Historian Kevin Levin has an article on “What the Civil War Can Teach Us About 9/11 Remembrance” on The Atlantic Magazine’s website today. Living 30 miles from Ground Zero and attending the funeral of a second cousin killed at the World Trade Center, the events of September 11 are always present, as they are for most people living near New Yor City. Levin lost a cousin in the terrorist attack, so I am sure there is still an immediacy to that day for him.
In his article, Levin writes of visiting the 9/11 memorial, where he was taken to a room reserved for family members of those who perished. Levin writes:
the families of the victims are a key component in 9/11 remembrance and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. They are involved in every aspect, from the planning of museum exhibits to the organization of memorial events. Many of the television specials that aired on the 10th anniversary were centered on the stories of family members and survivors. But at some point our collective memory will evolve away from the personal. The events of 9/11 will eventually take their place within early 21st century history and be connected to the complex chains of what came before and after.
The memory of the Civil War was similarly in the hands of the veterans of the war and their families. They shaped how the war was commemorated and what it meant to the country. Levin says:
With the death of the Civil War generation, our collective memory gradually became more detached and academic. Something personal was lost in that transformation, but the new perspective was much more conducive to understanding the war’s complexity. Only in the last few decades have Americans been willing to deal with the tough questions of race and slavery and their roles in shaping not only the war but the short- and long-term consequences of the conflict. These explorations would have been unthinkable 50 years ago during the war’s centennial celebrations.
9/11’s memory will also change as those of us most emotionally connected to the event pass away. Levin says:
At some point, the generation that lived through the events of 9/11 will hand over the burden of remembrance to a new generation of Americans. Their interpretation of the event will be informed by a more remote reading of the historical record, which will inevitably shape new forms of remembrance and commemoration. Contentious subjects such as the cause and consequences of the attacks will be debated in ways they may not be today.
This thoughtful article deserves to be read in full.
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