Host Clay Newcomb begins a new series on the American Civil War with historian and educator, JD Hewitt, of The History Underground. Clay invites you to go on a journey to ask the question that still divides Americans more than 160 years later: What was the Civil War really about? From slavery and states’ rights to Southern identity, economic power, abolitionists, and the lasting cultural memory of the Confederacy, Clay and JD attempt to navigate one of the most complicated and emotionally charged subjects in American history with honesty and nuance. The conversation traces the roots of the conflict from the founding of America through the rise of King Cotton, the contradictions of Thomas Jefferson, the expansion of slavery westward, and the radical actions of John Brown that helped push the nation toward war.

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