Forever Free: An Evening with Prof. James McPherson & Prof. Allen Guelzo - Gettysburg College

Any discussion including Allen Guelzo is always well worth hearing.

I love the way that Professor Allen Guelzo speaks.  He has a fantastic way with words and is able to express his intelligence in an incredibly effective manner.  I have enjoyed this video very much, and would like to thank you for presenting it for the public on youtube. 

Both men brilliant, especially McPherson, who has written most of his work on a 70's IBM Selectric, the old fashioned way, and who keeps reference books stacked floor to ceiling in a nearby closet. He doesn't waste a word, either writing or talking. These scholars are national treasures.

An absolutely fantastic and very moving summary at the end by Prof Guelzo of why the civil war was fought.

Both wonderful, insightful scholars.

Absolutely brilliant. I must admit that being italian I admire the interest of the americans in their history. We don't have anything like this in Italy.

On the question, Would slavery have died out on its own? These two brilliant authors/professors touched on (though didn’t explicate) a key point: the CW was about the EXPANSION of slavery. Allow the secessionist slavers their way and American slavery would have expanded shore to shore and south into an expanded slavaracy

Well done. Liberty and Union. One and inseparable. Now and Forever ! In this execrable polarizing times, it is good to remember that Liberty and Union are values that go together. There simply is no Liberty without UNION. Peace.

the gettysburg address is a masterpiece

the slave story from kentucky was very interesting-Lincoln showed great panache and adroitness in dealing with MacCelland but MacClelland was on sinking sand with his stand on abolition-christian? not in my bible-many southerners had great guilt secretly over slavery. The emancipation proclamation was a politically brave and courageous act that showed true leadership by lincoln -the scenes of lincoln being recognised as their liberator in the streets of richmond at wars end by liberated slaves are so incredibly powerful and proof of his leadership.The fact that so many liberated slaves rallied to the colours of the union army is proof of that!

The guest professors were fantastic but the host was annoying and loved to hear himself speak, forgetting that nobody cares what he thinks! Just ask the questions!!!!

The discussions about slavery were much more interesting than the part about Gettysburg.

There are several battles that took place to change the face of the battle in favor of the Union: Gettysburg, Vicksburg and also when Sherman took Atlanta. The reason for these three major turning points is because when the South lost each of these battles the Union was able to strengthen its constriction on the South and also it caused the war to be a matter of time before the South lost. The Union was superior in manpower and also in industry which also played a role in the Civil War.

Frazier Crane knows History!

One wonders: How, in only about a hundred years, did we as a nation go from slavery and the impossibility of citizenship for blacks (Dred Scott decision, 1857) to totally repudiating racial segregation (Brown v. Board of Education, 1964)? And then electing a black President a mere 44 years later?

Another fine worship service in the Church of Lincoln. I am edified, uplifted and baptized in the glory of Lincoln. Let us pray.

How else did Union troops expect southern civilians to receive them as part an invading army except to support those defending them? They same way that New Englanders received the Red Coats who occupied Boston and closed its port after the Tea Party.

Dr Guelzo is Frasier Crane in real life

nah the south was always going to lose-as shelby foote said -the north fought the war with one hand behind its back-gettysburg AND VICKSBURG broke the back of the resistance -from there it was an attritional grind down. Yes lincoln kept the political balance very well but the soldiers were not questioning the war or unity, they were just demoralised in the east because of bad generalship.Lincoln was a genius who provided direction and leadership-who drove the attack in the valley of the mississippi-dividing the confederacy in two. It was about economics and that economy was driven by slavery.

Lincoln 's. long, wise wait to free slaves until it was politically feasible reminds me of FDR's long, wise wait to enter WWII until it was politically feasible.