An Interview with Jonathan W. White
by Jonathan White, Sara GabbardAn Interview with Jonathan W. White by Sara Gabbard Sara Gabbard: Please describe the Center for American Studies at Christopher Newport University. Jonathan White: The Center for American Studies is a group of faculty on campus who seek to help students gain a better understanding of American history and political thought. Every year we […]
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Memories: An Interview with Harold Holzer
by Harold Holzer, Sara GabbardMemories: An Interview with Harold Holzer Sara Gabbard: Recent questions about the fate of various Civil War memorials raise several obvious questions. Is there a profound difference between possible sites for statues; e.g. public vs. private property? Harold Holzer: To me, yes, there is a difference: private sites can display what their owners want to […]
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An Interview with Richard Etulain
by Richard Etulain, Sara GabbardAn Interview with Richard Etulain regarding his new book Abraham Lincoln: A Western Legacy Sara Gabbard: Please explain the series on South Dakota history which this book represents: Richard Etulain: This book is part of the South Dakota Biography Series published by the South Dakota Historical Society Press. In 1997, the ambitious and diligent editor, […]
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An Interview with Eric Foner about his new book: The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution
by Eric Foner, Sara GabbardSara Gabbard: Please explain the significance of the fact that “Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation” was added to the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. Eric Foner: The fact that each of the Reconstruction amendments ends with a section empowering Congress to enforce its provisions illustrates the radical change in […]
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Interview with David S. Reynolds regarding his new book “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Time”
by David S. Reynolds, Sara GabbardSara Gabbard: You excel in putting historical figures into the context of their times. In terms of date of birth, Abraham Lincoln was born on the cusp between Enlightenment and Romanticism. Were there traces of both in his life? David Reynolds: He was shaped by both movements. From the Enlightenment, he derived his interest in […]
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An Interview with Richard Striner
by Richard Striner, Sara GabbardAn Interview with Richard Striner regarding His New Book: Summoned to Glory: The Audacious Life of Abraham Lincoln (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020) Sara Gabbard: The obvious first question should be about your use of the word Audacious in the title. When did you first realize that this word represented the conclusions of your study? Richard […]
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An Interview with Allen Guelzo
by Allen C. Guelzo, Sara GabbardSara Gabbard: When you are “on the road” lecturing about Lincoln and the Civil War, what questions do members of the audience ask most frequently? Do responses from your students reflect the same interests? Allen Guelzo: Far and away, the most-frequently-asked question I encounter from audiences is, “Would things have been different if Lincoln had […]
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An Interview with Harold Holzer Regarding His New Book The Presidents vs. the Press
by Harold Holzer, Sara GabbardSara Gabbard: When in relationship to the timing of writing your marvelous Lincoln and the Power of the Press did you decide to write a book which would explore “the Endless Battle between the White House and the Media from the Founding Fathers to Fake News? Harold Holzer: The idea first struck me during the […]
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An interview with Kathryn Harris Regarding Her Portrayal of Harriet Tubman
by Kathryn Harris, Sara GabbardSara Gabbard: Your first person portrayal of Harriet Tubman is in a class by itself. What led you to this method of presentation? Kathryn Harris: I have found that audiences remember more content or information from a first person presentation than from reading or seeing a video. There is the opportunity to interact with the […]
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An Assessment of Thomas Lincoln
by Daniel Cravens Taylor, Sara GabbardAn Interview with Daniel Cravens Taylor Sara Gabbard: Please trace the Lincoln family’s journey from England to Virginia. Daniel Cravens Taylor: President Lincoln was not familiar with his family history in early life. As he approached his campaign for the presidency, Lincoln knew his father and mother came from Virginia but considered them to be […]
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An Interview with E. Lawrence Abel on Lincoln’s Assassination
by E. Lawrence Abel, Sara GabbardAn Interview with E. Lawrence Abel on Lincoln’s Assassination by Sara Gabbard An Interview with E. Lawrence Abel on Lincoln’s Assassination Sara Gabbard: Your book, A Finger in Lincoln’s Brain, presented a detailed analysis of the medical measures which were used after John Wilkes Booth shot the 16th President. Today those measures seem almost primitive […]
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An Interview with Kate Masur on “They Knew Lincoln” by John E. Washington
by Kate Masur, Sara GabbardAn Interview with Kate Masur on “They Knew Lincoln” by John E. Washington by Sara Gabbard John E. Washington, c1941 LN-1137 Sara Gabbard: Who was John E. Washington? What brought him to your attention? Kate Masur: I first came across John E. Washington’s book, They Knew Lincoln, when I was a graduate student at University […]
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Interview with Jay Winik
by Jay Winik, Sara GabbardInterview with Jay Winik by Sara Gabbard Cover of April 1865: The Month that Saved America, by Jay Winik, 2001 71.2009.084.13230 Sara Gabbard: Your book April 1865: The Month that Saved America is a “must read” for those intent on understanding the ramifications of the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, and the aftermath […]
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An Interview with Harold Holzer on “Monument Man”
by Harold Holzer, Sara GabbardAn Interview with Harold Holzer regarding his new book, Monument Man: The Life and Art of Daniel Chester French [“As one of the foremost living authorities on Abraham Lincoln, Harold Holzer has long straddled the crossroads of history and art with his own inimitable brand of scholarship. Not surprisingly, in this grandly illustrated and beautifully written […]
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An Interview with Lincoln Artist, Wendy Allen
by Sara GabbardThe first question people always ask me is, “Why do you paint Lincoln?” It’s never easy to explain a passion. Simply put, I am painting the exact location of America’s soul.
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