Pickett's Charge in History and Memory

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877), Military
Cover of the book Pickett's Charge in History and Memory by Carol Reardon, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Carol Reardon ISBN: 9780807873540
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: January 1, 2012
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Carol Reardon
ISBN: 9780807873540
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: January 1, 2012
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

If, as many have argued, the Civil War is the most crucial moment in our national life and Gettysburg its turning point, then the climax of the climax, the central moment of our history, must be Pickett's Charge. But as Carol Reardon notes, the Civil War saw many other daring assaults and stout defenses. Why, then, is it Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg--and not, for example, Richardson's Charge at Antietam or Humphreys's Assault at Fredericksburg--that looms so large in the popular imagination?

As this innovative study reveals, by examining the events of 3 July 1863 through the selective and evocative lens of 'memory' we can learn much about why Pickett's Charge endures so strongly in the American imagination. Over the years, soldiers, journalists, veterans, politicians, orators, artists, poets, and educators, Northerners and Southerners alike, shaped, revised, and even sacrificed the 'history' of the charge to create 'memories' that met ever-shifting needs and deeply felt values. Reardon shows that the story told today of Pickett's Charge is really an amalgam of history and memory. The evolution of that mix, she concludes, tells us much about how we come to understand our nation's past.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

If, as many have argued, the Civil War is the most crucial moment in our national life and Gettysburg its turning point, then the climax of the climax, the central moment of our history, must be Pickett's Charge. But as Carol Reardon notes, the Civil War saw many other daring assaults and stout defenses. Why, then, is it Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg--and not, for example, Richardson's Charge at Antietam or Humphreys's Assault at Fredericksburg--that looms so large in the popular imagination?

As this innovative study reveals, by examining the events of 3 July 1863 through the selective and evocative lens of 'memory' we can learn much about why Pickett's Charge endures so strongly in the American imagination. Over the years, soldiers, journalists, veterans, politicians, orators, artists, poets, and educators, Northerners and Southerners alike, shaped, revised, and even sacrificed the 'history' of the charge to create 'memories' that met ever-shifting needs and deeply felt values. Reardon shows that the story told today of Pickett's Charge is really an amalgam of history and memory. The evolution of that mix, she concludes, tells us much about how we come to understand our nation's past.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Print News and Raise Hell by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Blue Texas by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Abiding Courage by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Closer to Freedom by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book "Country Music is Wherever the Soul of a Country Music Fan Is": Opryland U.S.A. and the Importance of Home in Country Music by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Cloud by Day by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book The Pearl by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Gettysburg--The First Day by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Reinterpreting the Banana Republic by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Father Luis Olivares, a Biography by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Editor in Politics by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Modern Food, Moral Food by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book To Right These Wrongs by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Transfiguration by Carol Reardon
Cover of the book Black Firefighters and the FDNY by Carol Reardon
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy