Point/Counterpoint: Blanks Fired

The following post is part of a series meant to conduct and spark a friendly philosophical discussion of broadly visible themes. It is not our intent to single out any one group or person, and by no means should the points expressed herein be regarded as any kind of attack on either the reenacting community or academia. [excerpt

Point/Counterpoint: Insidious Cycle

Heather: In our last post, Bryan and I explored the unique challenges that the reenacting hobby poses to the interpretation and public understanding of the American Civil War. In it, we touched on just a few of the many motivations that inspire individuals to reenact. As we continue our Point/Counterpoint series below, we look to explore the relationship of the reenacting hobby with a particularly complex and problematic ideology–the Lost Cause. [excerpt

Point/Counterpoint: Anchoring Historical Memory

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 saw citizens and students of Gettysburg crowd into the Majestic Theater for the fifty-third annual Robert Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture. The audience listened attentively as Dr. Nina Silber, a renowned historian of the American Civil War, explored the nuanced application of the memory of Abraham Lincoln during the 1930s and ‘40s, especially as associated with the figure of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. [excerpt

Point-Counterpoint

Learning the art of theatrical combat, Illinois Wesleyan students let their swords do the talking

Point/Counterpoint: The Gettysburg Battlefield Marathon

Jeff: On November 6, the small town of Gettysburg will be swarmed by runners during the first ever Gettysburg Battlefield Marathon. The event has provoked heated discussion from many in the Civil War community, bringing up many questions regarding the use of our most hallowed grounds for recreational use. In this post, Matt and I will engage in a back and forth conversation about the concerns and advantages of the race. I’d like to begin by noting that the views that we each express in this piece may not necessarily be our own and that we may merely be bringing them up to contribute to the conversation surrounding the marathon. [excerpt

Point/Counterpoint

AHJ is pleased to announce this new feature to commence with the December 1998 issue. In the first instance, point/ counterpoint will provide a forum to challenge the conclusions drawn by authors whose work has appeared in AHJ. However, other items of scholarly critique are also welcomed. Contributors may wish to challenge the findings of books that have been reviewed in AHJ. Dialogue is encouraged with authors whose work has appeared in other academic journals so long as the subject matter is historical in nature. Point/counterpoint will be edited by Professor Thomas N. Tyson of St. John Fisher College. Submissions will not be evaluated by the double-blind-review process deployed for full-length articles. Critiqued authors will be accorded the opportunity to respond