Trump Administration

Trump Is Trying To Spin U.S. History

The real goal isn't to promote accuracy, but to encourage agitated conservatives to complain about historical references that make them uncomfortable.

Steven Greenhut | 8.14.2026 7:30 AM

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My wife and I still chuckle about the time we toured the battlefield in Petersburg, Va., where 100,000 Union forces led by Ulysses S. Grant laid siege to 20,000 Confederate soldiers led by Robert E. Lee. It was the longest battle of the Civil War, lasting 292 days. Brutal trench warfare led to 70,000 casualties, as Union forces cut supply lines to the Confederate capital in nearby Richmond and precipitated the South's defeat.

There was nothing funny about this brutal slice of American history, of course, but we were bemused by the National Park Service video that took an unequivocally pro-Southern stance. In particular, the narrator talked about the "advancing Yankee hordes," which made an odd impression on two Pennsylvanians who grew up with a much different take on these events. Our tour was 43 years ago, so I imagine the video has since been updated to better reflect modern sensibilities.

We did not, however, get upset or complain to management. It added local color. Human beings have a knack for fighting over history, as we somehow believe that controlling the past's narrative will lead to a........

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