Each Memorial Day, the country comes together to remember the fallen – but history hasn’t always been so kind. When President Lincoln was assassinated, many publicly celebrated his death...and not just in the south.
On today’s show, we’ll shatter the myth of a country united in mourning. Then, we'll look at why some important historical events go entirely unremembered – like the sinking of the Sultana, America’s deadliest maritime disaster.
Listen to the full show:
Mourning Lincoln
Martha Hodes is Professor of History at New York University and the author of Mourning Lincoln, which delves into the aftermath of the tragedy of Lincoln’s assassination. Her books is now available in paperback.
Civil War Re-enactors
There are countless books, films and articles on the civil war – but there is another, more physical way for people to experience events that took place 150 years ago – historical reenactments. A few years ago, a group of civil war buffs ceremoniously reenacted a union funeral – and producer Jake Warga was there.
You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.
Song Exploder: Old Crow Medicine Show
Each week on his podcast, Song Exploder, Hrishikesh Hirway invites musicians to break apart the songwriting process piece by piece. In the latest episode the band Old Crow Medicine Show delves into the making of "Dearly Departed Friend" about the funeral of a veteran.
Listen to this episode again at songexploder.net
Why We Forget the Sultana
Freelance writer and author Christopher Klein discusses the sinking of The Sultana, the deadliest maritime disaster in America, and other forgotten pieces of American history.
Read his article for the Boston Globe, "8 Reasons We Forget Some Historical Events".
