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If you could consider doing Oversimplified "The Pig War". I think you would enjoy it. It's one of my favorites from the creator Oversimplified. Really appreciate your consideration. Enjoying all your reactions and looking forward to many more. Blessings to you and your family. ❤ From the Great State of Texas 🇺🇸
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It was interesting to see your reaction to Lincoln's assassination, since we grow up with this information from a very young age. There have been 3 further presidents assassinated as well as attempts on three others. It's a dangerous job, at times.
@PrimusGladius alternatives of the day, or are you comparing Lincoln to Hitler (whom came after and had learned from Lincoln) to make Lincoln look like an almost reasonable authoritarian tyrant? Or past Kings of Europe? We have had lots of better alternatives over the years. Lincoln was probably (openly) the worst in U.S. history. That would also make him objectfully the worst as well. Even if other presidents (like Johnston) had more evil intent, they didn't have the guts to go as far as Lincoln did. If Johston had been brave enough to use the illegal powers that Lincoln did, then he might have been the worst. Lincoln wanted to forcefully remove black people from this continent in his final solution, while Johston wanted to make them into social slaves to feed democrat votes. Using them for power instead of representing them. Pushing them into a brainwashed, willing oppression instead of using outright force. Lincoln used hammers while Johnston used lies and scrap carrots. Still, from a measure of a tyrant, the U.S. has not had anyone openly come close to what Lincoln did. Lincoln truly ruled as a tyrant above the Constitution, denying not just Constitutional rights but what the very basis of the U.S. declares to be inate human rights. Lincoln logically destroyed the U.S. completley as he was able to fully ignore the cornerstone rules that define treason of the government and commit crimes and treason against the people. As such, the U.S. government that was limited by the Constitution died with Lincoln. We still have the document, but it is meaningless if the people do not make all leaders abide by it. Rather, we still allow legal precident that the President may engage in Treason against the people in the pursuit of power as we fail to fully condemn Lincoln for his crimes. Torturing and executing civilians just for where they live to demoralize enemy troops into surrender so you can get your tax money from them is pure evil.
Keep in mind that before the war, all the top officers served together in the U.S. Army. They all knew each other, and some of them were even friends in their personal lives, yet they had to fight each other.
And after General Sherman died, his primary opponent on the Confederate side, General Joseph Johnston attended his funeral in March, 1891. It was pouring rain and cold, but Johnston removed his hat out of respect. Friends told the aging general to keep his hat on but Johnston replied that if it had been his funeral and Sherman had been there...Sherman would have taken off his hat. Ten days after Sherman's funeral, Johnston died of pneumonia. @@stevencass8849
When you talk about how crazy it was that the sergeant would go out and help the wounded opponent, remember that easily could have been the sergeant's brother or cousin. The ugliest thing about civil wars is that it literally pits brother against brother. In one branch of my family we had five brothers where three fought for the Union and two for the Confederacy.
My Great Great Grandfather was a Clergyman, Abolitionist and a Chaplin in the Confederate Army. His brother served in the Union Army as an Officer owned two slaves he left at home to manage his property, freed them with the Emancipation Proclamation and after the war gave them each a section of property, taught them to read and sold their cotton for them (to get them fair price). The kids still play together and the adults are friends and hunt each others land. I think the realities of that war are difficult for us to comprehend today.
That, and you see why we call Non-comissioned officers the backbone of the Army. A well loved NCO says cease fire and moves with a purpose, his men stop shooting. The other guys see it, and if they have a good NCO, he says cease fire too. Brass balls and a soft heart. Only works if both sides have a shred of honor.
I remember back in school learning about this and was like, "how can family be against family like that?" and then during and after the Trump administration, I see how people turn against each other more viciously than they would strangers, it was eye opening. Because people expect family to have the same values of themselves. And when they don't, it's an attack on themselves and the family by family.
@@stevedavis5704 At the Battle of Malvern Hill in 1862, a "Sergeant Driscoll" in the Irish Brigade took aim and shot a Confederate officer that was directing fire towards one of the Union lines. The sergeant didn't realize until he checked the body that he had killed his own son.
As an American, it's just a fact of life to us about Lincoln's assassination, so often it's impact is somewhat lessened. I have to say, though, that it was incredibly moving to see how devistated you were about his death as you found out. It made it hit more for me as well. And yes, Lincoln was one of the best presidents we ever had. If it's not him that's the best, it was Washington.
As a side note, I saw a movie in Elementary school about Dr. Samuel Mudd who attended to John Wilkes Booth broken leg after he shot the president. His grandaughter was at the school as well stating he didn't know who Booth was when he attended to him, but was brought up on conspiracy charges and imprisoned. He was later Pardoned by President Johnson. It was an interesting story, but I don't know how much of it was true or how innocent he was. Wikipedia has a different story. Some consider Mudd an innocent man caught up in unfair circumstances, but his involvement in the assassination remains a point of controversy.
Man the same with me. We are taught so young about the Civil War in a very factual way. Remembering the facts just long enough to past the tests. We learn about our history, but at times it's hard to feel the emotional impact of it. However watching him become upset because he didn't know about his death, affected me as well, and I got emotional too.
Lee and Grant are arguably the two most well-known generals in American history short of Washington himself. Comparable to Eisenhower, Patton, or MacArthur. Fun fact: when the US started to send tanks to the Allies in World War Two, they didn't have the famous M4 ready to produce yet. So they made the M3 based off of rough M4 designs with a lot of compromises so they could just send the Brits SOMETHING, "a bad tank is better than no tank". They came in two variants: The ones with American guns were the M3 Lee The ones with British guns were the M3 Grant The M3 was rushed into service, but was replaced by the M4 as soon as they could. By the famous M4 Sherman, as in General Sherman, Grant's right hand man. And to top it off, there was also the M36, based on the M4 with a different gun, unofficially the M36 Jackson, as in General "Stonewall" Jackson, Lee's right hand man.
@@InugamiTheHound Most of them are named after either generals or important armoured cavalry leaders. The only other Civil War general with an associated armoured vehicle I can think of is Sheridan, who got a light armoured vehicle meant for air deployment later. Other major generals-tanks include the Pershing (American WWI leading general - M4 Sherman's intended replacement) and the Patton (Famous tank-loving WWII general (i.e. Sicily, Battle of the Bulge) who died right after the war - basically the upgraded Pershing). Another example is Bradley. He was under Eisenhower and contemporary to Patton, and he eventually got the famed Bradley armoured fighting vehicle which fought in Iraq and is currently deployed in Ukraine.
Washington and Lincoln were each the right Presidents for their time. Washington could have been named king, but made it clear he did not want that. He then steppeddown as President after 2 terms saying that 8 years was long enough to be in office. He established a precident of the peaceful transfer of power that lasted over 200 years.(Some people say that the Civil War interrupted that run, but Lincoln became President without violence to stop him.) That was tremendously important to the country. Lincoln saw us throughthe darkest time in our history. Ironically, if he had lived, the South probably would have had a better transition after the war.
The peaceful transfer of presidential power was an important and time-honored tradition that went unbroken until a big orange baby squalled and threw a temper tantrum when didn't get his little way.
I don’t want to get political, left or right, but think of it: 200 years of lawful transfers of power (not going to say all of them were ‘peaceful’ in the strictest sense) and then Trump allowed for a violent mob to storm inside the capitol building - disrupting this transfer for the first time ever. It’s historic in all the wrong ways. And I’m afraid that too many are forgetting that this happened, or worse are trying to pretend it didn’t happen or “wasn’t that serious”. This should transcend party and ideal lines, but it has only hardened them…
@@user-mg5mv2tn8qid like to remind you all that the democrats contested the 2000 election against Bush and the 2016 election clinton said Trump cheated with russian collusion. Dont be hypocrites.
Right? Who can say what "might have been." But Booth's hatred for Lincoln assured that we would never know what a Lincoln-lead Reconciliation might have looked like. Knowing his intelligence as well as compassion, it's a fair bet that he would have done his best to make the post-war reconciliation period as painless as possible. Still would have been painful, of course. Under Grant's leadership, it was what we know it was. Booth very likely made things worse for his beloved South than it otherwise might have been.
"Civil war" actually refers to a war between parties that are attempting to control the same government apparatus and same land area. That was not happening in Lincoln's war. The South was simply leaving, as New England states had spoken of doing years earlier. The South had no interest ij ruling the North, just as Ukraine has no interest in ruling Russia.
A few months prior to the assassination of President Lincoln his son Robert slipped off a train platform and down in front of an oncoming train. A man reached down and pulled him to safety just in the nick of time. That man was one of the most famous actor's of that era, Edwin Booth. Edwin Booth was John Wilkes Booth's older brother. True story.
hearing your reaction to Lincoln's assassination is so shattering, to me the story is sad but inevitable, every American already knows, but to get that from a fresh perspective really strikes at just how much we lost.
One day when our son was in early elementary school (1st grade? 2nd grade?), he came home from school crying. When we got him calmed down, we were able to ask him what the problem was. With the same level of disgust and anger and sadness as this gentleman, our son cried out: “They shot President Lincoln!” Having lived with this information for so many years as adult Americans, we forget what a horrific incident this was. Good to be reminded from time to time.
General Lee didn’t just come out of nowhere. He was the best student at West Point (the US Army’s military academy). Lee served with the US army during the Mexican-American war. The North desperately tried to get General Lee to lead the Union army at the start of the war. General Lee declared at the start of the war he thought the South was wrong and weren’t likely to win but Virginia was his home and he was genuinely scared for what was about to happen to Virginia …so he joined the South. 😢 The North knew that was going to be a big, big problem right from the start. It’s actually pretty sad that his legacy is tarnished for a war that he was on record, from the beginning, stating he didn’t even want to fight or agree with. General Lee would return to Virginia where he became a President of a small college and lived out the rest of his life, quietly, there. A fun fact about General Lee was his wife was the Great Granddaughter of George Washington’s wife - Martha Washington - from her first marriage. So General Lee and George Washington were ironically in-laws to each other. General Grant would go on to become President himself. Lincoln is known as “The Last Casualty of the Civil War” 😢
Lee was actually the SECOND Best student in his class at West Point! The first earned a perfect score on their final examinations, while I believe Lee only got one or two points off. The man who graduated first ended up leaving the military very early on in his career
It's disturbing to me how fashionable it's become to villainize the man. He was a patriot in the time when many considered their homes to be not states that were a part of the larger country, but unique and individual countries that were part of a larger Union. He fought for the wrong side, but only because he felt it was his duty rather than any love for the cause. Perhaps the most bitter irony is that had he fought on the side of the union, he may have been able to lessen the damage and lives lost on both sides by helping to end the war sooner, but of course he couldn't know that.
A person who feels passionately duty bound to fight for the wrong side is still a villain. Motivations are important to consider for context, but the man led an army fighting to perpetuate slavery in a war that ended up killing over 600,000 soldiers. Robert E. Lee should should be villainized. When the war began, Lee's beloved home at Arlington was seized by the US Government due to its proximity to and overlooking of Washington DC- Confederate troops there would have been Bad News. After the Battle of The Wilderness in 1864 the Union Army decided it was a suitable location to bury their dead. It was declared a National Cemetery, and was think the most appropriate middle finger to that man that I can imagine, burying the dead of that war right on his front lawn. The American Civil war had historical weight pushing on it as an inevitability, but getting down to the individual level he is easily on the list of people who made it as bad as it was.
Abraham Lincoln RIP. Hopefully it's not too soon to say I'm glad Lincoln's assassination was not "spoiled" for you. Because your reaction to finding out his sad ending was refreshing to see. Life is indeed unfair. I think Lincoln's, John F Kennedy's and Martin Luther King Jr's assassinations are the famous ones in US History.
Among those also up there in the U.S. is the assassinations of RFK (JFK's brother), Malcolm X, Pres. Garfield, Pres. McKinley, etc. (There had been four U.S. Presidents total killed in office.)
American here: before the civil war was covered in my classes as a kid, my mom was talking to me about it. I had a weird notion the war was between the continents of North America and South America (I just had heard it was North v South). Then my mom said “we burnt Georgia to the ground.” You could not have rocked my world more than that. (My family is from AZ, I’m not in CA and we’ve never been southern fyi). I looked at her and asked why we would attack ourselves when at war with “the south”. 😂 She figured out my mistake and set me straight. But for some weird reason that moment sticks out in my mind as a core childhood memory lol
Sad that a racist authroitarian that abused and killed innocent people to extort others was killed after egregious violations of the Constitution and denying the basic human rights that granted the legitimacy of the U.S. to begin with?
If you are honestly interested in the American Civil War, Ken Burn’s PBS Documentary The Civil War can’t be beat. There is an English TH-camr who is documenting his dream to move to the US and he says he first became interested with America after he watched Burns’ documentary from London. It’s as fine a piece of film making as Ive seen fiction or nonfiction. The story of the war is amazing, the cast of characters, the strategy, the betrayal, the pain and human suffering from slavery to the battlefields. It’s an Epic tale told by a GENIUS filmmaker.
I just have to add to this comment. The first time I watch Ken Burns The Civil War, I was amazed. It often seemed like I was watching video of the Civil War, but if course there is none! Ken Burns did such a fantastic job with all of his stills, and sounds that i became immersed into the narrative, as if I was actually there!
"It seems quite devastating for the country at the time." We still haven't healed. The World Wars and Cold War were fought by a country still hurting from this one.
"Civil war" actually refers to a war between parties that are attempting to control the same government apparatus and same land area. That was not happening in Lincoln's war. The South was simply leaving, as New England states had spoken of doing years earlier. The South had no interest ij ruling the North, just as Ukraine has no interest in ruling Russia.
@@johnl5316 So the Union had no interest in controlling the land and governments of the Confederacy? It's one thing to have a different opinion about the ACW. It's another thing entirely to have no opinion of your own while mindlessly reciting the mealy-mouthed stupidity others have told you to think.
People are still finding Burt’s from the war in their backyards. I know so many people who have family, friends, or they themselves have found something at least related to the war. It’s really crazy to think about.
To add my perspective: I was litteraly told by a teacher that Europe saw the destruction between the north and south, and said hell no we aren't gonna interfere. I was also taught the world changed how they refer to the United States after the Civil War. Outside nations started to say "the United States is" as opposed to "the United States are."
In all fairness, that idea of "is" vs "are" terminology was also true within the United States post-war. While I'm not American (life-long Canadian, eh), from what I know of the US, there is still a lot of pride from people for their state, but also much more federal cohesiveness than there was 160+ years ago in antebellum America. It's also kind of true here in Canada as well - we do take pride in our provinces and regions, but we do also carry a national identity much as our neighbors to the south do so now.
One of the problems for the US Civil War was that all of those military leaders were trained by the same school..West Point. They understood each others strategies.
Lee is very famous and he comes from a family that was very prominent in Virginia all the way back to the founding of the colony and independence. All these generals knew each other, had trained together, which is partly why some of them seemed to be able to read the minds of the opposing side. After losing the war, Lee specifically asked people not to cling to the confederacy or create memorials and whatnot, he wanted to move on. He had respect for everyone and reconciliation was very important to him. It's wild to see someone not aware of Lincoln's assassination. Choosing between Washington and Lincoln is like choosing whether or not you like your heart or your lungs.
It shouldn't be surprising for someone not American to not know of Lincoln's assassination. How many foreign leaders that were murdered do you know of?
Booth came from a family of actors and was incredibly famous for the time. To put it in a modern perspective, it’s like if Zac Efron shot the Secretary of State. Also, John’s older brother Edwin had a famous run-in with Lincoln’s eldest son, Robert. When they boy accidentally fell onto a train platform, Edwin pulled him up, saving his life. Edwin was also reportedly shocked and horrified at his brother’s actions and personally sent a letter of apology to the Lincoln family on his family’s behalf.
Booth's brother Edwin was the most famous actor in America, and one of the greatest actors of the century. Don't quite see how Zac Efron fits in with that.
@@drs-xj3pbwith celebrity culture nowadays, there are many known and recognizable people. They just said Zac Efron as an example of a famous, recognizable person.
26:46 As an American, I hope I can feel confident in assuring you that everyone in (at least the Northern parts of) America will always know the name John Wilkes Booth (and some can spell it correctly), because of his detestable actions on that day. Some of us even know what play Abe (and his wife) were watching when John pulled that trigger. It was a sad day that a nation still mourns. RIP the GOAT, Honest Abe.
As someone from Texas, a state that fought for the confederacy, let me say that John Wilkes Booth is a name that is very much hated down here as well, his words of "sic semper tyranus" apply much more to himself than to the man he directed them at. Truly a deplorable man, who went into history for the wrong reasons.
@@coolmanplayz438 Sic Semper Tyrannis perfectly encapsulate how the southern states felt about the entire conflict back then, it is still called the war of northern aggression in much of the south
@DSVlad Yes, I'm aware of that. I'm talking about how he's seen in a modern context and pointing out some of the irony of his words after committing the worst crime he would ever commit. Thank you for missing the point entirely.
@@coolmanplayz438 I think you're the one who missed my point. Booth was a murderer, not a tyrant. Did you forget you said those words applied to him more than his victim?
@@DSVlad I definitely did not. For me, a tyrant is a synonym for anybody who commits detestable actions. My saying his words apply more to him than his victim is meant to not only be a different way of saying "he got entirely what he deserved," but also as a statement of disgust and abhorrence for somebody who would murder a president of a nation for trying to live up to a statement made by the founding fathers being "ALL men are created equal." It is not lost on me that Lincoln absolutely operated outside of the constitution during the war, but in a time where half of your own country is actively fighting you for a horrible reason, I can understand a bending of the rules if it ultimately helps the greater good. I have no interest in sympathy for the south at that time. While individuals may have only fought for their state, the south as a whole was fighting for an absolutely detestable and horrendous cause. That being the preservation of slavery and racism in an open and blatant form. Sure "tyrant" may not be defined in the dictionary as simply a detestable person, but it, along with other words that are hardly professional or polite, are words I would use to describe a man that would murder another for such a horrendous reason.
I think there’s an argument to be made that America’s current division and polarization owes a lot to Lincoln’s assassination and the way the following administration dropped the ball on Reconstruction and reconciliation. And that the allowing of former Confederate leaders to return to normal life after they raised an army against the Union, and then allowing their children to build monuments to both those leaders and the Confederacy itself was extraordinary and also contributed to the current polarization. But I also know from living in Georgia for my entire life that Sherman’s “total war” tactics on the March to the Sea from Atlanta are still deeply, deeply felt and remembered and resented, even 150 years later.
I have a nephew on my wife's side that lives near the Georgia, Alabama, Florida border. He's still in middle school, but he knows me as someone who grew up on the west coast, so he's tried several times to draw me into some kind of argument about General Sherman. He's a kid, so it's easy to not get too riled about it, but I have to admit I was utterly confused the first time he brought it up. I remember that I basically told him, "I'm not even going to pay attention to your anger about Sherman unless I see you show twice as much anger about Hiroshima and Nagasaki first."
It also didnt help that most historians back then were from the South who essentially rewrote history in as favorable ways as possible to especially praise Lee and trash Grant. Its only in the last 40 years or so that the real examination has taken place.
You'll still find white folks in Georgia and South Carolina today who deeply resent Sherman because of what he did on his march to the sea from Atlanta. The scars may not be as visible on the land anymore but the people left them in the minds of their descendants and they carry that hatred to this day. The area where I grew up was missed by Sherman's March and we have much better race relations than the surrounding areas that Sherman hit. It's as if a festering rot of hatred was left to grow in those areas and is still being harvested and consumed by people today.
@@lilb5262 I’ve been told that until the last 20 years or so, if your name was Sherman you couldn’t get a hotel room or restaurant reservation in Atlanta, and that’s probably an exaggeration, but it’s a telling one. People’s great grandparents survived being shelled for more than 30 days at the end of a war that had already taken any food or livestock they had, and then when the siege ended and the federal troops entered the city, they took what was left. And then when they left the city and started “living off the land” (as described in the video) on their way to Savannah, it was a mostly decentralized March with soldiers essentially scattering throughout the countryside and taking anything they could find. If there was food or livestock, they took it or killed it so people couldn’t have it. They raped people, dug up fields and yards looking for valuables, shot your dog and threw it down the well to spoil the water, burned the house on their way out of town. All the houses, entire towns. Those things are only just outside of living memory now but the stories are still freshly told.
The Vicksburg campaign was the most brilliant military feat made during the american civil war. Grant was a brilliant strategist. He wrote in his biography that he considered Joseph Johnston the best general the confederacy had. Also, Lincoln is second behind Washington to me, only because Washington set the standards for what the future presidents should all be.
Yes, both Washington and Lincoln have their good points, and their bad points, and both accomplished great things. To me though, Washington gets the win because he's a man who could have been granted the powers of a king for life, and instead choose to serve the people as a leader then voluntarily give up power. Not many people would have that strength of character.
@@SunwardRanger83 My theory was that he was just tired of dealing with all those outrageous personalities and so when he saw a way out he was like "✌️ PEACE'
I've personally visited Chicamauga. It's a historical site here. You can actually feel the weight of the people who died there. I'm not a big believer in the supernatural, but there is a noticeable feeling of extreme sadness and death when one walks the battlefields. It's not like anything I've ever felt. Even my small daughter at the time (she was 3) said, "something bad happened here, didn't it?" 😢
I live in Southern Maryland, not far from the Dr.'s house who helped "patch up" John Wilkes Booth after he shot Lincoln. The civil war sometimes feels like ancient history but seeing landmarks like that on your daily commute are sharp reminders of how very real and relatively recent this all was.
I lived in Baltimore for about 7 years, and yeah, that's 100% accurate. The whole of the Mid-Atlantic and New England has tons of very important history baked right into the soil.
@@tricitymorte1 I have always found it fascinating that a remnant of the President Street station still exists in Baltimore. This was the station where Union troops disembarked to march through downtown Baltimore, where they were attacked by a Southern-sympathizing mob. It was one of the first incidents of bloodshed just as the war began in 1861.
@@johnalden5821 yes! It was so interesting to be able to see the place and have those events pointed out - the direction they went, where the attack came from. Meanwhile, a modern city rose up around it, and I think most of the people in Baltimore don't even know so much about the history they're surrounded by.
Fun fact, the March to the Sea by Sherman actually caused many southerners to starve. He effectively hit them in their food supply. Brutal in effect, but the civil war was a very brutal war indeed
This is what i like about these videos is that, i know all this history but watching someone learning about our history for the first time (while knowing the outcome myself) is like watching a movie you have seen with someone who hasnt.
As an American, often the assassination of Lincoln is just something we know inherently. Usually we don’t get upset about it- it’s just history now. But it was very touching to see someone not from the USA feel sympathy for someone like him after everything he did for this country. It was truly devastating.
Lee was one of the greatest generals in military history. He also only fought for the south because he was from virginia and wasnt fighting against his family
Part of the reason the American story is so crazy is because the founding fathers figured out how to avoid tyrannical rule. Lincoln not only couldn't kill his underperforming general, but had to run against him to retain his job. Most absolute rulers would have disposed of their rivals.
I know that feeling, when you are watching a show, and you become very attached to a character, and they suddenly die. It ruins the rest of the show, and you can't enjoy it as much, if at all. Especially if the character died needlessly.
Our national cemetery (Arlington) overlooks the city of Washington DC. It was built in the "garden" of Robert E Lee's home. The Lees never lived there after that. The home is still standing and the views of the city are magnificent from there..
In many cases families sent one son to the Union army and another to the Confederate army to insure survival after the war. Brothers were fighting against one another. Literally. During cease fires they would meet in the middle to share personal news, etc.
The soldier who jumped the line to help the wounded was named Richard Rowland Kirkland. He has a statue showing what he did. He died a year later at the battle of Chickamauga. He was 21 years old. I emailed you some pictures and information about Abraham Lincoln and labeled it as such in the subject line
A few things about General Lee: he was in the US Army, and Lincoln had offered him command of the Union Army. Lee declined. He wasn’t necessarily in it to defend slavery; he was in it because he was from Virginia and he could not imagine leading an army against Virginians. It wasn’t a moral issue for him, but a matter of honor. In those days, people saw themselves as a citizen of their state first and foremost. Two of my great-great-great grandfathers fought at Gettysburg. One was killed, and one wounded. Both were confederates - a captain and a sergeant. Both under Pickett’s command. Both in the infamous “Pickett’s Charge.” I’m certain I have ancestors on my mother’s side who fought for the Union.
I see them as equally important. Washington was the best choice for starting the country and setting the precedents and foundation of the US, Lincoln was the best choice to see the US through its potential split. Also, your reaction to his assassination, i believe, reflects the reaction of the nation at that time. That shocked, horrified, grief you showed was spot on.
While Lee was a great tactician his biggest advantage at least in the Civil War was he knew almost all of the Union officers from his time at West Point as a both cadet and superintendent, as well as fighting side by side with many of them in the Mexican-American war. So he not only knew the playbook they'd been taught to follow but he also had enough insight into them as people to know how they'd deploy their men, how they'd react in most situations and so he was able to outmaneuver them.
Really enjoyed your reactions. Both presidents are very popular, Washington for his leadership during the Revolutionary war, Lincoln for the Civil war. Both were great men forever in our hearts, we owe them so much. You're doing a fantastic job..
Richard Rowland Kirkland was a southern sergeant and he did move out of the Confederate lines and tend to wounded Union troops. He took all the canteens he could find and for over 4 hours cared for the Union wounded before the Confederate defenses at Marye's Heights, the northern end of the Union attack. Neither the Confederates or the Union troops fired at him and he became known as "The Angel of Marye's Heights." He went on to fight at the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, distinguishing himself for courage. He was promoted to Lieutenant, but was killed at the Battle of Chicamauga in September, 1863.
The greatest tragedy of lincoln's assassination was that when Andrew Johnson took his place and ended Reconstruction took the north out of the south and removed all protections for african americans living there. In the following decades confederate statues would be constructed to remind the blacks of the south who really ran things down there. And because the south was never reconstructed there was always a grudge against the north it never got to heal. Lincoln was a far greater president than george washington. George washington was an inspirational leader of men who put down shays rebellion and set the precident that no president should serve for life.
My 4 x great grandfather was a surgeon in the Civil War. Although enlisted as a Confederate, he treated the wounded from both sides and was given a commendation by the federal government. One of my other great grandfathers lost an arm at Shiloh. I have always wondered if the two met each other or even if the surgeon was the one who amputated the arm of the other.
It usually goes washington, lincoln, fdr as top 3. Perfect leaders for the situation. His assassination means we dont know what a portion of his last term wohld have accomplished, but he is immortalized now.
You would like the movie Glory, about the first African American outfit in the CW. It stars Denzel, Morgan, and Matthew Broderick (who looks like the actual colonel).
Glad that you were able to see this from over simplified. The American Revolution and this series on the civil war are two of their best video series. Personally, I think Washington was a better president, but that is because there would be no American without him. Lincoln is right up there as well though as he sustained us through our most difficult time. If you get a chance listen to some of his speeches, The Gettysburg Address is his most famous. My 8th grade history teacher had us memorize the speech it is that memorable and I believe it is less than 600 words but defined the US in many ways. There are several versions on TH-cam and you might want to react to it. Lee is considered by many to be the greatest American general and he was even related to George Washington. However, Grant became president a few years after the war. Lee's biggest attribute was that he was a risk taker and until Grant, most of the generals he faced were too skittish to win. The 7 days battles, from part one, is where he became famous and built his reputation. Although, of the 7 battles all were considered union, northern victories. McCallen kept retreating because he had split his forces and that led to most of the southern victories. Great review.
While Lee was an excellent General, Grant absolutely outclassed him in the fight around Richmond and Petersburg. He knew that by flanking Lee and forcing him into open conflicts that he could chew away at Lee's army, not only via casualties, but also via desertions, whereas he had numerous replacements ready for any troops he may have lost. In fact, in his memoirs, Grant doesn't rate Lee as the toughest confederate general he faced, he gives that to Joseph Johnston.
The south had many young men who where used to hunting and serving in local militias. The young men from the north were more used to factory jobs and city living, more or less.
Thanks for reacting to this 2 part video! We hope you'll react to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, there are plenty recitals of it on TH-cam. He gave it at the dedication of the military cemetery at Gettysburg a few months after the battle. It's short but powerful. Thanks!
The thing about the imbalance between the Confederate generals and the Union generals is that the South had a long tradition of military service and a large percentage of graduates of the US Military Academy (West Point) were southerners. As a result, a high percentage of the US military officers going back at least to the Mexican War, and therefore the most experienced, were also from the South and chose to defend their states rather than lead the Union forces in the war. Robert E. Lee is a prime example.
Interesting fact - in the photo at 27:04, you can see a young Theodore Roosevelt and his brother Elliot in the second floor window of that building, the window facing the camera.
General Robert E. Lee is a very famous General and Historical figure in U.S. History, Andre!! General Ulysses S. Grant became U.S. President from 1869-1877.
Outstanding video, and your raw emotion when you found out about Lincoln's death was palpable. Even we Americans don't react that way, or at least in my generation, because by the time we were being formally taught about the Civil War, we already knew the ending. But I can only imagine your reaction being repeated over and over again by American's of the time. There's a lot of nuance here that many of my fellow countrymen don't EVER seem to understand, that you seemed to grasp at first glance, the most significant of which was the fact that, at first, ending slavery was the last thing on Lincoln's mind. Sadly, many of us either don't know that at all, or can't (or won't) bring themselves to begin with. It's a great thing, to be sure, but it's... nuanced.
If you ever get a chance to, definitely visit Gettysburg. The town still bears physical scars from the fighting. You can tour the battlefield and see a number of monuments. It's also considered one of the most haunted places in the US, if you're interested in that. I also recommend visiting Antietam battlefield. It's around an hour or so from Gettysburg. It's sobering to stand by the sunken road that came to be called "Bloody Lane" because it literally ran red with blood. There's pictures of the dead that filled the lane. That's another thing, this was the first war to be really photographed in the US. The images knocked off the shine of glory impression that many people had of war, instead showing its brutality. The Civil War is also considered the first "modern" (or proto-modern) war due to its technological advancements. Land mines, hand grenades, submarines, repeating rifles, early machine guns, etc. in addition to the railroads, telegraph, and photography. These combined with older tactics (line up and charge for example) is one reason why it was so bloody.
I took my family to Gettysburg about ten years ago and we took an audio tour. It was a fantastic day, and incredibly moving. I have also visited the battlefields at Antietam, Chickamauga, and Vicksburg, all of which are worth a visit.
I just came across your 2-part video about the Civil War & want to say "Thank You!" Your reactions, questions & conclusions are very refreshing and amazing to watch! We Americans sometimes assume everyone knows our history.... Two of my great-grandmother's brothers were enslaved in the South but escaped and joined the Union Army. Sadly, one was killed in the Battle of Jenkins Ferry in the current state of Arkansas. The other married & lived the rest of his life as a free man in the State of Oklahoma. I am grateful for their service and sacrifice.
@19:28 Keep in mind, that's the electoral college, which means he won at least a bare majority in around 92% of the states (by population, approximately). By popular vote, it was 2.2M vs 1.8M, or around 55% to 45%. Still decisive, but nowhere near 92% to 8%.
@@Revkor The EC determines the victor. If you're looking back and trying to figure out how lopsided the peoples' preference was, EC margins are not a particularly useful metric.
Fyi: Lee isn't the one you want to back, Andre 😊I'm from West Virginia, the state formed by succeeding from Virgina due to the anti-slavery sentiment and advocates in the western part of the state. On June 20,1863, West Virginia became a state. 🎉
"By the way; Is this "Lee General" a famous person in American history?" - understatement of the century! Robert E. Lee is practically considered a deity in the South, with a ton of statues, monuments and schools named after him. He symbolizes the "Lost Cause", a revisionist telling of US History that was until fairly recently commonly taught in schools, especially those in the South. Oddly enough, he was a modest man and never wanted any reverence or statues or anything, but nobody listens to that, especially after you've died. Slavery, State's rights, the secession and the resulting civil war, are all rather nuanced and delicate subjects that are difficult to condense into an "oversimplified" format because there's so much context needed, and viewing the mindset of people in the 1860s through the lens of the 21st century isn't always the easiest. Consider the fact that General Lee was a general in the US Army before he was in the Confederate Army. He fought for the "union" and was a very successful and respected general. But he lived in Virginia, and Virginia decided to secede and joint the Confederacy. He was established in Virginia and his "national" identity was as a Virginian first. Politically, had Virginia decided to stay with the Union and not secede, Lee would have been a general for the Union Army. And some slave states did not secede - Maryland, right across the Potomac River from Virginia, remained a slave state loyal to the Union throughout the war, and the Emancipation Proclamation did nothing to free those held in slavery in that state. I think a big point that a lot of people don't seem to understand is that whether or not you agreed with slavery, or the secession, it wouldn't have ben easy or even desirable to just pick up and move to another state the way it is today. There were no interstates, railroads were limited, and people tended to stay in the same place for their entire life. For example, If you had a small farm or homestead in Georgia or Virginia, and you personally didn't have any slaves, and you were against slavery as an institution, it would have been economically and logistically incredibly difficult to move to Pennsylvania or Illinois, for example. Though we tend to think of Americans today as having an insane level of nationalistic patriotism, that just wasn't the case in 1860, especially in the rural and agrarian South. You'd be loyal to your community, your region, and your State, because that's your home. When the war broke out, the South viewed itself as an independent sovereign state, apart from the Union in the North. They felt they were defending themselves from an invading country to the North, and the battles that took place make that fairly clear. The Confederacy rarely moved into to the North, and they weren't interested in conquering Northern states, whereas the Union was indeed interested in reconquering the South and squashing the rebellion. The South viewed this as a revolution, a 2nd war for Independence, whereas the North viewed this as the South in rebellion. It's important to also note that in legislation and especially in later court decisions, it was established in law that the states that seceded in the South never formally left the Union, they never became a separate sovereign entity. Legally, the civil war finally put a rest to an unanswered political question - Unilateral secession, without the consent of the other states, is considered formally illegal in the US. The Supreme Court of the US, citing the preamble to the constitution (a very rarely utilized portion of the constitution when deciding legality of law or policy), determined that the form of government established prior to the constitution (the Articles of Confederation, where states held more rights and were in partnership with the Federal government, not subservient to it) was replaced "In order to form a more perfect Union", and that a "perfect union", by its definition, must be indissolvable. In other words, once you're in, you're in. You can't just leave because you have a disagreement with the Union. Contrast this to the European Union, where an individual state such as the United Kingdom can unilaterally decide to leave the union, and there's nothing the union can do legally to stop them. EU forces weren't going to launch an invasion of Great Britain in order to compel them to remain in a political Union with the rest of Europe, because legally there was nothing indicating that the UK or any other member state has to remain in the union. Like i said, all very nuanced, and without context, it can seem fairly black and white rather than the shades of grey that it really was.
Yes, and there is light gray and dark gray. I have Confederate soldiers on both sides of my family. Many people did the best they could at the time. Yet, by contextualizing, romanticizing, etc., we've still got a lot of people stuck in not being able to say that slavery was wrong, the war was about slavery, lynching, and the KKK were abominations, plus a lot of Robert E. Lee's honor in fighting for the South is tied to coming from a high-status family and married to an even higher status wife (a Custis, and Martha Washington great-grandaughter). I read all of Lee's Lieutenants before I was 14. I have my grandmother's Daughters of the Confederacy papers. I resented the Northerners who thought they were smarter than me and made fun of my accent when I went off to grad school. Despite all that, we are all better off that the South lost. I prefer my Southern grandfather's "We are all equal under the Cross" and Aunt Eller's (from Oklahoma the musical) ] "I ain't sayin' that I am better than anybody else, but I'll be damned if I ain't just a good." The first is real Christianity (rather than the fake stuff some people practice now, trying to send everyone but themselves to hell), and the second is a much healthier form of being an American. Learn from the past, but don't get stuck in it.
It's been a real treat to see a genuine foreign reaction to one of the most pivotal moments in our history. We often forget that the rest of the world is just as focused on their own history as we are, but few nations can claim the same degree of global influence as America, save for perhaps Great Britain.
From a tactical perspective, the American Civil War is truly fascinating. It's such a unique set of logistics, technology, terrain and economics, that really allowed the tactical acumen of a few generals to sway the fate of millions to an incredible degree. It was a was of personalities. Lee is most famous, because he was frequently outnumbered and outgunned, and forced to rely on his truly uncanny ability to predict an opponents to keep his troops not just alive but victorious. There's a certain appeal to the legend of an underdog who always pulls through in a tight spot. He was a master of that craft, but he only needed to guess wrongly once to send his boys charging headfirst into Merry's guns, and everybody gets one wrong sooner or later.
Lincoln never got to see the fruits of his labor nor enjoy the peace and unity that he strived so hard to work for. But if it's any consolation to his story, it's that his efforts were a success and his legacy is that we have a United States of America today.
Washington fought to produce a liberated country that was a loose confederation of states with a very limited federal government and Lincoln produced the United States of America with a strong central government. Pre-war America was closer to the vision of the founding fathers but the post-war America gave the country a unified direction and the strength of a united front (sort of. We still like to argue every point).
2:47 So the incident did not happen in the midst of battle, it happened overnight during a brief break in the fighting, and basically the union chose not to shoot the guy after they realized he wasn't robbing bodies. He didn't really save anyone, but is remembered for giving water to the dying and tending to them while they passed on.
The battle of Gettysburg is fascinating history. There's a movie titled Gettysburg, based on the book Killer Angels. Amazing book, great movie. The Civil War battlefields are maintained by the National Park Service and always worth a visit. Lee is a very famous figure in American military history. He and Grant were classmates at West Point, and his father Light Horse Harry Lee was a hero of the American Revolution. Arlington National Cemetery sits on Lee's estate.
Grant was about 15 years younger than Lee. They both went to West Point but at different times. They both served in the Mexican-American War. Lee was a major or a colonel and Grant was either a Second or a First Lieutenant. They were of different generations. Grant was the best friend of James Longstreet, Lee's key subordinate after the death of Stonewall Jackson. Grant and Longstreet went to West Point together.
When you paused it to talk up Ol' Honest Abe, I could tell you didn't know he was assassinated yet, so I got really excited for your reaction. I could feel your pain dude! Gave me chills.
A couple months ago I had the chance to visit some of the historic sites in Richmond as well as the battlefield at Petersberg and toured Appomattox Court House where the surrender took place. Our National Park Service has done a great job preserving many of these historic places and are free to visit.
Washington and Lincoln are both regarded as our two greatest Presidents but we should keep in mind that Washington was not President until many years after the Revolutionary War. He was a great general which Lincoln was not. He was a wildly popular President who helped form our nation into a united country under a completely new system. I personally think if you had to choose one Lincoln had the harder job; Washington had a fairly united nation behind him while Lincoln led us through a war of division. So if you compare them as Presidents Washington had a much easier job to do while Lincoln could not have been in a tougher position.
To add on to this - Lee was personally against the idea of states seceding from the Union. Had Virginia not done so in 1861, he absolutely would have stayed with the Union Army.
Lee considered himself an American patriot, then betrayed his country. He opposed secession, and then put his heart and soul into defending secession and secessionists. He had a reputation as a man of honor, but his honor was something he found very easy to discard whenever it pleased him to do so.
@@user-mg5mv2tn8q He didn't betray anything which mattered. He stayed loyal to his one and only home, *Virginia*. The United States (at that time at least) was simply a collection of sovereign states united under a single banner. Similar to the E.U. of today. His honor was held intact by his refusal to invade his home and kill his fellow citizens. Simple as that, sir.
@@dylandylanson4448 While there is something to be admired for sticking to one's principles, I do agree with Grant when he said of Lee that he was one “who had . . . suffered so much for a cause,” even though he felt constrained to add, “that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse.”
@dylandylanson4448 this is the Officer's Oath (written in 1830) that Lee swore upon becoming an officer in the US Army. "I, _____, appointed a _____ in the Army of the United States, do solemnly swear, or affirm, that I will bear true allegiance to the United States of America, and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies or opposers whatsoever, and observe and obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and articles for the government of the Armies of the United States." He broke that oath. While he may have had his reasons, and you can argue about how good those reasons were or weren't, at the end of the day he was a traitor to his country and to his fellow US soldiers that he slaughtered for a cause he claimed to have never believed in. It's only fitting that his lands were confiscated to be made into Arlington National Cemetery, to bury the men he killed. I was born in Arlington. I grew up right outside of Leesburg. And I always preferred to visit and pay respect to John Brown's statue in Harper's Ferry than anything to do with a man who turned on his brothers-in-arms.
When the war started the military generals in the existing army went with their hearts (some to the nation, some to their state). The North had most of the older hearts who had to be run through out of seniority and that sort of stuff before he could get to some of the younger, better generals.
There’s something intensely moving about watching your first-time reaction to things I learned decades ago in school. Teaching me not to take my history for granted.
The north had just about every advantage possible. The problem was the best generals were Southerners. Robert E Lee was hands down the best American general of the time and he stuck with his home state of Virginia. McClellan (The guy who got the boot) was in many ways an excellent general. He was charismatic and popular with both people and his men. However he was way to cautious, part of it was not wanting to waste his men' lives. An Admirable quality for any military leader. However he just didn't seem to grasp that he was going to lose a fair number number in war. Although he was arrogant it was not his arrogance that was his downfall. It was is unwillingness to sacrifice his men. A fine quality for any leader except a general in a war.
McClellan really was a certifiable genius at logistics, making sure every soldier had place and a purpose in an army, arranging perfect tables of organization, nd also seeing to the details if supply. Maintaining organization and order were supremely important to him. The problem was, combat always, always creates disorganization and chaos, and he feared that. Plus, he really was notoriously arrogant and full of himself.
Lee was in no way shape or form the best American general. Grant was, and I'd wager Sherman and even Johnston were better strategists than Lee. Lee was an excellent tactician but didn't have much of a big-picture view of the conflict.
9:20 this video doesn't really explain the lead up to the battle of gettysburg, but essentially the loss of stonewall Jackson prior to this and Lee second guessing general Longstreet led to the loss there. There was a moment prior to the battle where having Jackson in place would have likely resulted in a vastly different situation at the start of the battle.
The thing is, we don't have to pick who was better they were both the exact leaders the country needed during their time. Abe is more revered bc of the civil war and slavery, but George is well revered too.
Lee was brilliant, and the North knew it. I think that is part of the reason the generals for the North were so hesitant. They all knew one another and Lee was the star. I understand there was hope that Lee would fight for the Union, but he chose to be loyal to his geographic origins.
Yes, General Lee is a very famous general here, he is celebrated as a great tactician and his battles are studied at West Point. There are statues of him scattered about the South and he is revered has one of the South's most famous sons and a brilliant tactician. However, because he fought on the side of the South and therefore slavery, there are those who would equate him with ultimate evil, despite the well documented humanity of the man, and would tear down his statues along with his legacy. You are very correct in your prior video, to view America as 50 different countries rather than one nation. In a sense, that is exactly how America is supposed to work, but as time goes on and distances become shorter due to technology, the 10th Amendment in the Bill of Rights which enshrines the individual rights of states is probably the Amendment that is most forgotten. I was born and raised in Colorado, though officially a territory at the time of the Civil War and thus not a free or slave state, I have been a firm abolitionist my entire life, and implore people today to celebrate the fact that America began the practice of abolishing slavery in 1775 And in doing so paid with the Blood of Patriots and then completely outlawed the practice in our country in 1865, again paying the price with even more blood. Americans need to remember and be proud of the fact that we as a country abolished slavery, even if it was only half of our country at the time, before anyone else in the world, However, we need to be extremely mindful of the fact that slavery still exists in even greater proliferation today. To sum it all up, no one is entirely good, and no one Can be entirely consumed by evil, Therefore I believe we should honor General Lee for his military accomplishments and tactical mind and rather than tear down his statues and legacy, We should honor him And all Americans who fought in the civil war, north and South, for with their blood was forged a superpower, one capable of projecting our power around the world in order to end the disgusting practice of slavery that still exists today.
Great reaction as usual! If you're interested in the US civil war, I'd highly recommend the excellent film from 1989 "Glory" which highlights the first African American regiment's attack on Fort Wagner.
If you are interested in a great documentary on the American Civil War... there is a 9 episode series by Ken Burns that is excellent. You can tell that Over Simplified pulled a lot of info and anecdotes from that series.
Lincoln dedication of Gettysburg’s is his famous speech that makes me cry…all men are created equal, government of the people, by the people, for the people
Sorry you didn't know the ending. 🙂 I have visited the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. and also the Lincoln Museum in Illinois. All very moving. If the North had lost, the USA would be two separate countries today.
This was a new nation who mostly fought against indians not another nation, especially one as great as England. The generals were all American just divided as a nation. General Lee was one of the best along with Grant who ended up as rivals.
My great great grand uncle was at the Battle of Gettysburg, in the 16th Michigan regiment. He fought at Little Round Top, on the steepest section of the hill where it is pretty much just a rocky cliff. They apparently fought down to bayonets and rocks after running out of ammunition.
Genera lly was truly one of the greatest generals we'd ever had. Along with Louise, who was seized S grant. Unfortunately, as it had stated, he along with many others had more loyalty to the state, not to the country at this. of time very early on the American history. That's how people were.
7:00 - Southern plantations generally practiced primogeniture. There weren’t a lot of career opportunities for the younger sons, so many of them, like Robert E Lee, attended West Point and joined the army. The North had a strong industrial economy. They didn’t have as many great generals, but they had ammunitions and a bigger population base (lots of immigrants in the 1840s and 1850s to draft into the army!)
Now you need to watch this "what they didn't tell you in school about slavery". The truth and history of slavery. By THOMAS SOWELL This is very important you know this, for a historic understanding.
Feel free to hit the like button and subscribe for more content. I would also love to hear your suggestions for future reactions-drop them in the comments below!🙏
If you could consider doing Oversimplified "The Pig War". I think you would enjoy it. It's one of my favorites from the creator Oversimplified.
Really appreciate your consideration. Enjoying all your reactions and looking forward to many more.
Blessings to you and your family.
❤ From the Great State of Texas 🇺🇸
One but I must say that Abe is a close second and then third place would have to be Teddy Roosevelt and then Harriet Truman for fourth.🤔
I thought I'd leave a few suggestions for more oversimplified, if interested. "Prohibition - Oversimplified Part 1&2)" and "WWI - Oversimplified Part 1&2)" As always, we appreciate your channel, thanks for sharing.
More Americans died in the Civil War than all other wars COMBINED. Korea, Vietnam, ww1, ww2, desert storm, iraq2, Afghanistan. Crazy to think about.
It was interesting to see your reaction to Lincoln's assassination, since we grow up with this information from a very young age. There have been 3 further presidents assassinated as well as attempts on three others. It's a dangerous job, at times.
The Lincoln memorial is one of the most visited in the country. Truly he is still admired and honored.
That shows how ignorant people still are about Lincoln.
@@jacobnash9755 Or that they know what alternatives were being offered by far more vile tyrants than he.
@PrimusGladius alternatives of the day, or are you comparing Lincoln to Hitler (whom came after and had learned from Lincoln) to make Lincoln look like an almost reasonable authoritarian tyrant? Or past Kings of Europe?
We have had lots of better alternatives over the years. Lincoln was probably (openly) the worst in U.S. history. That would also make him objectfully the worst as well. Even if other presidents (like Johnston) had more evil intent, they didn't have the guts to go as far as Lincoln did.
If Johston had been brave enough to use the illegal powers that Lincoln did, then he might have been the worst. Lincoln wanted to forcefully remove black people from this continent in his final solution, while Johston wanted to make them into social slaves to feed democrat votes. Using them for power instead of representing them. Pushing them into a brainwashed, willing oppression instead of using outright force. Lincoln used hammers while Johnston used lies and scrap carrots.
Still, from a measure of a tyrant, the U.S. has not had anyone openly come close to what Lincoln did. Lincoln truly ruled as a tyrant above the Constitution, denying not just Constitutional rights but what the very basis of the U.S. declares to be inate human rights.
Lincoln logically destroyed the U.S. completley as he was able to fully ignore the cornerstone rules that define treason of the government and commit crimes and treason against the people. As such, the U.S. government that was limited by the Constitution died with Lincoln. We still have the document, but it is meaningless if the people do not make all leaders abide by it. Rather, we still allow legal precident that the President may engage in Treason against the people in the pursuit of power as we fail to fully condemn Lincoln for his crimes.
Torturing and executing civilians just for where they live to demoralize enemy troops into surrender so you can get your tax money from them is pure evil.
@@jacobnash9755say what you mean instead of vague-posting. Please fill in everyone's pockets of ignorance about Lincoln.
I had no clue you were around back then and knew Lincoln so well@@jacobnash9755
Keep in mind that before the war, all the top officers served together in the U.S. Army. They all knew each other, and some of them were even friends in their personal lives, yet they had to fight each other.
except some were traitors, and some were not.
@@adamskeans2515 It's almost like that was his whole point
Confederate General James Longstreet was General Grant’s Best Man at Grant’s wedding.
And after General Sherman died, his primary opponent on the Confederate side, General Joseph Johnston attended his funeral in March, 1891. It was pouring rain and cold, but Johnston removed his hat out of respect. Friends told the aging general to keep his hat on but Johnston replied that if it had been his funeral and Sherman had been there...Sherman would have taken off his hat. Ten days after Sherman's funeral, Johnston died of pneumonia. @@stevencass8849
George Armstrong Custer while a Captain in the Union calvary captured his West Point roommate who was a Confederate calvary officer.
When you talk about how crazy it was that the sergeant would go out and help the wounded opponent, remember that easily could have been the sergeant's brother or cousin. The ugliest thing about civil wars is that it literally pits brother against brother. In one branch of my family we had five brothers where three fought for the Union and two for the Confederacy.
My Great Great Grandfather was a Clergyman, Abolitionist and a Chaplin in the Confederate Army.
His brother served in the Union Army as an Officer owned two slaves he left at home to manage his property, freed them with the Emancipation Proclamation and after the war gave them each a section of property, taught them to read and sold their cotton for them (to get them fair price). The kids still play together and the adults are friends and hunt each others land.
I think the realities of that war are difficult for us to comprehend today.
It was not only brother against brother but sometimes father against son.
That, and you see why we call Non-comissioned officers the backbone of the Army. A well loved NCO says cease fire and moves with a purpose, his men stop shooting. The other guys see it, and if they have a good NCO, he says cease fire too. Brass balls and a soft heart. Only works if both sides have a shred of honor.
I remember back in school learning about this and was like, "how can family be against family like that?" and then during and after the Trump administration, I see how people turn against each other more viciously than they would strangers, it was eye opening. Because people expect family to have the same values of themselves. And when they don't, it's an attack on themselves and the family by family.
@@stevedavis5704 At the Battle of Malvern Hill in 1862, a "Sergeant Driscoll" in the Irish Brigade took aim and shot a Confederate officer that was directing fire towards one of the Union lines.
The sergeant didn't realize until he checked the body that he had killed his own son.
As an American, it's just a fact of life to us about Lincoln's assassination, so often it's impact is somewhat lessened. I have to say, though, that it was incredibly moving to see how devistated you were about his death as you found out. It made it hit more for me as well.
And yes, Lincoln was one of the best presidents we ever had. If it's not him that's the best, it was Washington.
As a side note, I saw a movie in Elementary school about Dr. Samuel Mudd who attended to John Wilkes Booth broken leg after he shot the president. His grandaughter was at the school as well stating he didn't know who Booth was when he attended to him, but was brought up on conspiracy charges and imprisoned. He was later Pardoned by President Johnson. It was an interesting story, but I don't know how much of it was true or how innocent he was. Wikipedia has a different story. Some consider Mudd an innocent man caught up in unfair circumstances, but his involvement in the assassination remains a point of controversy.
Man the same with me. We are taught so young about the Civil War in a very factual way. Remembering the facts just long enough to past the tests. We learn about our history, but at times it's hard to feel the emotional impact of it.
However watching him become upset because he didn't know about his death, affected me as well, and I got emotional too.
Even Geneal Lee liked Lincoln as a person and was upset at his assassination.
Lee and Grant are arguably the two most well-known generals in American history short of Washington himself. Comparable to Eisenhower, Patton, or MacArthur.
Fun fact: when the US started to send tanks to the Allies in World War Two, they didn't have the famous M4 ready to produce yet. So they made the M3 based off of rough M4 designs with a lot of compromises so they could just send the Brits SOMETHING, "a bad tank is better than no tank". They came in two variants:
The ones with American guns were the M3 Lee
The ones with British guns were the M3 Grant
The M3 was rushed into service, but was replaced by the M4 as soon as they could.
By the famous M4 Sherman, as in General Sherman, Grant's right hand man.
And to top it off, there was also the M36, based on the M4 with a different gun, unofficially the M36 Jackson, as in General "Stonewall" Jackson, Lee's right hand man.
what other tanks, ships and guns did we name after generals (northern or southern )
@@InugamiTheHound Most of them are named after either generals or important armoured cavalry leaders.
The only other Civil War general with an associated armoured vehicle I can think of is Sheridan, who got a light armoured vehicle meant for air deployment later.
Other major generals-tanks include the Pershing (American WWI leading general - M4 Sherman's intended replacement) and the Patton (Famous tank-loving WWII general (i.e. Sicily, Battle of the Bulge) who died right after the war - basically the upgraded Pershing).
Another example is Bradley. He was under Eisenhower and contemporary to Patton, and he eventually got the famed Bradley armoured fighting vehicle which fought in Iraq and is currently deployed in Ukraine.
"Have an aggressive faction lead by white supremecist ideals? Well, we've got a Sherman for that."
@@cpMetis The light tank M3 Stuart was named after J.E.B Stuart.
Chaffee is another one.
Washington and Lincoln were each the right Presidents for their time. Washington could have been named king, but made it clear he did not want that. He then steppeddown as President after 2 terms saying that 8 years was long enough to be in office. He established a precident of the peaceful transfer of power that lasted over 200 years.(Some people say that the Civil War interrupted that run, but Lincoln became President without violence to stop him.) That was tremendously important to the country. Lincoln saw us throughthe darkest time in our history. Ironically, if he had lived, the South probably would have had a better transition after the war.
The peaceful transfer of presidential power was an important and time-honored tradition that went unbroken until a big orange baby squalled and threw a temper tantrum when didn't get his little way.
I don’t want to get political, left or right, but think of it: 200 years of lawful transfers of power (not going to say all of them were ‘peaceful’ in the strictest sense) and then Trump allowed for a violent mob to storm inside the capitol building - disrupting this transfer for the first time ever. It’s historic in all the wrong ways. And I’m afraid that too many are forgetting that this happened, or worse are trying to pretend it didn’t happen or “wasn’t that serious”. This should transcend party and ideal lines, but it has only hardened them…
@@user-mg5mv2tn8qid like to remind you all that the democrats contested the 2000 election against Bush and the 2016 election clinton said Trump cheated with russian collusion. Dont be hypocrites.
@@orangegalen You can say you don't want to get political but only party and only one ideology was present at the insurrection. It wasn't Democrats.
Right? Who can say what "might have been." But Booth's hatred for Lincoln assured that we would never know what a Lincoln-lead Reconciliation might have looked like. Knowing his intelligence as well as compassion, it's a fair bet that he would have done his best to make the post-war reconciliation period as painless as possible. Still would have been painful, of course. Under Grant's leadership, it was what we know it was. Booth very likely made things worse for his beloved South than it otherwise might have been.
"I'm so happy for him" said moments before the disaster. It's sad to know a great man was killed basically for doing great good to a lot of people.
"Civil war" actually refers to a war between parties that are attempting to control the same government apparatus and same land area. That was not happening in Lincoln's war. The South was simply leaving, as New England states had spoken of doing years earlier. The South had no interest ij ruling the North, just as Ukraine has no interest in ruling Russia.
A few months prior to the assassination of President Lincoln his son Robert slipped off a train platform and down in front of an oncoming train. A man reached down and pulled him to safety just in the nick of time. That man was one of the most famous actor's of that era, Edwin Booth. Edwin Booth was John Wilkes Booth's older brother. True story.
hearing your reaction to Lincoln's assassination is so shattering, to me the story is sad but inevitable, every American already knows, but to get that from a fresh perspective really strikes at just how much we lost.
One day when our son was in early elementary school (1st grade? 2nd grade?), he came home from school crying. When we got him calmed down, we were able to ask him what the problem was. With the same level of disgust and anger and sadness as this gentleman, our son cried out: “They shot President Lincoln!” Having lived with this information for so many years as adult Americans, we forget what a horrific incident this was. Good to be reminded from time to time.
General Lee didn’t just come out of nowhere. He was the best student at West Point (the US Army’s military academy). Lee served with the US army during the Mexican-American war. The North desperately tried to get General Lee to lead the Union army at the start of the war.
General Lee declared at the start of the war he thought the South was wrong and weren’t likely to win but Virginia was his home and he was genuinely scared for what was about to happen to Virginia …so he joined the South. 😢 The North knew that was going to be a big, big problem right from the start. It’s actually pretty sad that his legacy is tarnished for a war that he was on record, from the beginning, stating he didn’t even want to fight or agree with.
General Lee would return to Virginia where he became a President of a small college and lived out the rest of his life, quietly, there. A fun fact about General Lee was his wife was the Great Granddaughter of George Washington’s wife - Martha Washington - from her first marriage. So General Lee and George Washington were ironically in-laws to each other.
General Grant would go on to become President himself.
Lincoln is known as “The Last Casualty of the Civil War” 😢
Lee was actually the SECOND Best student in his class at West Point! The first earned a perfect score on their final examinations, while I believe Lee only got one or two points off. The man who graduated first ended up leaving the military very early on in his career
Lee was offered command of the U.S. Army at the beginning of the war.
It's disturbing to me how fashionable it's become to villainize the man. He was a patriot in the time when many considered their homes to be not states that were a part of the larger country, but unique and individual countries that were part of a larger Union. He fought for the wrong side, but only because he felt it was his duty rather than any love for the cause. Perhaps the most bitter irony is that had he fought on the side of the union, he may have been able to lessen the damage and lives lost on both sides by helping to end the war sooner, but of course he couldn't know that.
A person who feels passionately duty bound to fight for the wrong side is still a villain. Motivations are important to consider for context, but the man led an army fighting to perpetuate slavery in a war that ended up killing over 600,000 soldiers. Robert E. Lee should should be villainized.
When the war began, Lee's beloved home at Arlington was seized by the US Government due to its proximity to and overlooking of Washington DC- Confederate troops there would have been Bad News. After the Battle of The Wilderness in 1864 the Union Army decided it was a suitable location to bury their dead. It was declared a National Cemetery, and was think the most appropriate middle finger to that man that I can imagine, burying the dead of that war right on his front lawn.
The American Civil war had historical weight pushing on it as an inevitability, but getting down to the individual level he is easily on the list of people who made it as bad as it was.
@@SunwardRanger83 however noble his motivations were it doesn’t stop him from being a traitor.
Abraham Lincoln RIP. Hopefully it's not too soon to say I'm glad Lincoln's assassination was not "spoiled" for you. Because your reaction to finding out his sad ending was refreshing to see. Life is indeed unfair. I think Lincoln's, John F Kennedy's and Martin Luther King Jr's assassinations are the famous ones in US History.
Among those also up there in the U.S. is the assassinations of RFK (JFK's brother), Malcolm X, Pres. Garfield, Pres. McKinley, etc. (There had been four U.S. Presidents total killed in office.)
American here: before the civil war was covered in my classes as a kid, my mom was talking to me about it. I had a weird notion the war was between the continents of North America and South America (I just had heard it was North v South).
Then my mom said “we burnt Georgia to the ground.” You could not have rocked my world more than that. (My family is from AZ, I’m not in CA and we’ve never been southern fyi). I looked at her and asked why we would attack ourselves when at war with “the south”. 😂
She figured out my mistake and set me straight. But for some weird reason that moment sticks out in my mind as a core childhood memory lol
Sad that a racist authroitarian that abused and killed innocent people to extort others was killed after egregious violations of the Constitution and denying the basic human rights that granted the legitimacy of the U.S. to begin with?
@@Beez803 The childhood innocence of "why would we attack ourselves". Why indeed 😮💨
And Robert F. Kennedy's.
If you are honestly interested in the American Civil War, Ken Burn’s PBS Documentary The Civil War can’t be beat. There is an English TH-camr who is documenting his dream to move to the US and he says he first became interested with America after he watched Burns’ documentary from London. It’s as fine a piece of film making as Ive seen fiction or nonfiction. The story of the war is amazing, the cast of characters, the strategy, the betrayal, the pain and human suffering from slavery to the battlefields. It’s an Epic tale told by a GENIUS filmmaker.
I will take a look 🙏
@@european-reactsI agree. Ken Burns was an amazing historian and a great teacher. I highly recommend it.
What is the name of the TH-camr please?
It is astonishing.
I just have to add to this comment. The first time I watch Ken Burns The Civil War, I was amazed. It often seemed like I was watching video of the Civil War, but if course there is none! Ken Burns did such a fantastic job with all of his stills, and sounds that i became immersed into the narrative, as if I was actually there!
"It seems quite devastating for the country at the time."
We still haven't healed. The World Wars and Cold War were fought by a country still hurting from this one.
"Civil war" actually refers to a war between parties that are attempting to control the same government apparatus and same land area. That was not happening in Lincoln's war. The South was simply leaving, as New England states had spoken of doing years earlier. The South had no interest ij ruling the North, just as Ukraine has no interest in ruling Russia.
@@johnl5316 So the Union had no interest in controlling the land and governments of the Confederacy?
It's one thing to have a different opinion about the ACW. It's another thing entirely to have no opinion of your own while mindlessly reciting the mealy-mouthed stupidity others have told you to think.
People are still finding Burt’s from the war in their backyards. I know so many people who have family, friends, or they themselves have found something at least related to the war. It’s really crazy to think about.
To add my perspective: I was litteraly told by a teacher that Europe saw the destruction between the north and south, and said hell no we aren't gonna interfere.
I was also taught the world changed how they refer to the United States after the Civil War. Outside nations started to say "the United States is" as opposed to "the United States are."
In all fairness, that idea of "is" vs "are" terminology was also true within the United States post-war. While I'm not American (life-long Canadian, eh), from what I know of the US, there is still a lot of pride from people for their state, but also much more federal cohesiveness than there was 160+ years ago in antebellum America. It's also kind of true here in Canada as well - we do take pride in our provinces and regions, but we do also carry a national identity much as our neighbors to the south do so now.
It was often called in the US "these united states" which became "the united states"
That is how Americans themselves started referring to the US'n'A post-civil war.
The Union hired many Europian mercenary soldiers.
One of the problems for the US Civil War was that all of those military leaders were trained by the same school..West Point.
They understood each others strategies.
And... most of those were of Southern States. Hence, they left to fight for their individual states and the Confederacy as a whole.
Lee is very famous and he comes from a family that was very prominent in Virginia all the way back to the founding of the colony and independence.
All these generals knew each other, had trained together, which is partly why some of them seemed to be able to read the minds of the opposing side.
After losing the war, Lee specifically asked people not to cling to the confederacy or create memorials and whatnot, he wanted to move on. He had respect for everyone and reconciliation was very important to him.
It's wild to see someone not aware of Lincoln's assassination.
Choosing between Washington and Lincoln is like choosing whether or not you like your heart or your lungs.
It shouldn't be surprising for someone not American to not know of Lincoln's assassination. How many foreign leaders that were murdered do you know of?
Agree 100%. Excellent way of expressing the dilemma.
Booth came from a family of actors and was incredibly famous for the time. To put it in a modern perspective, it’s like if Zac Efron shot the Secretary of State.
Also, John’s older brother Edwin had a famous run-in with Lincoln’s eldest son, Robert. When they boy accidentally fell onto a train platform, Edwin pulled him up, saving his life. Edwin was also reportedly shocked and horrified at his brother’s actions and personally sent a letter of apology to the Lincoln family on his family’s behalf.
Booth's brother Edwin was the most famous actor in America, and one of the greatest actors of the century. Don't quite see how Zac Efron fits in with that.
@@drs-xj3pbwith celebrity culture nowadays, there are many known and recognizable people. They just said Zac Efron as an example of a famous, recognizable person.
@@KobeGuydude Nic Cage would probably be a more apt comparison tbh
@@Twisted_Logic lmao. True
@@Twisted_Logiche did steal the Declaration of Independence, after all.
26:46 As an American, I hope I can feel confident in assuring you that everyone in (at least the Northern parts of) America will always know the name John Wilkes Booth (and some can spell it correctly), because of his detestable actions on that day. Some of us even know what play Abe (and his wife) were watching when John pulled that trigger. It was a sad day that a nation still mourns. RIP the GOAT, Honest Abe.
As someone from Texas, a state that fought for the confederacy, let me say that John Wilkes Booth is a name that is very much hated down here as well, his words of "sic semper tyranus" apply much more to himself than to the man he directed them at. Truly a deplorable man, who went into history for the wrong reasons.
@@coolmanplayz438 Sic Semper Tyrannis perfectly encapsulate how the southern states felt about the entire conflict back then, it is still called the war of northern aggression in much of the south
@DSVlad Yes, I'm aware of that. I'm talking about how he's seen in a modern context and pointing out some of the irony of his words after committing the worst crime he would ever commit. Thank you for missing the point entirely.
@@coolmanplayz438 I think you're the one who missed my point. Booth was a murderer, not a tyrant. Did you forget you said those words applied to him more than his victim?
@@DSVlad I definitely did not. For me, a tyrant is a synonym for anybody who commits detestable actions. My saying his words apply more to him than his victim is meant to not only be a different way of saying "he got entirely what he deserved," but also as a statement of disgust and abhorrence for somebody who would murder a president of a nation for trying to live up to a statement made by the founding fathers being "ALL men are created equal." It is not lost on me that Lincoln absolutely operated outside of the constitution during the war, but in a time where half of your own country is actively fighting you for a horrible reason, I can understand a bending of the rules if it ultimately helps the greater good. I have no interest in sympathy for the south at that time. While individuals may have only fought for their state, the south as a whole was fighting for an absolutely detestable and horrendous cause. That being the preservation of slavery and racism in an open and blatant form. Sure "tyrant" may not be defined in the dictionary as simply a detestable person, but it, along with other words that are hardly professional or polite, are words I would use to describe a man that would murder another for such a horrendous reason.
I think there’s an argument to be made that America’s current division and polarization owes a lot to Lincoln’s assassination and the way the following administration dropped the ball on Reconstruction and reconciliation. And that the allowing of former Confederate leaders to return to normal life after they raised an army against the Union, and then allowing their children to build monuments to both those leaders and the Confederacy itself was extraordinary and also contributed to the current polarization. But I also know from living in Georgia for my entire life that Sherman’s “total war” tactics on the March to the Sea from Atlanta are still deeply, deeply felt and remembered and resented, even 150 years later.
I have a nephew on my wife's side that lives near the Georgia, Alabama, Florida border. He's still in middle school, but he knows me as someone who grew up on the west coast, so he's tried several times to draw me into some kind of argument about General Sherman. He's a kid, so it's easy to not get too riled about it, but I have to admit I was utterly confused the first time he brought it up. I remember that I basically told him, "I'm not even going to pay attention to your anger about Sherman unless I see you show twice as much anger about Hiroshima and Nagasaki first."
It also didnt help that most historians back then were from the South who essentially rewrote history in as favorable ways as possible to especially praise Lee and trash Grant. Its only in the last 40 years or so that the real examination has taken place.
You'll still find white folks in Georgia and South Carolina today who deeply resent Sherman because of what he did on his march to the sea from Atlanta. The scars may not be as visible on the land anymore but the people left them in the minds of their descendants and they carry that hatred to this day. The area where I grew up was missed by Sherman's March and we have much better race relations than the surrounding areas that Sherman hit. It's as if a festering rot of hatred was left to grow in those areas and is still being harvested and consumed by people today.
@@lilb5262 I’ve been told that until the last 20 years or so, if your name was Sherman you couldn’t get a hotel room or restaurant reservation in Atlanta, and that’s probably an exaggeration, but it’s a telling one. People’s great grandparents survived being shelled for more than 30 days at the end of a war that had already taken any food or livestock they had, and then when the siege ended and the federal troops entered the city, they took what was left. And then when they left the city and started “living off the land” (as described in the video) on their way to Savannah, it was a mostly decentralized March with soldiers essentially scattering throughout the countryside and taking anything they could find. If there was food or livestock, they took it or killed it so people couldn’t have it. They raped people, dug up fields and yards looking for valuables, shot your dog and threw it down the well to spoil the water, burned the house on their way out of town. All the houses, entire towns. Those things are only just outside of living memory now but the stories are still freshly told.
@@lilb5262 Just realized this video didn’t even mention the burning of Atlanta, a major city both then and now.
The Vicksburg campaign was the most brilliant military feat made during the american civil war. Grant was a brilliant strategist. He wrote in his biography that he considered Joseph Johnston the best general the confederacy had. Also, Lincoln is second behind Washington to me, only because Washington set the standards for what the future presidents should all be.
That campaign is still studied to this day. It's extremely brilliant.
Yes, both Washington and Lincoln have their good points, and their bad points, and both accomplished great things. To me though, Washington gets the win because he's a man who could have been granted the powers of a king for life, and instead choose to serve the people as a leader then voluntarily give up power. Not many people would have that strength of character.
@@SunwardRanger83 My theory was that he was just tired of dealing with all those outrageous personalities and so when he saw a way out he was like "✌️ PEACE'
I've personally visited Chicamauga. It's a historical site here. You can actually feel the weight of the people who died there. I'm not a big believer in the supernatural, but there is a noticeable feeling of extreme sadness and death when one walks the battlefields. It's not like anything I've ever felt. Even my small daughter at the time (she was 3) said, "something bad happened here, didn't it?" 😢
I live in Southern Maryland, not far from the Dr.'s house who helped "patch up" John Wilkes Booth after he shot Lincoln. The civil war sometimes feels like ancient history but seeing landmarks like that on your daily commute are sharp reminders of how very real and relatively recent this all was.
I lived in Baltimore for about 7 years, and yeah, that's 100% accurate. The whole of the Mid-Atlantic and New England has tons of very important history baked right into the soil.
@@tricitymorte1 I have always found it fascinating that a remnant of the President Street station still exists in Baltimore. This was the station where Union troops disembarked to march through downtown Baltimore, where they were attacked by a Southern-sympathizing mob. It was one of the first incidents of bloodshed just as the war began in 1861.
@@johnalden5821 yes! It was so interesting to be able to see the place and have those events pointed out - the direction they went, where the attack came from. Meanwhile, a modern city rose up around it, and I think most of the people in Baltimore don't even know so much about the history they're surrounded by.
Fun fact, the March to the Sea by Sherman actually caused many southerners to starve. He effectively hit them in their food supply. Brutal in effect, but the civil war was a very brutal war indeed
This is what i like about these videos is that, i know all this history but watching someone learning about our history for the first time (while knowing the outcome myself) is like watching a movie you have seen with someone who hasnt.
As an American, often the assassination of Lincoln is just something we know inherently. Usually we don’t get upset about it- it’s just history now. But it was very touching to see someone not from the USA feel sympathy for someone like him after everything he did for this country. It was truly devastating.
Lee was one of the greatest generals in military history. He also only fought for the south because he was from virginia and wasnt fighting against his family
Part of the reason the American story is so crazy is because the founding fathers figured out how to avoid tyrannical rule. Lincoln not only couldn't kill his underperforming general, but had to run against him to retain his job. Most absolute rulers would have disposed of their rivals.
@nnez9009 stop
General Lee and general grant knew each other they both went to West Point military Academy so did most of the officers on both sides.
I know that feeling, when you are watching a show, and you become very attached to a character, and they suddenly die. It ruins the rest of the show, and you can't enjoy it as much, if at all. Especially if the character died needlessly.
Our national cemetery (Arlington) overlooks the city of Washington DC. It was built in the "garden" of Robert E Lee's home. The Lees never lived there after that. The home is still standing and the views of the city are magnificent from there..
And after an 1882 Supreme Court ruling the U.S. had to purchase Arlington from the Lee family.
@@jamiemoss3633 Very interesting.
I love your reaction. Yes, it is very emotional. I visit Gettysburg often, and it is a humbling and hallowed place.
In many cases families sent one son to the Union army and another to the Confederate army to insure survival after the war. Brothers were fighting against one another. Literally. During cease fires they would meet in the middle to share personal news, etc.
The soldier who jumped the line to help the wounded was named Richard Rowland Kirkland. He has a statue showing what he did. He died a year later at the battle of Chickamauga. He was 21 years old.
I emailed you some pictures and information about Abraham Lincoln and labeled it as such in the subject line
You are one of the best reactors I’ve ever seen. Your genuine feelings are so meaningful. Thank you for loving America and our history.
A few things about General Lee: he was in the US Army, and Lincoln had offered him command of the Union Army.
Lee declined. He wasn’t necessarily in it to defend slavery; he was in it because he was from Virginia and he could not imagine leading an army against Virginians. It wasn’t a moral issue for him, but a matter of honor. In those days, people saw themselves as a citizen of their state first and foremost.
Two of my great-great-great grandfathers fought at Gettysburg. One was killed, and one wounded. Both were confederates - a captain and a sergeant. Both under Pickett’s command. Both in the infamous “Pickett’s Charge.”
I’m certain I have ancestors on my mother’s side who fought for the Union.
I’m in tears watching his reaction to Lincoln’s death, and I was born in America and knew this fact my entire life.
I see them as equally important. Washington was the best choice for starting the country and setting the precedents and foundation of the US, Lincoln was the best choice to see the US through its potential split. Also, your reaction to his assassination, i believe, reflects the reaction of the nation at that time. That shocked, horrified, grief you showed was spot on.
While Lee was a great tactician his biggest advantage at least in the Civil War was he knew almost all of the Union officers from his time at West Point as a both cadet and superintendent, as well as fighting side by side with many of them in the Mexican-American war. So he not only knew the playbook they'd been taught to follow but he also had enough insight into them as people to know how they'd deploy their men, how they'd react in most situations and so he was able to outmaneuver them.
Totally enjoyed watching your reaction, to this, and many of your videos. You asked, and I think you are very understandable. 👍
Thank you so much!!
Really enjoyed your reactions. Both presidents are very popular, Washington for his leadership during the Revolutionary war, Lincoln for the Civil war. Both were great men forever in our hearts, we owe them so much. You're doing a fantastic job..
Richard Rowland Kirkland was a southern sergeant and he did move out of the Confederate lines and tend to wounded Union troops. He took all the canteens he could find and for over 4 hours cared for the Union wounded before the Confederate defenses at Marye's Heights, the northern end of the Union attack. Neither the Confederates or the Union troops fired at him and he became known as "The Angel of Marye's Heights." He went on to fight at the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, distinguishing himself for courage. He was promoted to Lieutenant, but was killed at the Battle of Chicamauga in September, 1863.
I imagine some of those he tended to, were there to meet him when he passed over.
Robert E Lee was so famous that a TV sit-com in the 1970s named the protagonists' car after him
The greatest tragedy of lincoln's assassination was that when Andrew Johnson took his place and ended Reconstruction took the north out of the south and removed all protections for african americans living there. In the following decades confederate statues would be constructed to remind the blacks of the south who really ran things down there. And because the south was never reconstructed there was always a grudge against the north it never got to heal.
Lincoln was a far greater president than george washington. George washington was an inspirational leader of men who put down shays rebellion and set the precident that no president should serve for life.
Dude, Lee is still recognized as one of, if not THE, greatest American generals of all time.
My 4 x great grandfather was a surgeon in the Civil War. Although enlisted as a Confederate, he treated the wounded from both sides and was given a commendation by the federal government. One of my other great grandfathers lost an arm at Shiloh. I have always wondered if the two met each other or even if the surgeon was the one who amputated the arm of the other.
It usually goes washington, lincoln, fdr as top 3. Perfect leaders for the situation. His assassination means we dont know what a portion of his last term wohld have accomplished, but he is immortalized now.
You would like the movie Glory, about the first African American outfit in the CW. It stars Denzel, Morgan, and Matthew Broderick (who looks like the actual colonel).
Glad that you were able to see this from over simplified. The American Revolution and this series on the civil war are two of their best video series.
Personally, I think Washington was a better president, but that is because there would be no American without him. Lincoln is right up there as well though as he sustained us through our most difficult time. If you get a chance listen to some of his speeches, The Gettysburg Address is his most famous. My 8th grade history teacher had us memorize the speech it is that memorable and I believe it is less than 600 words but defined the US in many ways. There are several versions on TH-cam and you might want to react to it.
Lee is considered by many to be the greatest American general and he was even related to George Washington. However, Grant became president a few years after the war. Lee's biggest attribute was that he was a risk taker and until Grant, most of the generals he faced were too skittish to win. The 7 days battles, from part one, is where he became famous and built his reputation. Although, of the 7 battles all were considered union, northern victories. McCallen kept retreating because he had split his forces and that led to most of the southern victories. Great review.
You gotta do Prohibition next. It’s during the 1920s the government made alcohol illegal! What a wild time- that video is short too!
While Lee was an excellent General, Grant absolutely outclassed him in the fight around Richmond and Petersburg. He knew that by flanking Lee and forcing him into open conflicts that he could chew away at Lee's army, not only via casualties, but also via desertions, whereas he had numerous replacements ready for any troops he may have lost. In fact, in his memoirs, Grant doesn't rate Lee as the toughest confederate general he faced, he gives that to Joseph Johnston.
The south had many young men who where used to hunting and serving in local militias. The young men from the north were more used to factory jobs and city living, more or less.
Thanks for reacting to this 2 part video! We hope you'll react to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, there are plenty recitals of it on TH-cam. He gave it at the dedication of the military cemetery at Gettysburg a few months after the battle. It's short but powerful. Thanks!
I appreciate Abraham signing the Emancipation Proclamation and for everyone who worked to free my ancestors. ❤
The thing about the imbalance between the Confederate generals and the Union generals is that the South had a long tradition of military service and a large percentage of graduates of the US Military Academy (West Point) were southerners. As a result, a high percentage of the US military officers going back at least to the Mexican War, and therefore the most experienced, were also from the South and chose to defend their states rather than lead the Union forces in the war. Robert E. Lee is a prime example.
Interesting fact - in the photo at 27:04, you can see a young Theodore Roosevelt and his brother Elliot in the second floor window of that building, the window facing the camera.
General Robert E. Lee is a very famous General and Historical figure in U.S. History, Andre!! General Ulysses S. Grant became U.S. President from 1869-1877.
My great great grandfather fought for the Union and survived Andersonville prison. We still have his shotgun and service papers.
He survived Hell.🇺🇸
Outstanding video, and your raw emotion when you found out about Lincoln's death was palpable. Even we Americans don't react that way, or at least in my generation, because by the time we were being formally taught about the Civil War, we already knew the ending. But I can only imagine your reaction being repeated over and over again by American's of the time. There's a lot of nuance here that many of my fellow countrymen don't EVER seem to understand, that you seemed to grasp at first glance, the most significant of which was the fact that, at first, ending slavery was the last thing on Lincoln's mind. Sadly, many of us either don't know that at all, or can't (or won't) bring themselves to begin with. It's a great thing, to be sure, but it's... nuanced.
If you ever get a chance to, definitely visit Gettysburg. The town still bears physical scars from the fighting. You can tour the battlefield and see a number of monuments. It's also considered one of the most haunted places in the US, if you're interested in that.
I also recommend visiting Antietam battlefield. It's around an hour or so from Gettysburg. It's sobering to stand by the sunken road that came to be called "Bloody Lane" because it literally ran red with blood. There's pictures of the dead that filled the lane.
That's another thing, this was the first war to be really photographed in the US. The images knocked off the shine of glory impression that many people had of war, instead showing its brutality.
The Civil War is also considered the first "modern" (or proto-modern) war due to its technological advancements. Land mines, hand grenades, submarines, repeating rifles, early machine guns, etc. in addition to the railroads, telegraph, and photography. These combined with older tactics (line up and charge for example) is one reason why it was so bloody.
You could actually see cannonballs coming at you in those days, but it was widely considered an act of cowardice to try to dodge.
I took my family to Gettysburg about ten years ago and we took an audio tour. It was a fantastic day, and incredibly moving. I have also visited the battlefields at Antietam, Chickamauga, and Vicksburg, all of which are worth a visit.
I just came across your 2-part video about the Civil War & want to say "Thank You!" Your reactions, questions & conclusions are very refreshing and amazing to watch! We Americans sometimes assume everyone knows our history....
Two of my great-grandmother's brothers were enslaved in the South but escaped and joined the Union Army. Sadly, one was killed in the Battle of Jenkins Ferry in the current state of Arkansas. The other married & lived the rest of his life as a free man in the State of Oklahoma. I am grateful for their service and sacrifice.
Man i just finished the first part i cant wait for this
Same here. I’ll get the popcorn.
It’s gonna be a doozy of a conclusion.
Almost time
@19:28 Keep in mind, that's the electoral college, which means he won at least a bare majority in around 92% of the states (by population, approximately). By popular vote, it was 2.2M vs 1.8M, or around 55% to 45%. Still decisive, but nowhere near 92% to 8%.
An excellent point!
the EC is what is importnant.
@@Revkor The EC determines the victor. If you're looking back and trying to figure out how lopsided the peoples' preference was, EC margins are not a particularly useful metric.
The south fought for their way of life, while the north for an ideal. That's why they succeeded for so long.
Fyi: Lee isn't the one you want to back, Andre 😊I'm from West Virginia, the state formed by succeeding from Virgina due to the anti-slavery sentiment and advocates in the western part of the state. On June 20,1863, West Virginia became a state. 🎉
"By the way; Is this "Lee General" a famous person in American history?" - understatement of the century!
Robert E. Lee is practically considered a deity in the South, with a ton of statues, monuments and schools named after him. He symbolizes the "Lost Cause", a revisionist telling of US History that was until fairly recently commonly taught in schools, especially those in the South. Oddly enough, he was a modest man and never wanted any reverence or statues or anything, but nobody listens to that, especially after you've died.
Slavery, State's rights, the secession and the resulting civil war, are all rather nuanced and delicate subjects that are difficult to condense into an "oversimplified" format because there's so much context needed, and viewing the mindset of people in the 1860s through the lens of the 21st century isn't always the easiest. Consider the fact that General Lee was a general in the US Army before he was in the Confederate Army. He fought for the "union" and was a very successful and respected general. But he lived in Virginia, and Virginia decided to secede and joint the Confederacy. He was established in Virginia and his "national" identity was as a Virginian first. Politically, had Virginia decided to stay with the Union and not secede, Lee would have been a general for the Union Army. And some slave states did not secede - Maryland, right across the Potomac River from Virginia, remained a slave state loyal to the Union throughout the war, and the Emancipation Proclamation did nothing to free those held in slavery in that state.
I think a big point that a lot of people don't seem to understand is that whether or not you agreed with slavery, or the secession, it wouldn't have ben easy or even desirable to just pick up and move to another state the way it is today. There were no interstates, railroads were limited, and people tended to stay in the same place for their entire life. For example, If you had a small farm or homestead in Georgia or Virginia, and you personally didn't have any slaves, and you were against slavery as an institution, it would have been economically and logistically incredibly difficult to move to Pennsylvania or Illinois, for example. Though we tend to think of Americans today as having an insane level of nationalistic patriotism, that just wasn't the case in 1860, especially in the rural and agrarian South. You'd be loyal to your community, your region, and your State, because that's your home. When the war broke out, the South viewed itself as an independent sovereign state, apart from the Union in the North. They felt they were defending themselves from an invading country to the North, and the battles that took place make that fairly clear. The Confederacy rarely moved into to the North, and they weren't interested in conquering Northern states, whereas the Union was indeed interested in reconquering the South and squashing the rebellion. The South viewed this as a revolution, a 2nd war for Independence, whereas the North viewed this as the South in rebellion.
It's important to also note that in legislation and especially in later court decisions, it was established in law that the states that seceded in the South never formally left the Union, they never became a separate sovereign entity. Legally, the civil war finally put a rest to an unanswered political question - Unilateral secession, without the consent of the other states, is considered formally illegal in the US. The Supreme Court of the US, citing the preamble to the constitution (a very rarely utilized portion of the constitution when deciding legality of law or policy), determined that the form of government established prior to the constitution (the Articles of Confederation, where states held more rights and were in partnership with the Federal government, not subservient to it) was replaced "In order to form a more perfect Union", and that a "perfect union", by its definition, must be indissolvable. In other words, once you're in, you're in. You can't just leave because you have a disagreement with the Union. Contrast this to the European Union, where an individual state such as the United Kingdom can unilaterally decide to leave the union, and there's nothing the union can do legally to stop them. EU forces weren't going to launch an invasion of Great Britain in order to compel them to remain in a political Union with the rest of Europe, because legally there was nothing indicating that the UK or any other member state has to remain in the union.
Like i said, all very nuanced, and without context, it can seem fairly black and white rather than the shades of grey that it really was.
Yes, and there is light gray and dark gray. I have Confederate soldiers on both sides of my family. Many people did the best they could at the time. Yet, by contextualizing, romanticizing, etc., we've still got a lot of people stuck in not being able to say that slavery was wrong, the war was about slavery, lynching, and the KKK were abominations, plus a lot of Robert E. Lee's honor in fighting for the South is tied to coming from a high-status family and married to an even higher status wife (a Custis, and Martha Washington great-grandaughter). I read all of Lee's Lieutenants before I was 14. I have my grandmother's Daughters of the Confederacy papers. I resented the Northerners who thought they were smarter than me and made fun of my accent when I went off to grad school. Despite all that, we are all better off that the South lost. I prefer my Southern grandfather's "We are all equal under the Cross" and Aunt Eller's (from Oklahoma the musical) ] "I ain't sayin' that I am better than anybody else, but I'll be damned if I ain't just a good." The first is real Christianity (rather than the fake stuff some people practice now, trying to send everyone but themselves to hell), and the second is a much healthier form of being an American. Learn from the past, but don't get stuck in it.
It's been a real treat to see a genuine foreign reaction to one of the most pivotal moments in our history.
We often forget that the rest of the world is just as focused on their own history as we are, but few nations can claim the same degree of global influence as America, save for perhaps Great Britain.
From a tactical perspective, the American Civil War is truly fascinating. It's such a unique set of logistics, technology, terrain and economics, that really allowed the tactical acumen of a few generals to sway the fate of millions to an incredible degree. It was a was of personalities.
Lee is most famous, because he was frequently outnumbered and outgunned, and forced to rely on his truly uncanny ability to predict an opponents to keep his troops not just alive but victorious. There's a certain appeal to the legend of an underdog who always pulls through in a tight spot. He was a master of that craft, but he only needed to guess wrongly once to send his boys charging headfirst into Merry's guns, and everybody gets one wrong sooner or later.
Lincoln never got to see the fruits of his labor nor enjoy the peace and unity that he strived so hard to work for. But if it's any consolation to his story, it's that his efforts were a success and his legacy is that we have a United States of America today.
Washington fought to produce a liberated country that was a loose confederation of states with a very limited federal government and Lincoln produced the United States of America with a strong central government. Pre-war America was closer to the vision of the founding fathers but the post-war America gave the country a unified direction and the strength of a united front (sort of. We still like to argue every point).
2:47 So the incident did not happen in the midst of battle, it happened overnight during a brief break in the fighting, and basically the union chose not to shoot the guy after they realized he wasn't robbing bodies. He didn't really save anyone, but is remembered for giving water to the dying and tending to them while they passed on.
The battle of Gettysburg is fascinating history. There's a movie titled Gettysburg, based on the book Killer Angels. Amazing book, great movie. The Civil War battlefields are maintained by the National Park Service and always worth a visit. Lee is a very famous figure in American military history. He and Grant were classmates at West Point, and his father Light Horse Harry Lee was a hero of the American Revolution. Arlington National Cemetery sits on Lee's estate.
Grant was about 15 years younger than Lee. They both went to West Point but at different times. They both served in the Mexican-American War. Lee was a major or a colonel and Grant was either a Second or a First Lieutenant. They were of different generations. Grant was the best friend of James Longstreet, Lee's key subordinate after the death of Stonewall Jackson. Grant and Longstreet went to West Point together.
When you paused it to talk up Ol' Honest Abe, I could tell you didn't know he was assassinated yet, so I got really excited for your reaction. I could feel your pain dude! Gave me chills.
A couple months ago I had the chance to visit some of the historic sites in Richmond as well as the battlefield at Petersberg and toured Appomattox Court House where the surrender took place. Our National Park Service has done a great job preserving many of these historic places and are free to visit.
Washington and Lincoln are both regarded as our two greatest Presidents but we should keep in mind that Washington was not President until many years after the Revolutionary War. He was a great general which Lincoln was not. He was a wildly popular President who helped form our nation into a united country under a completely new system. I personally think if you had to choose one Lincoln had the harder job; Washington had a fairly united nation behind him while Lincoln led us through a war of division. So if you compare them as Presidents Washington had a much easier job to do while Lincoln could not have been in a tougher position.
Both sides wanted Lee but he chose to fight for the south because he had family in Virginia and didn't want to bare arms against his own kin.
To add on to this - Lee was personally against the idea of states seceding from the Union. Had Virginia not done so in 1861, he absolutely would have stayed with the Union Army.
Lee considered himself an American patriot, then betrayed his country. He opposed secession, and then put his heart and soul into defending secession and secessionists. He had a reputation as a man of honor, but his honor was something he found very easy to discard whenever it pleased him to do so.
@@user-mg5mv2tn8q He didn't betray anything which mattered. He stayed loyal to his one and only home, *Virginia*. The United States (at that time at least) was simply a collection of sovereign states united under a single banner. Similar to the E.U. of today.
His honor was held intact by his refusal to invade his home and kill his fellow citizens. Simple as that, sir.
@@dylandylanson4448 While there is something to be admired for sticking to one's principles, I do agree with Grant when he said of Lee that he was one “who had . . . suffered so much for a cause,” even though he felt constrained to add, “that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse.”
@dylandylanson4448 this is the Officer's Oath (written in 1830) that Lee swore upon becoming an officer in the US Army.
"I, _____, appointed a _____ in the Army of the United States, do solemnly swear, or affirm, that I will bear true allegiance to the United States of America, and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully
against all their enemies or opposers whatsoever, and observe and obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and articles for the government of the Armies of the United States."
He broke that oath. While he may have had his reasons, and you can argue about how good those reasons were or weren't, at the end of the day he was a traitor to his country and to his fellow US soldiers that he slaughtered for a cause he claimed to have never believed in. It's only fitting that his lands were confiscated to be made into Arlington National Cemetery, to bury the men he killed.
I was born in Arlington. I grew up right outside of Leesburg. And I always preferred to visit and pay respect to John Brown's statue in Harper's Ferry than anything to do with a man who turned on his brothers-in-arms.
You can see a real ironclad that was dredged out of the Mississippi River at the memorial in Vicksburg.
When the war started the military generals in the existing army went with their hearts (some to the nation, some to their state). The North had most of the older hearts who had to be run through out of seniority and that sort of stuff before he could get to some of the younger, better generals.
There’s something intensely moving about watching your first-time reaction to things I learned decades ago in school. Teaching me not to take my history for granted.
1 and 2. Both were the greatest for their time. In my opinion, John Wilkes Booth did more to hurt the south more so than the north.
I embarrassed to say as an American, that i am learning a lot from you and these videos.. Thank you !!
The north had just about every advantage possible. The problem was the best generals were Southerners. Robert E Lee was hands down the best American general of the time and he stuck with his home state of Virginia. McClellan (The guy who got the boot) was in many ways an excellent general. He was charismatic and popular with both people and his men. However he was way to cautious, part of it was not wanting to waste his men' lives. An Admirable quality for any military leader. However he just didn't seem to grasp that he was going to lose a fair number number in war. Although he was arrogant it was not his arrogance that was his downfall. It was is unwillingness to sacrifice his men. A fine quality for any leader except a general in a war.
McClellan was fantastic at training an army, but pants at using one.
McClellan really was a certifiable genius at logistics, making sure every soldier had place and a purpose in an army, arranging perfect tables of organization, nd also seeing to the details if supply. Maintaining organization and order were supremely important to him. The problem was, combat always, always creates disorganization and chaos, and he feared that. Plus, he really was notoriously arrogant and full of himself.
Lee was in no way shape or form the best American general. Grant was, and I'd wager Sherman and even Johnston were better strategists than Lee. Lee was an excellent tactician but didn't have much of a big-picture view of the conflict.
9:20 this video doesn't really explain the lead up to the battle of gettysburg, but essentially the loss of stonewall Jackson prior to this and Lee second guessing general Longstreet led to the loss there. There was a moment prior to the battle where having Jackson in place would have likely resulted in a vastly different situation at the start of the battle.
The thing is, we don't have to pick who was better they were both the exact leaders the country needed during their time. Abe is more revered bc of the civil war and slavery, but George is well revered too.
You're not wrong for being upset at the ending. It's one of the most upsetting moments in our (U.S.) history.
Lee was brilliant, and the North knew it. I think that is part of the reason the generals for the North were so hesitant. They all knew one another and Lee was the star. I understand there was hope that Lee would fight for the Union, but he chose to be loyal to his geographic origins.
Yes, General Lee is a very famous general here, he is celebrated as a great tactician and his battles are studied at West Point. There are statues of him scattered about the South and he is revered has one of the South's most famous sons and a brilliant tactician. However, because he fought on the side of the South and therefore slavery, there are those who would equate him with ultimate evil, despite the well documented humanity of the man, and would tear down his statues along with his legacy. You are very correct in your prior video, to view America as 50 different countries rather than one nation. In a sense, that is exactly how America is supposed to work, but as time goes on and distances become shorter due to technology, the 10th Amendment in the Bill of Rights which enshrines the individual rights of states is probably the Amendment that is most forgotten. I was born and raised in Colorado, though officially a territory at the time of the Civil War and thus not a free or slave state, I have been a firm abolitionist my entire life, and implore people today to celebrate the fact that America began the practice of abolishing slavery in 1775 And in doing so paid with the Blood of Patriots and then completely outlawed the practice in our country in 1865, again paying the price with even more blood. Americans need to remember and be proud of the fact that we as a country abolished slavery, even if it was only half of our country at the time, before anyone else in the world, However, we need to be extremely mindful of the fact that slavery still exists in even greater proliferation today. To sum it all up, no one is entirely good, and no one Can be entirely consumed by evil, Therefore I believe we should honor General Lee for his military accomplishments and tactical mind and rather than tear down his statues and legacy, We should honor him And all Americans who fought in the civil war, north and South, for with their blood was forged a superpower, one capable of projecting our power around the world in order to end the disgusting practice of slavery that still exists today.
Great reaction as usual!
If you're interested in the US civil war, I'd highly recommend the excellent film from 1989 "Glory" which highlights the first African American regiment's attack on Fort Wagner.
As a child my family went on a vacation to see the Lincoln trail through several states. I fell in love with this history many years ago
If you are interested in a great documentary on the American Civil War... there is a 9 episode series by Ken Burns that is excellent. You can tell that Over Simplified pulled a lot of info and anecdotes from that series.
Lincoln dedication of Gettysburg’s is his famous speech that makes me cry…all men are created equal, government of the people, by the people, for the people
Your reaction to the assassination really shows how compassionate of a person you are.
Sorry you didn't know the ending. 🙂 I have visited the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. and also the Lincoln Museum in Illinois. All very moving. If the North had lost, the USA would be two separate countries today.
10:13 There are places named Rosecrans in Los Angeles. I never realized there was a General Rosecrans in the Union Army.
This was a new nation who mostly fought against indians not another nation, especially one as great as England. The generals were all American just divided as a nation. General Lee was one of the best along with Grant who ended up as rivals.
My great great grand uncle was at the Battle of Gettysburg, in the 16th Michigan regiment. He fought at Little Round Top, on the steepest section of the hill where it is pretty much just a rocky cliff. They apparently fought down to bayonets and rocks after running out of ammunition.
One of my great-great-grandfathers was trying to climb that hill.....
Genera lly was truly one of the greatest generals we'd ever had. Along with Louise, who was seized S grant. Unfortunately, as it had stated, he along with many others had more loyalty to the state, not to the country at this. of time very early on the American history. That's how people were.
7:00 - Southern plantations generally practiced primogeniture. There weren’t a lot of career opportunities for the younger sons, so many of them, like Robert E Lee, attended West Point and joined the army. The North had a strong industrial economy. They didn’t have as many great generals, but they had ammunitions and a bigger population base (lots of immigrants in the 1840s and 1850s to draft into the army!)
Now you need to watch this "what they didn't tell you in school about slavery". The truth and history of slavery. By THOMAS SOWELL This is very important you know this, for a historic understanding.
I love your commentary and pausing! I watch because I like hearing your thoughts! Love watching your channel start to explode! 🇺🇸❤️🇵🇹