Heroes, Villains, and History

Don Troiani's Parker's Revenge

Dear Reader,

The above painting shows British soldiers early in the American War for Independence. When you look at the above men, what do you see? Heroes or Villains?

Who were the, "Heroes" of the Kabinettskriege era? And above all, what does reducing things into the terms of, "right and wrong," achieve in our understanding of the past?

William Potter, an American historian who works for Vision Forum, released an audiobook, entitled, Bayonets! Heroes, Villains and Character Lessons from the American War for Independence. You can find this book here. In this book, Potter attempts to draw spiritual lessons from the American War of Independence. In Potter's view,  the British are the evil villains of the American Revolution, while the Christian Americans were on the side of right. Potter gives excellent and insightful details about the American War of Independence, but I continue to wonder whether his conceptual lens offers any positive results.

While the book is obviously targeted for children, there is no reason why we should portray history, particularly such vital history as the founding of the American nation, in simple, moralistic terms. If the American War of Independence is a simple moral tale, why did so many Americans own slaves? American Slavery shocked and appalled both Hessian and French writers during the revolution.

And what about the idea that the Americans were Christians, and the British were godless? After all, weren't the Americans rebelling against a government, which the Bible instructs Christians to respect? The British soldiers were just as devout as the Americans, as is extremely evident in their letters. The Hessian Subsidientruppen who fought for the British were just as pious, and they often felt disgusted by what they saw as an American lack of religion.

What about the European Seven Years' War? Are there heroes in this context? Why is it we are so eager to say that God and right was on the side of the Americans, but do not have a quick answer for who was right in the contest between Austrian and Prussian?

If we simply want to view the Americans as right, is there truly a need to view the war in terms of heroes and villains? Individual humans are not good or evil. Their actions display both good and evil. They are complex, and it is a disservice to history to portray the past in the simple terms of a morality play.

For our international readers, I have a question: Does this effort to portray the past as a simple battle between good and evil occur in your countries? If so, what form does it take?

Thanks for reading,

Alex Burns

Shameless Promotion: 12 Years a Slave

Promotional Poster

Dear Readers,

I think you know me well enough to realize that I don't usually use this blog to promote products. I don't advertise. But I think that you should all make an effort to go see the upcoming film 12 Years a Slave. I will justify this in a few points.

1. This is a film based on the reading of a primary source document. As opposed to other historical drama's, which are set in history, but based on fiction (such as Last of the Mohicans) 12 Years a Slave is based on the historical account of Solomon Northup. This is one of the best sources we have for antebellum slavery, and is often quoted in scholarly publications.

2. American Slavery was truly awful. When I first entered college, I had no idea how terrible American Slavery was, and I don't think I will ever fully comprehend it. These people lived, breathed, and had wants and desires just like us, and they were enslaved. Hessian soldiers saw the hypocrisy of the colonists who wanted to be free from Britain, but not address the issue of slavery. Americans should be confronted with this aspect of our heritage. 

3. Many modern American's think that slavery was some kind of joke. I recall speaking to one of my acquaintances growing up, trying to convince me that it would be cool to own a slave. I could not quite buy it, even at a young age. All that most people remember about the Civil War is that General Lee was good at fighting. 600,000 Americans died to free these enslaved  African Americans.  

4. Some individuals are claiming that Obamacare is the next worst thing to happen since American Slavery. This cannot be believed by anyone who has read anything historical, and those people need to watch this movie. 

Anyway, enough with the promo. Here is a link to the trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vUQNjfhlREk#t=21

Thanks for reading,

Alex Burns