Assignment task: From the book by Meacham, The Soul of America, Chapter 7 answer the following:
On page 216 and for a number of pages following Meacham discusses Robert Penn Warren's proposal that the Civil War gave the South "the Great Alibi" and the North "the Treasury of Virtue." These are meant to be criticisms of the way the two regions shaped the narrative of the war and its consequences. Identify the criticisms. Do you agree? Explain. Do you think these criticisms can be applied to the United States today, if not necessarily in a regional sense, in a socio-political sense? Explain.
Comment on these two quotes in relationship to passing the Civil Rights Act and in relationship to modern politics: "It just seemed like there was immense generosity in the American people, and goodwill, and they were going to do something about this great wrong." (p. 230) "Now, the people that would use us and destroy us first divide us....If they divide us, they can make some hay. And all these years they have kept their foot on our necks by appealing to our animosities, and dividing us." (p. 233)
On page 242 Meacham quotes Johnson, "There is no Negro problem. There is no Northern problem. There is no Southern problem. There is only an American problem." Comment on this quote in the framework of Meacham's admonition against "tribalism" beginning on p. 266.
Comment on each of the five "duties" of American citizens Meacham enumerates (p. 265 ff).
I am interested in your comments on the book. Did you find reading it to be beneficial? Why or why not? Would you recommend using it in future US History 2 classes? What did you like? What did you not like?