63) The Civil War's Hidden War

12/07/2021

Many of us are familiar with the civil war; what it was fought for and what took place. What many of us don't realize is that within this war, and many others, there is a whole 'nother hidden war taking place. I was glad to welcome Dr. Holly A. Pinheiro Jr., on the show to talk about this war. In particular, the struggles that the families faced during and long after the war. From getting pensions to paychecks to medical care to safety and even security, countless atrocities took place around this hidden war.

Bio: I am an Assistant Professor of African American History in the Department of History at Furman University. My research focuses on the intersectionality of race, gender, and class in the military from 1850 through the 1930s. Counter to the national narrative which championed the patriotic manhood of soldiering from the Civil War through the 1930s, my research reveals that African American veterans and their families' military experience were much more fraught. Economic and social instability introduced by military service resonated for years and even generations after soldiers left the battlefield. I have published articles in edited volumes and academic journals, in and outside of the United States. My manuscript, The Families' Civil War, is under contract with The University of Georgia Press in the UnCivil Wars Series. The study highlights how racism, within and outside of military service, impacted the bodies, economies, family structures, and social spaces of African Americans long after the war ended.