Civil War Heroes

Congratulations on completing your recommendation! You have now learned about one Civil War hero and his/her actions. As you may have realized, awarding and commending historical figures is complicated work. Different people hold different perspectives and may not view one figure's actions in the same way. Southerners may have thought that Abraham Lincoln was evil because he threatened their way of life, while Northerners may have viewed him as a hero for fighting to preserve the Union. You probably encountered some controversy with your chosen figure as well. As historians, it is our job to look at the objective facts about a person and to decide who should be awarded and memorialized. But it is important to realize that historical interpretation always involves perspective and bias. We may not get everyone to share the same interpretation of a past figure or event, but all we an do is support our views with research and evidence.