Tag Archives: slavery

‘Ghosts of Mississippi’ haunt Minnesota

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Bennett Minton

It appears that because we all learned the first few sentences of the Declaration of Independence, some of us think the Trump era is an aberration. We are living through a period in which the Confederate separatists are ascendant. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Citizenship, Civil War, slavery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Three presidents and forks in the road: two steps forward and . . . .

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Bennett Minton

On a sunny afternoon in November, I walked up to the Lincoln Memorial and felt a lump rise in my throat, as it has on this transcontinental trek in other places that represent human triumph and suffering: South Pass in … Continue reading →

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, slavery, Thirteenth Amendment, Thomas Jefferson, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Pilgrimage to Montgomery

Posted on November 22, 2021 by Bennett Minton

In Charlottesville, I happened by a bright blue plaque on what was until recently Jackson Park, named for Stonewall Jackson. Also until recently, the park featured an equestrian statue of Jackson, installed 100 years ago, after Paul Goodloe McIntire deeded … Continue reading →

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Snapshots of a myth

Posted on June 20, 2020 by Bennett Minton

Defenders of statues of Confederate generals and soldiers contend these monuments should not be removed, ever, because they are “history.” Monuments have nothing to do with history. They are snapshots of a narrative. My favorite monument-narrative is the Lincoln Memorial. … Continue reading →

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Abraham Lincoln and the purpose of government

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Bennett Minton

Abraham Lincoln was born 206 years ago today. Enshrined as our greatest president, he spent his three-decade political career writing and speaking about the framers’ intention, four score and seven years later. This week I visited the Ford’s Theatre Lincoln … Continue reading →

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, U.S. Constitution | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments