An interview with historian James McPherson on the New York Times’ 1619 Project

World Socialist Website (wsws.org) ^ | 11/14/19 | Tom Mackaman

[jocon307]

Q. What was your initial reaction to the 1619 Project?

A. Well, I didn’t know anything about it until I got my Sunday paper, with the magazine section entirely devoted to the 1619 Project. Because this is a subject I’ve long been interested in I sat down and started to read some of the essays. I’d say that, almost from the outset, I was disturbed by what seemed like a very unbalanced, one-sided account, which lacked context and perspective on the complexity of slavery, which was clearly, obviously, not an exclusively American institution, but existed throughout history. And slavery in the United States was only a small part of a larger world process that unfolded over many centuries. And in the United States, too, there was not only slavery but also an antislavery movement. So I thought the account, which emphasized American racism—which is obviously a major part of the history, no question about it—but it focused so narrowly on that part of the story that it left most of the history out.

So I read a few of the essays and skimmed the rest, but didn’t pursue much more about it because it seemed to me that I wasn’t learning very much new. And I was a little bit unhappy with the idea that people who did not have a good knowledge of the subject would be influenced by this and would then have a biased or narrow view.

[jocon307]

I don't know what kind of bizarro world we are living in, but the real commies have published an excellent interview that completely demolishes the NY Times propaganda. The commies!

And, I guess I'm not sure what to think about this, they don't have a 'share on facebook' thingy, otherwise I would have shared it there.

But, evidently they are more serious minded than that, and so are we, so I shall share it here.

Because it needs to be about.

[kaehurowing]

You wouldn’t get anything close to this published in the NY Times or Washington Post.

[Chainmail]

The world turned upside-down! A communist paper publishing a balanced article refuting the New York Times’ Communist propaganda..

[wjr123]

So, what does this tell you? Who are the “real” commies?

The MSM seems to be a place for totally thoughtless pseudo commies, certainly. But we are not really in an ideologic struggle. We are seeing a power struggle between government mandarins and the citizens of the Republic.

This whole debate is merely grasping a handy stick to beat an opponent — no matter what it means later.

[sphinx]

For later

[Chode]

[elpadre]

No America Wasn’t Built on slavery but by men of faith.
https://thefederalist.com/2019/08/21/no-america-wasnt-built-slavery-faith-men-created-equal/

[ml/nj]

The Civil War accomplished three things. First, it preserved the United States as one nation. Second, it abolished the institution of slavery. Those two were, in effect, permanent achievements. The United States is still a single nation. Slavery doesn’t exist anymore. The third thing the Civil War accomplished was a potential, and partial, transformation, in the status of the freed slaves, who with the 14th and 15th amendments achieved, on paper at least, civil and political equality. But the struggle ever since 1870, when the 15th amendment was ratified, has been how to transform this achievement on paper into real achievement in the society.

This went on for too long so I didn't get to the end but I think McPherson misses a major change brought on by the war, just as he missed it in the introduction to one of his books when he quoted a professor who lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, writing in 1869, "It is as if I am no longer living in the country in which I was born."

This had nothing to do with the war or slavery as Cambridge was essentially untouched by both. He was talking about our system of government. I once remarked in a class at an Ivy I attended as an adult, "Lincoln destroyed the system of government bequeathed to us by the Framers." After the class I spoke privately with the professor and his comment about my comment was, "Well, he had help."

But it was gone.

ML/NJ

[vetvetdoug]

I spent a day with James McPherson taking him to locations around Shiloh and Corinth sharing information and discussions with him about the conflict here. He had an excellent grasp of the Civil War and slavery and we differed on a few topics but overall learned from each other. I live 2 1/2 miles from where his GGrandfather had his HQ prior to the battle of Corinth.

[DeweyCA]

That was a very good linked article about slavery in America. The “1619 Project” is just another attempt by the Left, using “Critical Theory,” to tear down America and convince people that it is not worth saving in its current form. This tactic is part of their overall strategy of “Cultural Marxism” that was started by Antonio Gramscii.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Isn’t it weird? Clearly communism cannot STAND to NOT cover every bit of land it can get its guantleted hand on.

Anyone sane would simply LEAVE the place they hate so much and find greener pasture. But being commies, they instead INSIST on CHANGE to their thinking.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Could you remember from whom that 1869 quote might be? I’d love to know.

[Sans-Culotte]

Do you mean Gen. James B. Mcpherson, the Union general? I do not believe he is related to James McPherson the author.

[matthew fuller]

"The United States is still a single nation."

Really? I guess it still is "One Nation" technically. I even remember when we really were one nation, united. I also remember hearing and seeing the B-36's flying over my Grandparent's house and the steam driven coal fired trains when the diesels were new. We are very much less a single nation today than we were post WWII / pre-Korean Conflict. I guess that an existential, external national threat causes that attitude.

[matthew fuller]

I believe that the author is descended from the CWII GENERAL.

[FLT-bird]

An unbalanced, one-sided account? Hell, that describes McPherson’s entire career. He’s the chief PC Revisionist.

[matthew fuller]

I was wrong- The author is NOT related to the General-
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

“I am not related to Gen. James Birdseye McPherson. I did have two Civil War ancestors: a great-grandfather, Luther Osborn, who enlisted in the 93rd New York Volunteer Infantry in December 1861, rose to corporal, became a lieutenant in the 22nd U.S. Colored Infantry in January 1864, rose to captain in that regiment; and a great-great-grandfather, Jesse Beecher, who enlisted in the 112th New York Volunteer Infantry in August 1862, rose to sergeant, died of typhoid fever in April 1865, is buried in the National Military Cemetery at Wilmington, North Carolina.”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

https://www.thedailybeast.com/25-years-of-battle-cry-of-freedom-an-interview-with-james-m-mcpherson

[TalBlack]

I shall synopsize the excerpt: It’s propaganda.

[ml/nj]

Could you remember from whom that 1869 quote might be? I’d love to know.

Had to look for several minutes to find the book where I found it: McPherson's Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution. The preface opens:

Four years after the guns fell silent at Appomattox, Harvard historian George Ticknor reflected on the meaning of the Civil War. That national trauma had riven "a great gulf between what happened before in our century and what has happened since, or what is likely to happen hereafter. It does not seem to me as if I were living in the country in which I was born."

An endnote indicates that this quote comes from some other relevantly recent history authored by Morton Keller.

ML/NJ

[vetvetdoug]

McPherson said he was and I believe him.