I am not an historian, but I know when one is lying to me. I also know what attempted manipulation and obfuscation looks like. It was on full display in Connor Williams’ speech at the Civil War Museum in Richmond. I did not attend, but I saw the secret video!

The lead historian of the Naming Commission begins his talk with a sophomoric analysis of Martin Luther King’s I have a Dream Speech. Talking to the audience like they did not see nor understand the significance in King’s use of “five score”. I admit I have not read it 100 times like he says he has, but I don’t need a reminder it was given at the Lincoln Memorial. His attempt to leverage Dr. King and the 1960s Civil Rights “moment of change” as analogous to today is ridiculous. He spent five minutes on this rubbish. Why?

The talk was more political than historical. To say none of the members are ideologues laughable. Ty Seidule is the definition of one. It is a fact that Congress sanctioned the creation of the commission but that does not mean the Congressional mandate can be ignored. His talk should have addressed how a “historian” on the commission dealt with key historical questions. For example, what process was used to determine that all the Confederates in question voluntarily served the Confederate States of America? What evidence of voluntary service was presented?

Memory, History, and Commemoration

This part was painful. Pure justification for a report that is ahistorical. “History is about who we were, commemoration is about who we strive to be”. This is how he ends his talk. He presented nothing of historical substance in his address. Millions of Americans think commemoration should not be based on politics and that overruling Americans who chose to commemorate Confederates in the early 20th century is wrong. Next essay will cover the questions and answers.