this is jefferson davis. this is the only wartime portrait of jefferson davis. it was done in this house from life in august of 1863 when he was 55 years old. we believe that this portrait hung in the house somewhere. we are not sure where, after it was finished. we do know davis took it with him when he left richmond in april of 1862 and eventually gave it to someone in south carolina when he was passing through that state, and the museum got it back later and we have displayed it ever since. jefferson davis was born in kentucky, the same state that abraham lincoln was born in actually. both men were born in kentucky. neither of them stayed there that long. davis' family moved south soon after davis' birth. they moved to louisiana and then over to mississippi. davis grew up mostly in mississippi. although, he returned to kentucky a couple times both for educational reasons. he went to boarding school in kentucky and then later to transylvania university in kentucky before going off to the u.s. military academy at west point. lincoln, by contrast, spent about th

johnston was a year or two ahead of jefferson davis at west pointe and johnson allowed davis to join his set. this was the term they used, we were all in high school, those of us who weren't in high school before the civil war. [ laughter ] it was a click. and this was a heady feeling for young davis, boy from out in mississippi to be allowed into this elite set, it was polk and a few others and davis i think really idolized sidney johnston ever after and thus when he became president of the confederacy his first concern for his military establishment was to make albert sidney johnston his premier, his senior field general, yet this man davis said was his closest friend, he and johnston as i could tell hadn't seen each other more than three times in 20 years so this really is a case of idolizing, i think, rather than anything else. than anything else. it's -- i don't think we know enough. johnston got killed so early in his first battle that we really don't have much of a basis knowing how he was likely to perform later, how good would he be at learning the art of war in this kind of

jefferson davis jr., who was 4, and joe who was 2, and mrs. davis was pregnant when they moved in. she gave birth in december of 1861 upstairs. unfortunately, their first child samuel had died in 1854 right before his second birthday, so he obviously never saw this house. these were young wild kids, by all accounts. the wildest was certainly jefferson davis jr., and we have a couple of his things in this room. this is one of them. it's a fully functioning cannon, so it was a real cannon. he also had several confederate army uniforms, and that's one of them over there. so what he would do would be to put one of those uniforms on. he'd take the cannon out in the back. he'd set up targets that he would call yankees, and he would shoot them with the cannon. now, jefferson davis jr. and his brother joseph were in a street gang called the shocko hill cats. we are standing on shocko hill. this house is on top of shocko hill, and this is a wealthy urban residential neighborhood at that time, so these were the ri

>> jefferson davis was not the most self-aware of men. he tended to be pretty blind to a lot of his personality failings and short comings, davis genuinely did inside understand that he didn't have the nature of an executive. i think that he genuinely would have preferred to be out in the field. he was comfortable with soldiers and comfortable with the rugged sort of life. they at least seem to meet you head on, unlike the politicians, i know this will surprise many people. i think we can take him at his word in that instance, he says he would rather have been out in the field. in his later years, when asked what he would most likely do in his life, he said if i could have it to live all over again, i would be a ba boone breaking squares. tell us how he prepared himself to overcome the deficiencies in his resume. >> he consulted with general scott. library of congress, military history and military strategy and studying them by midnight oil. he talks about lincoln staying up late, trying to master military strategy. he would listen to anyb

he also wants to argue against a common southern perspective as reflected by jefferson davis. he makes a logical point that one of you pointed out. if we as a nation had the right to leave britain why isn't it the right of a sovereign state to secede from the government. it's very logical assumption. it's no coincidence that davis gives his inaugural address on washington's birthday referring to the birthday of the man most identified with the establishment of independence and establishment that results out of an act of disunion. it self-reflects the constitutional crisis. dred scott creates the constitutional crisis. secession itself reflects the constitutional crisis. lincoln said at the end of the cooper union address in which remember last week it's the best way to understand that it's a legal brief against the supreme court's decision in dred scott. he said that chief justice taney's opinion is wrong. he said right makes light. in essence, secession became unconstitutional because might made right. after the civil war it became clear that secession or disunion was wrong.

some thought it was great, the yad that you would still hold jefferson davis accountable was great, and others thought that blaine was waving the bloody shirt again and the nation was moving away from the war and recommend sill yags seemed to be moving forward and why was he provoking this dispute again. >> we have five minutes left. independence, iowa, this is joe. >> caller: unlike joshua chamberlain, william mckinley, blaine had no military record in the civil war but his running mate general john a. logan had one and was the first president of the grand army of the republic, that great republican organization throughout the states, and logan gave us memorial day declaration day. can you speak to the fact, was that a ticket balancing move in some sense or did it in part cover the fact that blaine had not served? >> i think there's no question but that what is a political balance on the ticket. logan was very well known. the veterans' vote was a very powerful force in the post-civil war period in america. blaine, because he was very much involved in an emerging political career, when

ask you, what's the incident with him sponsoring the bill that would exclude citizenship for jefferson davis? >> right. right. in 1876 when he was throwing his hat in the ring for the presidency, he sponsored this bill that said that all the -- the remaining confederates, former confederates who had not yet been given amnesty should be given amnesty except jefferson davis, which was interesting. >> how did politics of that resound with the nation? >> well, it provoked a great fight in congress. people felt -- some people thought it was great because they believed he should in fact -- this idea that you would still hold jefferson davis accountable was great. others thought that blaine was doing what they called waving the bloody shirt again and here the nation was moving away from the war and reconciliation seemed to be moving forward and why was he provoking this dispute yet again? >> we have five minutes left. independence, iowa, this is joe. >> caller: unlike joshua chamberlain, william mckinley, blaine had no military record in the civil war but his running mate general john a. logan had

jefferson davis talks about how hierarchies of white race in the north and racializes germans and irish, i think you see there was almost -- there was a battle for equality that was going on not just for black and white but also for workers in general. within the war. >> right. i think that's a great point. there's an important exception, and that is when lincoln issues conscription, if you're wealthy, you can get out as conscription, you can pay a substitute, but it wasn't nearly the degree to which it was in the confederacy. after all, the confederacy is unambiguous about saying we are forming this new nation to protect and to propagate slavery. so this new nation, only a third, less than a third of the population is even slave owners. it'd be like saying, it would be like the 1% of the nation today forming a new nation and assuming that everyone else is onboard. now, it is true that very few poor people today oppose the system of capitalism. because they figure, you know, hey, i might be poor now, but in three years, five years, ten years, i can get rich. much the same way the non sl

northbound route 1, jefferson davis highway at job lip road, we have an accident with injuries. northbound lands are closed the southbound open. 395 looking good though you can see the wet pavement there. be careful as you head out. no problems crossing the 14th street bridge. 66 wide open leaving manassas heading towards centerville. it continues to be incident- free. you want to watch out for the construction crews as they wrap up for the morning rush. no problems in montgomery county. that's a check of your fox 5 on-time traffic. >> thank you. >>> making head line this morning, an investigation is under way after a 23-year-old man was hit by a csx train in rockville. it happened late last night here at rap dolph road near neville seat. officers are looking into whether the victim was playing a game of chicken on the tracks. the victim was taken to the hospital and light rite now we still don't know how he is doing. the secretary of commerce involved in a hit and run is taking a medical leave. it follows a string of by star traffic accidents john bryson caused in southern cali

he wrote a really brilliant biography of jefferson davis. he wouldn't have done that for his first book now because he wouldn't get a job or tenure. but anyway, that's another story. people actually like to read biographies. so they will continue to be published. between 1991 and 2003 ten biographies of william te couple sus sherman and ulysses s. grant, not counting the ones since then. should readers consult the mou than 4,750 pages in those volumes or readers who happen to read the two men's memoirs missed the part that grant and sherman developed an effective partnership. i guess you could read them in a transor something and trying not to get that, but just in case they missed that, from that effusion of writing in the '90s, they could turn to a book published in 2005, 480 payables long titled "grant and sherman: the friendship that won the civil war." that friendship i think was known even before, but i don't want to be precip tid in my thinking there. my point is that authors drawn to either of the civil wars should be alert to these

. >> and i think you see that when jefferson davis talks about how hierarchies of white race in the north and racializes germans and irish, i think you see that there was almost -- there was a battle for equality that was going on, not just

jefferson davis left his position as kpandcommander in c some whispered in disguise, in this case a more demeaning one, his wife's rain coat which was later exaggerated into hoop skirts. and that reputations for leadership and for military ability had similarly flipped in that four-year period. and the eyes of history turned to abraham lincoln, experience wasn't enough. on-the-job training and evolution proved to be more important. and it's true that history almost always belongs to the winners. but about 30 minutes ago i mentioninged john houseman so i will end and thank these gentlemen by saying that in a way abraham lincoln achieved his superior reputation the old-fashioned way. he earned it! thank you, jack davis and jim mcpherson. [ applause ] >>> "the civil war" airs here every saturday at 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. and sundays at 11:00 a.m. eastern time. to watch more of our civil war programming anytime, visit c-span.org/history. and to see what we're up to during the week or to send us your questions and comments, join us online. follow us on twitter or like us on facebook at facebook.

but jefferson davis and the confederate leaders were much more explicit about acknowledging this natural hierarchy. it's reflected in the pro- slavery ideal reflects a natural hierarchy, and one should respect it. one should know one's place. it's a superb point. and you're absolutely right that marks understands that this is what the british working class are arguing for or fighting against. in essence, it's an acknowledgement that race and class are profoundly intertwined. one of the central differences is that while the british working classes were the most vigorous champions of abolitionism, the northern working classes in the united states as a group were the most racist because they had to compete with blacks for jobs. england had it easy. there were fewer blacks than in the united states. it meant there was less reason for the working classes to feel threatened by. yeah, there's a microphone. >> one of the things that struck me about -- going back to the marx, the london workers meeting, he talks about how the silence is admirable. >> yes. >> and it struck me that that's actually

military commander far more suit befrd them than the relationship between his great rival and jefferson davis. each man senses the other's confidence in him. their exchanges are easy and direct. though lincoln is capable of a kind of harmless disingenuousness when he writes things to grant such as your plans i neither know or seek to know. he doesn't really mean that. and grant extremely subordinate by nature knows it. the army of the potomac, under grant's own subordinate. georged me will continue. will continue to be led by mead. he is both touched and reassured by grant any display of confidence in him. i am reminded because i have been looking recent leap at the second world war and its aftermath of harry truman's expectation that george marshall will quote, clean up, unquote, the state department. marshall like grant does nothing of the kind. his instinct is to walk in, find out what its good in the organization, and reward it rather than, of course, this was a of grants. the campaign-- the army of the potomac's campaign, according to one grant biographer was quote, a hideous disaster in

military commander far more suited before them than the relationship between his great rival and jefferson davis.

senator introduced legislation in 1863 to improve staff efficiency, lee's letter to support to jefferson davis reveal add deep understanding of contemporary professional debates over the organization and qualification of staff officers. yet he rarely applied his well-considered views to his own staff. for most of the war he made due with a handful of field grade military secretaries to handle paperwork and a small cadre of field grade general staff officers to carry out logistical duties. as one writer of the era asserted, a good general will dispense with writing. inactive operations, his head and not his hand should be kept active. the number of items in the archives that all of us have found in our historical research has suggested that lee did far more writing during his campaigns than these french experts would have ever approved of. but lee never appointed a chief of staff with a wide authority to act in his name as called for by the military authorities of his age. he briefly contemplated appointeding his west point educated son custis already a general officer as either his chief are s

campbell wanted to speak with him, he was hoping that campbell would speak to him on authority from jefferson davis to discuss a surrender or possible end to the war that was not the case. when he got here. it was clear, he was speaking for himself trying to get virginia back into the union as quickly and painlessly as possible. lincoln listened to him. he was a bit disappointed he wasn't here to talk about a surrender of the confederate government or an end to the war. campbell, unlike davis, saw the writing on the wall and knew the war was almost over. >> that was part one of a two-part look at the white house of the confederacy. american artifacts airs every sunday at 8:00 a.m., 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. eastern time. >>> now, the contenders. we feature eugene debs, a five-time presidential candidate for the socialist party. this 90-minute program was recorded at debs' home and museum in terre haute, indiana. each sunday, through labor day weekend, you can watch the contenders here on american history tv on c-span3. >> our featured contender is eugene v. debs, a five-time candidate for president

in a message to the confederate congress in may 1864 jefferson davis similarly referred to the ties between the military and the civilian spheres. the army which has born the trials and dangers of the war, which has been subjected to privations and disappointments, he stated has been the center of cheerfulness and hope. as t conflict ground toward its conclusion in the spring of 1865, perhaps as many as 900,000 confederate men had served, of whom more than 650,000 had perished, been wounded or sent to united states prison camps. both presidents would have joined the overwhelming majority of fellow citizens of infirming the centrality during these four years of struggle. generals and their civilian superiors had planned and executed operations that not only included many of the most famous battles in erican history, but operations that also profoundly affected the politisocial dimensions of the cflict. study of those operations for us yields a two-fold return. most obviously, we as readers counter a feast of dramatic incidents, memorable characters, striking contrasts of skill and ineptitude

a water main closure on jefferson davis highway, south of dump 40's road. southbound george washington parkway, very slow off the belt way towards the roosevelt bridge just after the key bridge. vehicle fire, for the most part cleaned up. there is a unit on the scene cleaning up the vehicle and the right lane, the left lane could spy. the inner loop of the beltway delays before the american legion bridge before the i-270 spur. the inner loop past connecticut avenue, some delays. germantown northbound at 355 before father hurley boulevard traffic gets by, but the left lane is blocked. not too bad east on 50. >> still ahead -- >> that earlier detection i think is better. >> the new test that could detect autism and children as young as it 2. >> i'm ready to do something different. and she has made a big impact on local transportation. what is next liket? >> in just a few days, the first female to lead the maryland department of transportation will be stepping down. >> alison starling shows us what makes her tonight's working woman. >> if you ask about the def

anti-jewish prejudices were heightened during the civil war by the prominence of several jews, notably jefferson davis' right-hand man and cabinet secretary judah p. benjamin, in the ranks of the confederacy. senator benjamin wade called benjamin -- it's a wonderful line -- he called him an israelite with egyptian principles. [laughter] but the jewish confederates were by no means the only cause of prejudice. smuggling, speculating, price gouging, swindling, producing shoddy merchandise for the military, all were similarly laid at the doorstep of the jews. indeed, jews during the civil war came to personify wartime capitalism's ills. they bore disproportionate blame for badly-produced uniforms, poorly-firing weapons, inedible foodstuffs and other substandard merchandise that corrupt contractors supplied to the war effort and smugglers marketed to unsuspecting troops. in the eyes of many americans, including some in the military, all traitors and smugglers and sucklers and wartime profiteers were smug-nosed jews where they were actually jewish or not. the implication echoing a perennial anti-semitic ca

woodrow wilson, who was a son of the south, who remembered seeing jefferson davis in chains being led past him at the end of the war, nevertheless developed something of a hero worship for lincoln. richard nixon as a 12-year-old was given a portrait of lincoln that he hung over his bed. nixon also justified what would later be seen as abuses of power by comparing america in the vietnam era to the country during the civil war. so, over and over again, lincoln is always there if you want to cite him to justify the expansion of presidential power, particularly in war time. >> sreenivasan: why do you think it is that people keep coming back to lincoln to study and to write and rewrite? >> it's a great question. he's not washington or jefferson about whom scholars obviously continue to write but who seem more remote. lincoln seems more accessible to us. in many ways, lincoln is one of us. a number of reasons for that. first of all he had a sense of humor, which does more than anything to humanize people. he had an unhappy marriage, which makes him somehow accessible. he had children. he ex

davis was a democrat and dedicated to freedom and free trade and very much in the tradition of jefferson and coolidge was a conservative republican who shared many of the same jeffersonian ideas of limited government and freedom. it's interesting that in 1924 the old progressive war horse, william jennings observed at the democratic convention in 1924 that davis was a man of fine character, but he added with disgust so was mr. coolidge and there was no difference between them and that pretty well summed up the how these two then stood in their day. let's take a quick look at coolidge and fond of quoting a new england phrase which sounded like it could have been a southern phrase, too, and it was the education of every man begins two to three generations before he's born, and that was certainly true of calvin coolidge. he was absolutely a product of new england and he often boasted that no coolidge ever went west and what he meant by that was that as tough a place is that they earned a living he made a go of it, and i think in summary of coolidge, it's fair to say that one of the great th

i think you see that when jefferson davis talks about how hierarchies of white race in the north and racializes germans and irish. captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2008 captioning performed by vitac