The Three-Cornered War with Megan Kate Nelson
Hello all! It is great to welcome historian and author Dr. Megan Kate Nelson back to the show. An RH alumna, Megan was last on way back in 2016 when we discussed her book Ruin Nation and her views on “independent” scholarship and a bunch of other history stuff. This time we had a crack at her latest book - The Three-Cornered War: The Union, The Confederacy, and the Native Peoples in the Fight for the West. I have to admit that I have always been an "Eastern Theater Guy” who has never really considered the war in the Far West all that important. This book, in all its excellence, has convinced me to revise my thinking on the subject. I am currently writing up a review of the book, which you will be done in a minute…short take: I really liked it. Have a listen to the show - I am sure it will pique your interest. We discuss:
What Megan says to skeptics - because there will always be skeptics
The intersection of Civil War scholarship and Indigenous Peoples studies and what’s on the horizon
An unsettling United States policy in the Civil War West
Southern sympathizers in Civil War Los Angeles
Rebel dreams of a Confederate empire
New scholarship in the high school classroom
Megan’s approach to telling the story of the Civil War West
The public realm and conveying a historical argument
Megan will be on a speaking tour discussing the book - hopefully near you - so check the dates and all the other things she has happening on her WEBSITE. And of course, follow her on the Twitters. Then, once you have the book in hand - read it and talk to me. We can keep the conversation going. 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.
With compliments,
Keith