they came from jefferson davis's own plantation. the original work of art that depicts this arrival is owned by the new york historical society. it is worth mentioning. lee, there is a myth that robert e. lee and jefferson davis loved the idea of recruiting african-americans and many believed there were confederate african-americans, no matter how many times we say there were not. >> that is a myth. robert e lee, along with 99.4%, i made up that number, along with his generation, was a racist. he did not believe blacks had any rights or could be effective citizens. he did not believe blacks had any rights that any white man was bound to recognize. but he was a pragmatist in terms of war. in march of 1865, note the date, he surrenders in april. in march of 1865, a little rump confederate congress, passed a law authorizing the recruitment of black soldiers. that was the only time the confederacy became involved in this thing. they raised two companies, did not issue than any weapons, they drilled with broomsticks. lee was asked, would

- hey, general, he's reenacting jefferson davis. you can't talk that way to a superior officer. - men, i want you all to know that as president of the confederacy, i'm hereby surrendering. - what? - well, as abraham lincoln, i accept your surrender and agree to your conditions. you and all the confederates will have all the s'more schnapps you can drink for a year. all: whoa. - a whole year? - all right! well, i think we got what we wanted. - that's it? i-i don't have to sign this thing? - hey, come on, we should take a tour of the smithsonian before we head back. - no! we still have to fight! - lincoln and davis signed a treaty, general. the war is over. - no! - it's finally over cartman. you lost! - yeah, and now you can take that stupid beard off. [tears] [screaming in pain] [scream echoing] - boys, as president of the united states, i want to commend you for stopping the rebel uprising. - don't touch me. - well, cartman, the south lost. that means you're our slave for a month. - damn it! damn it! i was so close. damn it! - now,

that's what put him in opposition with jefferson davis who said what are you goiving this land away to these people, why don't they work for it like everybody else or have a famous family where you could sort of grab land? he was in all measures an understanding person about the nature of poverty. and the nature of class in america. he just could not get past the racial question. he believed in the inferiority of blacks, he believed that -- and because of that, that they should either -- well, basically said i don't care where they go. they can be emancipated, but they're not going to have rights, the same kinds of rights that white men would have. he figured and said, very openly, that the united states should be a white man's government. this was not an unusual thing. he was a jacksonian, he began his career as a young man, a great worshipper of jackson. so it doesn't surprise or it should not surprise that when the time came when there was secession, that he decided to stand with the union. if you'll remember, jackson was a slave holder, but jackson was also a committed unionist. an

. -- jefferson davis. that is something jefferson davis said. it certainly had a lot of hold on the american imagination. it shows up in a lot of books. bill o'reilly's book is out there in the used book stall, and it is out there. if you've ever seen "touched by an angel," a big show in the 1980's, there was an entire episode dedicated to this. it has great power. i think it is because americans want to believe that there is something supernatural about lincoln, that he can have such remarkable dreams. there are other issues i have with the dream. i wrote a chapter on it in the book. [laughter] >> i am a vietnam vet. the v.a. is now starting to get into neurology, and what they are finding everyday is vietnam vets, as they are aging, are coming in and having these problems with panic attacks, and they believe that the stuff they saw over there when they were younger, their brains just blocked out, but now they are not doing it. this is a terrible thing. but i did want to ask you, too, did walt whitman get any of this material before he wrote "o

there was one street named after jefferson davis was rosa parks. i wanted to see where rosa parks lived december 1 to 1955 when the montgomery bus boycott became the mother of the movement. it was the most decrepit looking in the room for exaggerating her home was the size of this stage living in this impoverished, but her rating was so high she didn't go to college but she went to an industrial school for girls where they taught home economics and was one of those booker t. washington industrial schools of the south and then she worked her way as a secretary for the naacp for no money. the big kingpin of the railroads she would fight all these things and keep it all but i couldn't believe nobody has written a serious book about her. i'm not kidding you there were 200 books on doctor king. nothing on rosa parks so i decided i was going to write a biography on rosa parks and they reached out and the person that worked for mrs. parker said he would like an african-american n woman is the biographers. >> in dc they said i didn't like hearing myself te

there was one street named after her jefferson davis avenue intersected with rosa parks boulevard that wanted to see where rosa parks lives on december 1, 1955 when the montgomery bus boycott kicked in and she became the mother of the movement. it was the most decrepit underfunded housing project she was living in and in her room without exaggerating, her home was the size of the stage. she lived with her husband raymond in this impoverished away yet her integrity level was so high. she didn't go to college but she went to an industrial school for girls where they taught home economics. it was one of the booker t. washington industrial schools in the south. then she worked her way and would do things like work as a secretary for the naacp for no money. ed nixon who is the big kingpin of the railroads, the porters union she would file all those things and keep it all but i couldn't believe with rosa parks there was nobody that i've written a serious book about here. there's taylor branch's volume. there were 200 books on martin luther king but nope looks on parks. we'd like it to be an

he had the jefferson davis papers and two big paper projects would be too much. then i started a series in black history with august myer one of the two leading scholars in this subject area. i had been talking to him about this at lsu and he was willing to switch to illinois along with just friends the editors of the book washington series. as the black history series developed, we published a book by herbert who was the author a of a major book be on the black family i'm sure you know it well it shall he had published a long critique of book on economics of slavery in an african-american journal. i suggested that we publish this as a book. and put a new yorker cartoon on the cover in which a slave was told not to be too concerned because historians would show his life was not all that rough afterall. this little book led to one of the presses most important areas of specialization. he asked if illinois, interested in starting a series on labor and working class history. which he thought that two leading scholars in the field gave them montgomery and david would

genesis of a bizarre, 1890s tour that paired lincoln's cabin with the cabin of of a native son, jefferson davisbrought the cabins of the unlikely duo to towns and cities across america. after which all of the logs were in storage until private citizens decide to put it back together at lincoln's birth place. >> howow did they know which we witch? >> they didn't. they had no idea. >> kind of threw them together. >> threw them together. >> davis logs. lincoln logs. if they've fit together, why not. >> if you have a traditional cabin. >> wherever they came from, when the professor dated the logs logs, he discovered they were cut when lincoln was in congress. >> 14. it's not lincoln's cabin. >> some visit torz leave -- some visitors leave disappointed. >> feel cheated. because the it's not the real thing. >> you have lincoln everything. you have lincoln national bank. lincoln general store. lincoln jamboree. >> reporter: cody mcdowell works at lincoln general store. >> lincoln is our identity. that's who we are. >> they have the story of the other cabin at nobb creek. belongs to a friend of the pre

wilder: he was the first person to lay in state in the mansion since jefferson davis. i am not bragging, that i am telling you the history. the question still comes up now as to who runs the city. i would like that to be answered by the people so that the people do, and that it is an extension of the people's choices in their elected officials. with the accountability of removal and replacement where needed and where necessary. we were chatting briefly up here as it relates to this class. i was telling him how pleased i am, larry, that this class is taking place, because you are learning more about the city of richmond, in many instances, than the people who are charged with the responsibility of running it. i can say that unabashedly without self-contradiction because i know of where i speak. thank you. we will be taking some questions. [applause] >> what is with this independent city business? i thought we were going to get rid of independent cities in virginia. why not? mr. wilder: well, my answer today would be, no, they are not going to get rid of it. because the

he was the first person to lay in state at the mansion since jefferson davis. i will tell you these things not bragging but telling you them as to the history. nowquestion still comes up as to who runs the city. i would like that to be answered by the people so that the people know that is an extension of the people's choices. they are elected with accountability of removal and the replacement -- and replacement when needed and necessary. we were chatting briefly up here. i was telling him how pleased i am that this class is taking place because you are learning more about the city of richmond in many instances than the people who are charged with the responsibility of running it. i can say that unabashedly. i know where i speak. thank you. we will be taking some questions. [applause] >> i will start. what is with the independent city business? -- what is get everyone would be at rid of independent cities in virginia? why not? no,y answer today would be they are not going to get rid of it. the voting strength is in the counties and in the suburbs. where are the

he previously taught history at jefferson davis community college. some do not associate the community college with scholarly production of writing and research. he proves the addition to the academic discussion of history and events is alive and well in community college. this is his third book to be published. he has appeared on syndicated programs in support of those works. he has published opinion pieces on current events. while doing all that, he and his wife have found time to raise a family. they have a son and three daughters. i know they are very busy. we need to get on with the reason we are here tonight. i am pleased to introduce the author of the founding fathers guide to the contribution -- constitution, brion mcclanahan. [applause] brion: how are you doing? great. thank you for coming, i appreciate it. it is great to see my students and friends from the community and faculty. your support is welcome. i would also like to thank you for letting me do this year and also dr. cannon, kelly williams, karen kelly, all the people that helps me