The Lost Cause, Unpacked: James Carville & Gary Gallagher on the Myth of Robert E. Lee

James Carville sits down with University of Virginia historian Gary Gallagher to unpack the Lost Cause and how the Confederacy reshaped the memory of the Civil War after defeat. They explore Robert E. Lee’s rise as its central figure, James Longstreet’s fall from Confederate favor, the strategy and myths surrounding Gettysburg, and whether battles like Vicksburg and New Orleans mattered even more. Carville also connects Civil War strategy to his own political thinking as they tackle the larger question: Could the South ever really have won?