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Politics
Christopher Justin Einolf, Associate Professor of Sociology, Northern Illinois University

US Army Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas' journey from enslaver to Union officer to civil rights defender

Gen. George H. Thomas, who fought for the Union army during the Civil War, stands in uniform for a photo. Heritage Images/ Hulton Archive

As Southern states tear down Confederate statues and the military removes the names of Confederate generals from bases, the issue of how to remember the Civil War is increasingly prominent.

Are white Southerners condemned to think of themselves as the bad guys, the ones who were willing to destroy the Union to preserve slavery? Or are there other types of heritage in which they can take pride?

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