At the beginning of the Civil War, Ulysses Grant and Robert E. Lee could not have been more different; one was an aristocrat and the nation's top soldier, one was a middling tanner working for his father. But when they met on the battlefield in 1864, they had developed similar strengths--strengths that matched the brutality of modern war.

As part of our continuing review of Ken Burns' Civil War documentary series, we decided to analyze his dissection of Generals Grant and Lee, the sixth episode in the series, which also covers the battles of the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and Chattanooga.

We are fans of history! Over our six years of teaching classes, putting on plays, and creating our own documentaries, we have come to appreciate history for all of the fascinating debates and digressions it inspires. On this podcast, we discuss the sixth episode of The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns.

Watch along with us as we go through the series. All episodes are available for free here: www.archive.org/details/ken.-burns.-the.-civil.-war.

Subscribe for more on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/the1855historyteam

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Think back: what buildings have you seen designed by Olof Hanson? Would you know? And would you know the story of the man behind the sketch?

Olof Hanson was an icon in the history of deaf America. He is believed to be the first deaf architect in the United States, with prestigious buildings of his still celebrated today. Throughout his life, he taught, worked as an advocate and a priest, and served as President of the National Association of the Deaf. His story is an inspiration to the deaf community, and one that highlights the history of deaf education in America. 

In 2017, we released a documentary telling the story of Olof Hanson's life. For that documentary, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jody Olson, who at that time worked as Educational Coordinator for the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. She informed us of the fascinating history behind deaf education, deaf activism, and the legacy of Olof Hanson. Today, we share a few snippets from that interview. 

To watch the full documentary featuring Jody Olson (captions available for our deaf and hard of hearing audience) go here: https://youtu.be/VFCKWr73ouE 

Like you, we are fans of history; we are Logan Ledman and Sam Temple. Over our six years of teaching classes, putting on plays, and creating documentaries, we have come to appreciate history for all of its incredible stories. On this podcast, we share our interview with Jody Olson.

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In part 5 of our review of Ken Burns’ Civil War series, the 1855 History Team tries to figure out: does the Battle of Gettysburg deserve all the attention it gets?

This episode of Ken Burns’ The Civil War is one of the most influential works of history still being watched. It’s helped shape our national memory of the largest battle in North American history ever since it was released.

So is Gettysburg truly more important than any other Civil War battle? Could any other lay claim to the title “most important battle of the Civil War?”

We analyze the arguments Ken Burns lays out and whether it’s effective as historical storytelling, as we try to answer those questions and more.

Like you, we are fans of history; we are Logan Ledman and Sam Temple. Over our six years of teaching classes, putting on plays, and creating our own documentaries, we have come to appreciate history for all of the fascinating debates and digressions it inspires. On this podcast, we discuss the fifth episode of The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns.

Watch along with us as we go through the series. All episodes are available for free here: www.archive.org/details/ken.-burns.-the.-civil.-war.

Subscribe for more on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/the1855historyteam

Become a Patron and get exclusive content: www.patreon.com/1855History

Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/1855Faribault/

Many say the Civil War defined American history. That's why it's so widely discussed today.

The era was difficult to survive. Low food supply hurt troops and civilians. Medicine could not address the damage caused by modern military machinery. The lack of understanding around disease caused viruses and bacteria to spread wildly. Both the North and the South were more likely to loose troops to illness than battle. Morale was low. 

1863 saw the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and widespread desertion on both sides. Telling this story is difficult.

The line between narrative storytelling and history is blurred, if not entirely nonexistent. 

At what point does a historian decide to follow the most interesting narrative in order to attract an audience? At what point does a storyteller have to grapple with the social implications of the history they're dramatizing? How does one piece of media balance both of these priorities, while also making an engaging documentary?

When we asked our audience for their opinions on Ken Burns, we had no idea the passionate debate we would ignite. Some called Ken Burns a proponent of the Lost Cause. Others claimed Ken Burns has an agenda akin to the 1619 Project. Clearly, there was a lot of disagreement. The impact of his work was never in dispute, and many listeners were major fans even if they had detractions, but the conversation itself was entirely fascinating. 

We decided to break down the discussion of these passionate history buffs before delving into the second episode of the series, which covers military innovations, the Battle of Shiloh, and the inner politics of the Union.

Like, is he actually?

What use is history?

Governor Alexander Ramsey said, "The Sioux Indians of Minnesota must be exterminated or driven forever beyond the borders of the state."

In this episode: The surrenders at Camp Release, along with the retribution of the government and the settlers. Henry Sibley leads hundreds of sham trials. Abraham Lincoln struggles with the politics of executing fighters. The State of Minnesota puts a bounty of indigenous scalps. Little Crow returns to Minnesota.

The U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 is a murky historical event. The truth that we can verify is deeply troubling. This podcast has discussions of genocide, mass executions, and violence against children. Listener discretion is advised.

Sam Temple and Logan Ledman discuss and explain Chapter Eleven of North Country, by Mary Lethert Wingerd.

Listen to Part One of the U.S.-Dakota War on your podcast app. 

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Truth did not matter to white Minnesotans in 1862. 

The white population was scared, angry, and fed lies by their leaders. They contributed to the brutality of the war and its aftermath. 

Dakota society was fractured, largely by the reservation system and the generations of corruption in U.S. Indian policy. When a small group of young men broke out in violence, it set off a rampage from their likeminded kin. Their disillusionment coupled with their disorganization began the bloodshed. 

Henry Sibley [pictured] warned that an Indian war was inevitable when corrupt treaties were made. That didn't stop him from making them himself. It also didn't stop him from leading the U.S. defense against the warring Dakota faction. He was both the leader spreading lies, in addition to being warped by the lies himself. He saw true horror in 1862. He inflicted horror himself. Truth mattered less to Sibley than vengeance. 

The U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 is a murky historical event. The truth that we can verify is deeply troubling. This podcast has discussions of genocide, rape, and warfare. Listener discretion is advised. 

Sam Temple and Logan Ledman discuss and explain Chapter Eleven of North Country, by Mary Lethert Wingerd.

Subscribe for more on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/the1855historyteam

Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/1855Faribault/