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Sacred Ground: Americans and Their Battlefields
Americans have persistently expressed fascination with the nation's most
famous battlefields through patriotic rhetoric, monument building, physical
preservation, and battle reenactment. But each site is also a place where
different groups of Americans come to compete for ownership of cherished
national stories and to argue about the meaning of war, the importance
of martial sacrifice, and the significance of preserving the nation's
patriotic landscape.
From the anniversary speeches at Lexington and Concord that shaped the
image of the minuteman to Alamo Day speeches invoking the Texas "freedom
fighters" of 1836 in support of the contras in Nicaragua; from passionate
arguments over the placement of Confederate monuments at Gettysburg to
confrontations between militant American Indian Movement and "Custer
loyalists" during the Little Bighorn centennial in 1976; from the
treatment of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor to continuing attempts
to maintain the purity of these places in the face of commercialization--- Sacred
Ground details the ongoing struggles to define, control, and subvert
patriotic faith as expressed at these ceremonial sites.
famous battlefields through patriotic rhetoric, monument building, physical
preservation, and battle reenactment. But each site is also a place where
different groups of Americans come to compete for ownership of cherished
national stories and to argue about the meaning of war, the importance
of martial sacrifice, and the significance of preserving the nation's
patriotic landscape.
From the anniversary speeches at Lexington and Concord that shaped the
image of the minuteman to Alamo Day speeches invoking the Texas "freedom
fighters" of 1836 in support of the contras in Nicaragua; from passionate
arguments over the placement of Confederate monuments at Gettysburg to
confrontations between militant American Indian Movement and "Custer
loyalists" during the Little Bighorn centennial in 1976; from the
treatment of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor to continuing attempts
to maintain the purity of these places in the face of commercialization--- Sacred
Ground details the ongoing struggles to define, control, and subvert
patriotic faith as expressed at these ceremonial sites.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1991
About the author
Edward Tabor Linenthal
13 books3 followersEdward Linenthal is a Professor of History and Religious Studies at Indiana University: Bloomington.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 17, 2026
How Americans Commemorate Their History
For the most part, there are no sites in the United States which are religiously sacred to most Americans -- as are various sites in the Jewish, Christian, Islamic, or Buddhist traditions. But Americans have their own hallowed places which have a secular and a spiritual significance in inspiring reflection on our nation's history and values. Although some hallowed sites (such as Independence Hall or the Statue of Liberty) are not battlefields, many of them are. In this book, "Sacred Ground: Americans and their Battlefields" Professor Edward Linenthal tells their story. Appropriately enough, Professor Linenthal is a professor of Religious Studies, (rather than, say, history), at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.
Professor Linenthal describes the history of five of our country's most revered battlefields: Lexington and Concord, which marks the opening of the Revolutionary War, the Alamo, part of the war for Texan independence, Gettysburg, a pivotal Civil War battle, Little Big Horn, the scene of "Custer's Last Stand", and Pearl Harbor, the scene of Japan's December 7, 1941, attack which brought the United States into WW II.
Professor Linenthal begins his consideration of each battlefield with a short -- I think too short -- summary of the facts of each battle. He then proceeds to discuss in detail the manner in which Americans have commemorated and remembered the events that occured and why they have viewed them as significant. Much of his study involves reflections on the nature of history as memory and history as it occurred -- a subject which has recently received a great deal of attention. He shows how many Americans have had a need to commemorate these battles for a set of reasons that may only be partial -- and that commemorative activities change and expand as people's perceptions change and become more inclusive.
Professor Linenthal points out, Gettysburg has been celebrated because of the valor of the combatants, North and South, and because of the role reunions and commemorations at Gettysburg played in effecting sectional reconciliation -- at the expense of realizing an important purpose of the Civil War in ending slavery and bringing African-Americans into full participation in American democracy. The Alamo has been celebrated as a symbol of American valor and love of freedom; yet the celebration has downplayed the important role played by Mexican Texans in the struggle as well as many questions that could be raised about the conduct of the United States in the wars with Mexico. The Little Big Horn Battlefield has been the site of protracted controversy over the United States's Indian policy, leading to sharp conflict between General Custer's admirers and his opponents and, ultimately, to a renaming of the battlefield. Pearl Harbor has had controversies regarding the factors which lead to the surprise attack, the Hiroshima bombing, and the attitude of people in the United States towards the Japanese. Lexington and Concord have been appropriated by some Americans as symbols of dissent from current American policies (as the minutement rebelled against the British) rather than as celebrations of the willingness of Americans to fight and die for freedom.
The story is told well and thoughtfully with good, if sometimes overwhelming detail. Professor Linenthal gives a great deal of attention to the role of the National Park Service (which is responsible for all the sites discussed in his study with the exception of the Alamo) in balancing the competing needs for site preservation, historical interpretation, and contemplation in administering the battlefields. I found the discussion of Little Big Horn particularly fascinating and complex. The reader needs to know more, however, about the Little Big Horn and about Custer to fully understand the discussion. Interestingly, Custer is the only person to figure prominently in two of the battles Linenthal discusses: Gettysburg and Little Big Horn, and the book should have brought this out.
This book initially appeared in 1989 with a second edition that takes the story through 1993 -- time enough to include the 50-year anniversary of Pearl Harbor in which Professor Linenthal participated. The story could be brought up to date. This book is still a valuable study of the meaning, and of the changes in meaning, that Americans invest in their sacred spaces.
For the most part, there are no sites in the United States which are religiously sacred to most Americans -- as are various sites in the Jewish, Christian, Islamic, or Buddhist traditions. But Americans have their own hallowed places which have a secular and a spiritual significance in inspiring reflection on our nation's history and values. Although some hallowed sites (such as Independence Hall or the Statue of Liberty) are not battlefields, many of them are. In this book, "Sacred Ground: Americans and their Battlefields" Professor Edward Linenthal tells their story. Appropriately enough, Professor Linenthal is a professor of Religious Studies, (rather than, say, history), at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.
Professor Linenthal describes the history of five of our country's most revered battlefields: Lexington and Concord, which marks the opening of the Revolutionary War, the Alamo, part of the war for Texan independence, Gettysburg, a pivotal Civil War battle, Little Big Horn, the scene of "Custer's Last Stand", and Pearl Harbor, the scene of Japan's December 7, 1941, attack which brought the United States into WW II.
Professor Linenthal begins his consideration of each battlefield with a short -- I think too short -- summary of the facts of each battle. He then proceeds to discuss in detail the manner in which Americans have commemorated and remembered the events that occured and why they have viewed them as significant. Much of his study involves reflections on the nature of history as memory and history as it occurred -- a subject which has recently received a great deal of attention. He shows how many Americans have had a need to commemorate these battles for a set of reasons that may only be partial -- and that commemorative activities change and expand as people's perceptions change and become more inclusive.
Professor Linenthal points out, Gettysburg has been celebrated because of the valor of the combatants, North and South, and because of the role reunions and commemorations at Gettysburg played in effecting sectional reconciliation -- at the expense of realizing an important purpose of the Civil War in ending slavery and bringing African-Americans into full participation in American democracy. The Alamo has been celebrated as a symbol of American valor and love of freedom; yet the celebration has downplayed the important role played by Mexican Texans in the struggle as well as many questions that could be raised about the conduct of the United States in the wars with Mexico. The Little Big Horn Battlefield has been the site of protracted controversy over the United States's Indian policy, leading to sharp conflict between General Custer's admirers and his opponents and, ultimately, to a renaming of the battlefield. Pearl Harbor has had controversies regarding the factors which lead to the surprise attack, the Hiroshima bombing, and the attitude of people in the United States towards the Japanese. Lexington and Concord have been appropriated by some Americans as symbols of dissent from current American policies (as the minutement rebelled against the British) rather than as celebrations of the willingness of Americans to fight and die for freedom.
The story is told well and thoughtfully with good, if sometimes overwhelming detail. Professor Linenthal gives a great deal of attention to the role of the National Park Service (which is responsible for all the sites discussed in his study with the exception of the Alamo) in balancing the competing needs for site preservation, historical interpretation, and contemplation in administering the battlefields. I found the discussion of Little Big Horn particularly fascinating and complex. The reader needs to know more, however, about the Little Big Horn and about Custer to fully understand the discussion. Interestingly, Custer is the only person to figure prominently in two of the battles Linenthal discusses: Gettysburg and Little Big Horn, and the book should have brought this out.
This book initially appeared in 1989 with a second edition that takes the story through 1993 -- time enough to include the 50-year anniversary of Pearl Harbor in which Professor Linenthal participated. The story could be brought up to date. This book is still a valuable study of the meaning, and of the changes in meaning, that Americans invest in their sacred spaces.
February 6, 2013
Linenthal's text suggests the multiple ways that Americans understand and experience battlefields. He emphasizes the quasi-religious language used around these spaces and extends this analogy into an argument about patriotic "orthodoxy" and "heresy." It's a useful, if somewhat simplistic, argument.
The book is organized around several case-studies and offers a solid overview of the controversies that swirl around American battlefield parks. The study of the American Indian Movement (AIM) activities at the Custer/Little Big Horn National Battlefield Park is particularly interesting and offers the most in-depth analysis of the racial and cultural dynamics to navigate on battlefields.
Unfortunately, it's now a dated text because after 9/11 and the bombing in Oklahoma City the concept of a "battlefield" is deeply problematic. The arguments he makes about patriotic orthodoxy feel shallow post-Patriot Act. Had this book provided a more theoretical take on battlefields it would probably still be relevant. Instead, by recapping controversies, it feels like a snapshot of a how Americans used/responded to battlefields at a particular period of time in the late 1980s.
The book is organized around several case-studies and offers a solid overview of the controversies that swirl around American battlefield parks. The study of the American Indian Movement (AIM) activities at the Custer/Little Big Horn National Battlefield Park is particularly interesting and offers the most in-depth analysis of the racial and cultural dynamics to navigate on battlefields.
Unfortunately, it's now a dated text because after 9/11 and the bombing in Oklahoma City the concept of a "battlefield" is deeply problematic. The arguments he makes about patriotic orthodoxy feel shallow post-Patriot Act. Had this book provided a more theoretical take on battlefields it would probably still be relevant. Instead, by recapping controversies, it feels like a snapshot of a how Americans used/responded to battlefields at a particular period of time in the late 1980s.
January 14, 2011
What an interesting book! I had never thought about the emphasis placed by Americans on battlefields. Oddly enough as a history student I have never visited a battlefield...and this was definitely an eye opening experience and brought up some very interesting issues about history and how it is presented. What do you think? Do you think history should give you the whole picture, or just tell you who won and glorify that?
April 12, 2007
Hmmm...another public history book. We'll see...
AND, it's read. I really liked it actually. It's redundant, but he's a thoughtful author that really makes his readers question their interactions with battle grounds in particular, and historic sites in general. One of my favorite Public History texts this year.
AND, it's read. I really liked it actually. It's redundant, but he's a thoughtful author that really makes his readers question their interactions with battle grounds in particular, and historic sites in general. One of my favorite Public History texts this year.
July 29, 2011
This starts great discussions on the false ideas coming from heritage celebrations and opposed to history. Many historic site's supporters want comfort for an already established agenda.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews