Dr. Marshall on Civil War Historical Memory in Kentucky

            On Monday, April 1^st, I attended the lecture given by Dr. Anne E. Marshall entitled “Waiting to Secede: Kentucky’s Civil War in History and Memory.” Dr. Marshall’s lecture was about the evolution of the historical memory of the Civil War in Kentucky. As a border, slave state, Kentucky was often known for its divided nature during the Civil War and, later, in Reconstruction. Marshall discussed how the inhabitants of the state evolved from a Unionist stance at the beginning of the war to later viewing Kentucky almost as a Confederate state. She noted emancipation, a federal crackdown on Kentucky, and the increasing use of black soldiers as some of the deciding factors in the state’s inhabitants’ change to a more Confederate-sympathetic disposition. Her speech made some valid and interesting points for her argument. As well, I believe she presented her theory very succinctly in her talk. Her lecture was clear and easy to follow, as far as I am concerned.
            To begin with, Marshall noted how many of Kentucky’s inhabitants had been Unionist because they believed supporting the Union was the best way to ensure the survival of slavery. Obviously then, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation did not sit well with many Kentuckians. Although it only applied to rebel states, Kentuckians knew that this decision would most likely lead to eventual total emancipation. Next, Lincoln’s declaration of martial law led to the indefinite imprisonment of certain Confederate-sympathetic citizens in Kentucky. This crackdown on Kentucky seemed unnecessary to its inhabitants, and further shook their faith in the federal government. Finally, Marshall spoke on how many Kentuckians viewed the use of black soldiers alongside white ones as a disgrace to their brave, fighting white men. These factors (and more) eventually led to the change of many Kentuckians’ sympathies from the Union to the Confederacy. In the end, Marshall provided quite an informative and enjoyable lecture.