Civil War Fandom with Mary Fincher

Happy New Year everyone!!!

I am very pleased to welcome Mary Fincher to the show! Mary is also known as the Civil War Fangirl on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. She is one of the co-hosts of the popular show: The Railsplitter: The Abraham Lincoln Podcast. Her passion for studying Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War began at the young age of 6. She strives to make studying history a place where all are welcome…and I can certainly get on board with that!

I’ve got to be honest - the idea of being a “fan” of something like the Civil War struck me as kinda odd. I mean, what with the tragedy of the era and all. But Mary makes a good case for it, and shows us that we can enthusiastically and genuinely enjoy a topic without romanticizing it. Likewise, we can admire people without deifying them - by simply recognizing their humanity. Anyway…you should listen to the show - we get at some good stuff and discuss:

• Civil War fandom

• The study of Civil War history in the Great White North (aka Ontario, where Mary lives…)

• Heroes and flawed human beings…and the intersection of the two

• Can we admire the losers too?

• Social Media - and arguing with ideologues

• Twitter as a reflection of the general public…or not, as it were

• Podcasting and reaching the broader public

You really really should check out The Railsplitter podcast and subscribe. It’s a solid show and the hosts are knowledgable and willing to wade into controversial waters. And be sure and check out Mary’s website. AND…don’t forget to subscribe to The Rogue Historian Podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite app so you never ever ever ever miss a show. That would be dumb.