Uploaded December 2015 | Updated September 2026, 32 minutes ago
This lecture will introduce some of the most interesting and important questions historians of the American Civil War are asking today. These include: what role did slaves themselves play in the end of slavery? How did the Union Army defeat the Confederacy and win the war? It will also debunk some persistent myths that sometimes overshadow these real questions, including the claim that the Confederacy fought for states' rights rather than for the perpetuation of slavery. Even if you have never given a thought to the Civil War, you will come away from this lecture able to discuss and debate this defining moment in US history.
Andrew Zimmerman is Professor of History and International Affairs in the Department of History at The George Washington University. Professor Zimmerman received his BA in history from the University of California, Los Angeles, his M.Phil. in history and the philosophy of science from Darwin College, Cambridge University, and his PhD in history from the University of California, San Diego. He has also studied at Humboldt- Universität in Berlin and at Universität Wien in Vienna. Professor Zimmerman’s research focuses on modern Germany, the United States, and West Africa. He is working on a project tentatively titled "Slaves and Soldiers in the Red and Black Atlantic: A Transnational and Revolutionary History of the American Civil War."
Views expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS).
This lecture will introduce some of the most interesting and important questions historians of the American Civil War are asking today. These include: what role did slaves themselves play in the end of slavery? How did the Union Army defeat the Confederacy and win the war? It will also debunk some persistent myths that sometimes overshadow these real questions, including the claim that the Confederacy fought for states' rights rather than for the perpetuation of slavery. Even if you have never given a thought to the Civil War, you will come away from this lecture able to discuss and debate this defining moment in US history.
Andrew Zimmerman is Professor of History and International Affairs in the Department of History at The George Washington University. Professor Zimmerman received his BA in history from the University of California, Los Angeles, his M.Phil. in history and the philosophy of science from Darwin College, Cambridge University, and his PhD in history from the University of California, San Diego. He has also studied at Humboldt- Universität in Berlin and at Universität Wien in Vienna. Professor Zimmerman’s research focuses on modern Germany, the United States, and West Africa. He is working on a project tentatively titled "Slaves and Soldiers in the Red and Black Atlantic: A Transnational and Revolutionary History of the American Civil War."
Views expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS).
