Episode 3: The Long Shadow of the Civil War – Part 1/ Slavery and Freedom

 What happens when a country loses its unifying story? When the story of 1776 squares off against the story of 1619, when the smoldering legacies of the Civil War erupt into 21st-century culture wars?  In this episode, historian and bestselling author Professor Jeremi Suri joins host Matt Levinger to dig into the tangled roots of American identity. From 1619 to 1776, from Civil War legacies to today’s culture wars, Suri unpacks how competing origin stories shape our politics, our pride, and our fears. With his signature mix of honesty and hope, he explores how nations confront painful history without collapsing into shame or retreating into myth. This is the first of a two-part series that reframes the debate about America’s past and sets the stage for a deeper conversation about leadership in turbulent times.Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast and Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the George Washington University.Guest: Jeremi Suri – Professor of Public Affairs and History at the University of Texas at Austin.Learn more about Jeremi Suri’s podcast This is Democracy and explore its episodes at: https://www.jeremisuri.net/this-is-democracyVisit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation: americaswhyproject.comListen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon MusicThe views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America's Why Project team or the George Washington University.