Documents & Debates: American Exceptionalism and the Civil War

Andy Lang and Jeff discuss the idea of American Exceptionalism - is America a special, distinct place because of its political culture and ideas? - and the Civil War. In particular, they discuss the question the Civil War presented: would America be exceptional because it sought to live up to its founding principles, or would exceptionalism result from the creation of a new country, based on the “science” of a racial hierarchy?Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Greg McBrayerProducer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe via popular podcast apps: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea