Missed the last episode. The second was OK, but with too many commercials. I recall most the point that the two men who “won” the Civil War were not Northern Yankees at all, but true Westerners — Grant and Lincoln.
ThIs all got me remembering my younger days when I used to visit Grant’s Tomb overlooking the Hudson River in Riverside Park. It was a splendid quiet place, near the magnificent Riverside Church, where MLK gave his famous speech against the Vietnam War...
I used to go to the crowded summer jazz concerts held in front of Grant’s Tomb — they still have them — where nearby Harlem and upper West Siders and everybody out for free music would gather. The Memorial was in bad shape then, with graffiti, and I never did get inside as it was almost always closed.
Now it has opened up again. Probably worth a visit if anyone is in NYC looking for a few quiet moments!
View attachment 342651
I was reading a bit about different historians’ views of Grant, and I found this interesting article. It may be a bit too literary for some, but I thought it was interesting. Especially liked this bit:
“In his last message as chief executive, Grant advocated public education: ‘the dividing line will not be Mason & Dixons but between patriotism, & intelligence on one side & superstition, ambition, & ignorance on the other.’ “
The Man We Buried in Grant’s Tomb