there still exists in the south (but not exclusively there) the same defiant attitude that existed in the confederacy that was as off base then as it is now.
@canteluna
2 жыл бұрын
@@wilburshuman I don't agree that we have no say - unless you mean at the individual level, then of course not and we shouldn't. Politics is a team sport, to have influence - to lobby - you must belong to an organization with political interest. The extremely unfortunate election of Trump shows that winning candidates can truly be a result of popular desire - at least by a majority of the voters. Of course what did Trump do for those who elected him? And whom did he really represent and benefit? He benefited himself and the rich but his supporters believe he represented them because he was their anti-woke warrior and that's pretty much all the base cared/cares about. However, look at the legislation passed by the Dems in the house since 2018. Who benefits from this legislation? I'm not naive, I know how powerful corporate lobbies are in DC and in state governments. That said, as long as half the population only cares about owning the libs and not in accountable government, politicians and their bankrollers are going to exploit that vacuum.
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