Julia Ward Howe and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” Week: Intro Episode

We’re dedicating this week to shows about Julia Ward Howe and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” She wrote it in 1862 during America’s most serious crisis. As the 2024 Presidential Election looms, we’re facing another threat to our liberties and our future. We need something inspirational, something like Julia Ward Howe offered the nation during the Civil War. This brief episode sets what our shows this week will be.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hello, everyone, it's Professor Buzzkill here. We're doing something entirely
different this week. It's a whole week of shows dedicated
to Julia Ward Howe and the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
As many of you may know, Julia Ward Howe was
the author of the poem that became the most famous
song of the American Civil War era, and perhaps the
most famous song in all of American history. You may

(00:36):
also know that Julia Ward Howe wrote the poem at
the time when the American Republic faced its greatest peril. Now,
I don't want to go so far as to say
that the Battle Hymn of the Republic helped win the
war and save the Republic, but as we'll see this week,
it was inspirational then, and it has continued to be
inspirational ever since. As this election year has progressed, people

(00:59):
why than me, have been telling all of us, and
showing all of us with mountains of undeniable evidence, that
our Republic is in danger again. In fact, one of
the presidential candidates not only says that he'll be a
dictator on day one, but all his boasts about what
he's going to do if he wins the election, show
us exactly how he's going to become that dictator. We

(01:20):
all know he's an authoritarian and admires other authoritarians in
the world, and we all know he'd love to be
a dictator, and that he worships dictators in other parts
of this world. And individual authoritarianism, a dictatorship, and even
a monarchy are antithetical to the principles of a republic.
In fact, authority vested in one person is exactly the

(01:42):
opposite of a republic. This being a history show, I
decided earlier this year that when election day came near,
I do a show about the Battle Hymn of the
Republic and its wonderful author, Julia Wardowe, one of the
most important people in American history in my view. Of course,
you know what happened. When I started looking into the
him and Julia ward Howe herself, I realized that I

(02:03):
needed at least two shows about her and about the song.
But then I thought, you buzzkillers would want to hear
some of the versions of the song that were so
important during the Civil War. And then, of course I realized,
as one of our guests says in an episode later
this week, The Battle Hymn of the Republic is a
song that marches on. It has marched forcefully through the
decades since it was written, and its melody has been

(02:24):
adapted innumerable times, especially during periods of tension in crisis.
So I decided to have five shows this week, including
this short introductory one. Tomorrow's show is an interview with
Professor Elaine Showalter, the author of the Acclaim Biography of
Julia Ward how. On Wednesday, we hear from two important
American folk singers and listen to their renditions of versions

(02:45):
of the song. We interview Professor John Staffer on Thursday.
His book The Battle Hymn of the Republic, A Biography
of a Song that Marches On, is the most important
work on the subject. And on Friday, I'll wrap it
all up with a show about the different versions of
the song and how the lyrics and sentiments expressed in
it have been used in our own time. Now, given
what I said about this year's election and the threats

(03:06):
to our republic, I'd like to address the question of
whether this show has become politically partisan. Some podcast reviews,
although not very many, have complained recently about a supposed
leftward tilt in the show's tone and argumentation. The people
who say that might object to this week's open and
direct appeal save our Republic. To them, I say tough.

(03:28):
If it's left wing to point out that Trump's rhetorical
trajectory this year is exactly the same as Hitler's was
in nineteen thirty two, that it uses the same extremist tropes,
a totalitarian appeals, and that it's horrifically dangerous, then I
am left wing. If it's left wing to desperately want
our republic to continue, then I am left wing. And
if it's left wing to show that our most treasured

(03:49):
values are in peril, that I am left wing. If
that bothers you, turn off the show, unfollow us on
your favorite podcast platform, and tell everyone what Professor Buzzkill
is up to. But if you agree with me that
these next two weeks are some of the most important
in our history and that we must stop this extremism,
then listen to tomorrow's show and Wednesdays and Thursdays and Fridays.

(04:14):
I think you'll agree with me that this Julia Ward
Howe Battle Him of the Republic week is the best
thing we've ever done. Talk to you tomorrow,