sumner? is that person. it hurts him in some ways because. he has a difficult time forming alliances in a business that really requires alliances. that is politics. someone has a tough time that. and then, you know, when you these characters and i say characters in the nonfiction sense real life when you research people always want to try to make paint as complete a picture as deep a picture as you possibly can. and so when you when you look at sumner's letters and you look at the letters, others about him and the other writings from others, you see a man who, in his political positions and his deep beliefs is a his a paragon and in his relationship with people really struggles struggles with women has a disastrous marriage in 1866 very late in his life you know you'll read all about that in the book. but i'm just saying that he has this kind of dichotomy, the kind of guy you want standing up for you when the going gets tough on matters of principle. but maybe not the kind of guy you want to

what what about the sumner? sumner case lives in such cultural memory that it's this iconic thing that you read about history books and do you think that we're going to have another one of those in 100 years, will that be january six? will that be mitt romney turning around? what those instances to the to the top that we just remember. that's a good question. i think with sumner there there are there are several things that combined that make this the the iconic episode of legislative violence and in american history. the first is that this is a very, very serious injury that he experiences. you know, he is out of the senate for more than two years as a result of this of this attack. and, you know, so it's not a trivial it's not a trivial attack. the second, of course, is that the attacker is another member of congress. i'm think back into sort of the episodes that i described over the the the session most instances of legislative violence in american history. this is him the hairpiece case is an exception invol

most northern newspapers, even t radically abolitionists, they want to in some way charles sumner andlame preston brooks for what happed. you seephrases like outreous, assault, that kind of thing in the reporting. it is a classic polarizing incident with these different narratives coming from both sides. that is right. it is followed years later but that raid, everything i said about the caning is doub for brown's raid, the reaction, and the technology being ed these headline give you a sense of how the newspapers re reporting quick fire, quick bursts of formation. this is what is ing on. brown's raid tracted field reporters from many big newspapers in the north, harpers ferry got there, it went on for 160 seconds, how long the caning nt on, brown's raid lasted a couple days and the trial lasted longer than thatfield reporters are going to harpers ferry their updates ck to the northern newspapers. interestingl, with brown's raid, u e a change in northern publicopinion after the fact, as many of thes stories, thpolar opposite narratives onthe same event. with brown's raid, you see more

in the south, you see a lot of examples of sumner.sumner deserving it, basically with speech full of abuse, ll of the vilest and most appeals against the domestic institutions of, the south. 's kind of a code word for slavery back then. so most southerners, there are always exceptions, course, but most southerners are defend broomed sumner, whereas most northern,if ty're not really abolitionist, they want to defend mannd want to defend in some way charles sumner and blame preston brooks for what happen so you see morses like outrageous, brutal assault and that kind of thithey're reporting the caning. so it's a classic polarizing incident with these narratives coming from both sides. yeah, that's right. it's followed a few years later by brown's and everything i said about caning is doubly so for. brown's right. you know, the kinds of reactions get, but also eechnology that's being used. and these headlines, i think, give you a sen o how newspars are reporting kind o quick fire, quick bursts information. this is the test. this what's g

he was a minority in sumner county. just about 20-25% of the population was white.riend of the majority. and when he went to the naval academy, he asked that his roommate be the first black shipment to come to annapolis. and he said i know minorities. i have been a minority most of my life. and he went out of his way to embrace those of us but that was a sensitivity, the spirituality james earl carter was truly a child of god. not only a good farmer, but a nuclear physicist. chosen by admiral cova to assist him in developing a nuclear navy. peace and goodwill towards all men, and especially towards women and children. i know president carter i never cease to be enlightened. i never cease to be inspired. by the little deeds of love and mercy that he shared with us every day of his life. it was president james earl carter. but, for me, simply the greatness of the united states of america. ani am truly grateful for him because in spite of the harshness of the depression and the explosions of inflation, he never wavered for -- from his commitment to god almighty. and hi

sumner sympathizers said brooks knew canes. members began carrying pistols into the chamber.on's chief executive james buchanan did nothing. a house divided against itself cannot stand. i believe this government cannot endure program minutely half slave and half free. i do not expect the union to be dissolved. i do not expect the house it fall, but i do expect it will cease to be divided. it will become all one thing or all the other. >> political violence, divided country, it is like that mark twain quote, history didn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes. a truism ken burns himself has talked about on this very program. "the new york times" calculated that if you watched all of ken's films back-to-back to back it would take over 232 hours, a full nine days, but if you do have nine days to spare you will see generation after generation history is rhyming right before our eyes. >> martin luther king was shot and was killed tonight in memphis, tennessee. [ screaming ] in this difficult day, in this difficult time for the united states it is perhaps well to us what kind of a na

senate where preston brooks of south carolina, a congressman, savagely beat an abolitionist charles sumner with his cane. members began carrying knives and pistols into the chamber. meanwhile, the nation's chief executive, james buchanan, did nothing. >> a house divided against itself cannot stand . i believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. i do not expect the union to be dissolved i do not expect the house to fall but i do expect it will cease to be divided. it will become all one thing or all the other. >> political violence, a divided country, it's like the mark twain quote, history often repeats itself. if you watched all of his films back to back they calculated it would take over 200 films back to back they calculated it would take over 282 hours or a full nine days but if you have a spare nine days to watch them in a sitting, what you would witness is proof that generation after generation, history is rhyming before our eyes. >> martin luther king was shot and killed tonight . in this difficult day and in this difficult time for the united states,

the senator sumner, on the 1850s. and then he saw paintings in the rotunda, and he said, trumbull is your painter, meaning america's painter. never forget trumbull. i don't know if anyone would say that. now, trumbull think has lasted as a historian or as he put it, a historiography or people don't know about john trumbull, who he was, but they've all seen him, you know, those paintings in the rotunda, millions of people walk by them. bunker hill isn't in the rotunda. but that's probably even as famous as even the declaration man. and people have seen that they're sort of in in america's mind's eye and only painting of the revolution, that the compares is is lloyd's. this painting of washington crossing the delaware that's the iconic well but it is it's an icon. i mean people have that in their heads but trumbull got there first. and of course trumbull trumbull was on the scene. so i think he holds up in that sense as a storyteller he holds up as a painter. you i feel he loses his pizzazz. the years passed but but he

there's an interesting story, thackery the english novelist was taking a walk through the capitol with sumnerthe 1850s and he saw the paintings in the rotunda and said trumbull is your painter, america's painter, trumbull. i don't know if anyone would say that now. trumbull, i think, has lasted as a historian or as he put it a historiographer. people don't know of trumbull or who he was, but they've all seen him. the paintings in the rotunda and millions of people walked by them. bunker hill isn't in the rotunda, but that's probably as famous as even the declaration and people have seen that. they're sort of in america's mind's eye, and the only painting of the revolution that compares is is the painting of washington crossing the delaware. that's the other iconic, but it's an icon. people have that in their heads, but trumbull got there first and think, trumbull was on the scene. so i think he holds up in that sense. as a story teller, he holds up. as a painter, i feel he loses his pizazz as the years pass, but he main takens his ability to compose and tell a story and the detail work gets a

senate, where congressman preston brooks of south carolina savagely beat abolitionist senator charles sumnerh his cane. southern sympathizers sent brooks new canes. members began carrying knives and pistols into the chamber. meanwhile, the nation's chief executive, james bucannon, did nothing. >> a house divided against itself cannot stand. i believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. i do not expect the union to be dissolved. i do not expect the house to fall. but i do expect it will cease to be divided. it will become all one thing or all the other. >> political violence, a divided country. it is like that mark twain quote, history doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes. a truism ken burns himself has talked about on this very program. "the new york times" calculated that if you watched all of ken's films back to back to back, it would take over 232 hours, a full nine days. but if you do have a spare nine days to watch them all in one sitting, what you will witness is proof that generation after generation, history is rhyming right before our eyes. >>