Book contents
- Understanding the American South
- Cambridge Studies on the American South
- Understanding the American South
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Introduction
- Part I Understanding the American South and the Civil War in a New Century
- Part II Understanding the South and the American Identity
- Part III Understanding Slavery, Race, and Inequality in the American South
- Part IV Understanding History and Irony
- 10 The Irony of Southern History and the Problem of Innocence in American Life
- Bibliography
- Index
10 - The Irony of Southern History and the Problem of Innocence in American Life
from Part IV - Understanding History and Irony
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 December 2024
Book contents
- Understanding the American South
- Cambridge Studies on the American South
- Understanding the American South
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Introduction
- Part I Understanding the American South and the Civil War in a New Century
- Part II Understanding the South and the American Identity
- Part III Understanding Slavery, Race, and Inequality in the American South
- Part IV Understanding History and Irony
- 10 The Irony of Southern History and the Problem of Innocence in American Life
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter returns to the question: What can we learn from history? Drawing not only on C. Vann Woodward but also on insights of Reinhold Niebuhr, Garry Wills, and Abraham Lincoln, among others, suggests that the irony of history alerts us to the folly of ignoring inconvenient history. History, at its best, should give us a keen awareness of the irony embedded in the human experience, and, as it does, it should temper our pride even when showing mercy and our zeal even when seeking justice.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Understanding the American SouthSlavery, Race, Identity, and the American Century, pp. 255 - 268Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024