Kentucky is known for having a lot of counties: 120 to be exact. At the center of each county stands the county courthouse, some slightly more elaborate than others. Most Kentuckians are familiar with these, as it is where they go to register their vehicles or obtain a marriage license. In Jessamine County, however, those who visit the courthouse in Nicholasville will likely be struck by a towering statue that stands on the courthouse lawn: a statue of a Confederate soldier. Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow, who has created a podcast to explore the towering history of this Confederate monument.
David Swartz is a Professor of History at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. Swartz received his M.A. and Ph.D. in American History from the University of Notre Dame. A historian of religion, he has published two books, Moral Minority: The Evangelical Left in an Age of Conservatism (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012) and Facing West: American Evangelicals in an Age of Christianity (Oxford University Press, 2020).
In the summer of 2024, Dr. Swartz was a Research Fellow at the Kentucky Historical Society, researching Civil War Memory in Jessamine County, Kentucky. That research informed the podcast, “Rebel on Main,” about a Confederate monument in Nicholasville.
To learn more about the Confederate Monument and Civil War memory in Jessamine County, please listen to David’s podcast, “Rebel on Main.” Also, be sure to visit David’s website, rebelonmain.com, for more content connected to each episode, and for links to the preferred podcast streaming platforms.
https://www.rebelonmain.com/
Shoutout to Dr. Sean Rost and the "Our Missouri" podcast, currently sharing episodes focused on the states that border Missouri. Listen here:
https://shsmo.org/our-missouri
Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers worldwide who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society
Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships
Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation
This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay. Other backing tracks are used courtesy of Pixabay or are original compositions by Gregory Hardison.
To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/
https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts