the number i mentioned earlier, just at arlington, there are over 2000 unknowns from the civil war by the time you get to the first world war, there were again, i think that the number that hamilton fish mentioned was more than 1700 unknowns deceased from american service members fighting in the first world war. so in terms whether they were identified or unknown, that was really you know, pretty much whether they determined it when they fell in battle, who they work. and that is where the technology of our time has really for the evolution of technology, has really improved the way we can pay tribute more specifically read and we can identify people the dna technology which at this point had meant that most while we hope it is none but it's enabled us to identify to get that last measurable devotion in terms of the actual selection, i can tell you that before the world war i unknowns, like a symptom of the gathered these unknowns military personnel from different military cemetery set up quickly in france. they brought them to and apologized any french-speaking listeners here, and th

i should mention before we get into that, there are a significant number of unknowns buried at arlington from the civil war, more than 2000 remain in a large memorial, we could get into that a little later but you get to the spanish-american war fought farther from location than the civil war, mexican american and revolutionary war of 1812 and you have a policy and acted, repatriation bringing back the remains of deceased service members who died fighting barry closer to home. that conflict did not last quite as long had significantly fewer casualties than the first world war which placed decision-making how to deal with repatriation and the importance of a tomb of the unknown soldier. before we get to that, i will mention in 1913, congress approved and authorized spending for the government to create a new memorial amphitheater at arlington national cemetery. the cemetery had been civil war and they recognize the need for a larger more somber space to accommodate the visitors who were there to pay tribute to their deceased loved ones so they appropriated funds and authorized spending to

[applause] the ceremony also marked the centennial of arlington cemetery's tomb of the unknown a soldier or world war i servicemen first laid to rest. today you will hear the bell 21 times signifying the armistice at 1111 and for causing all hostilities to end on the battle of the western front. then you will hear taps laid in commemoration of the centennial of the burial of the unknown soldier across town in arlington cemetery only known to god. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ starting now on american history tv, the recentst historical park civil war symposium.

and then to be part of that system and even more so in arlington with the main testis property at arlington and those others at the monkey river. and all told there is 190 slaves who are a part of those properties. robert lee benefits from that. and benefits from their work and their labor and is one of the custis slaves, his wife has slaves. and they will assist with the children and go on vacation in the slaves go with them. so lee certainly benefits from the slave system even if he doesn't himself have personal title to large numbers of slaves which he doesn't. he says nothing c for years and years not until the 18 fifties when slavery is becoming a crisis issue in american politics but it's interesting that he talks about it at all. because we had learned in his military career not to talk about politics. soldiers who talk about politics are got mixed up in politics usually suffered. and happened in the first of the mentor and with winfield scott. and yet slavery by the 18 fifties and then to start writing about it in a letter to his wife and he comes out to say slavery is a moral evil

to protect arlington for his family as it was for virginia could just resigned commission and refuse the offer of command. that's not the only factor predict the other factor lease decision if was the expectation that there would be no war after all. hard as it is for us to appreciate this, as we are looking from the present backwards, in april of 1861, handyman after the secession of the southern states, even after the firing and he was still by no means clear that the crisis would only result in a civil war read and they could have simply resigned his army commission and stayed neutral. or he could accept the invitation extended to him to take command of virginia forces play the role of mediator between virginia and the union thus achieved peace 90 anything flavor that his father ever enjoyed in war. when course it did not quite many others, lee found the secession crisis helping away from you and in the end, step-by-step, he found himself by 1862, as the commander of the army of northern virginia. he played that role as perfectly as he tried to play every other role in life, that

and if there are the final shots of the arlington national cemetery much as we see today with so many white headstones marking the graves of the fallen. >> i think it's important to pause for a moment and think about the meaning that the unknown soldier had at this time. it was about world war i, yes, but it was also fault to be a memorial that could connect the different conflicts to stretch beyond and honor all of those that served. if it continues very strongly up through today. you are watching him american history tv exploring the nation's past. you can be a part of the national conversation by participating in c-span's student cam video competition. your opinion matters. so, if you are a middle or high school student, we ask you to create a five or six minute documentary that answers the question how does the federal government impact your life? your documentary must show opposing and supporting points of view when a federal policy or program that affects you or your community using c-span video clips that are easy to find and access on c-span.org. c-span student cam duck compet

though married into one of the foremost families of virginia, the cost of arlington, arlington overlooked facing the national capitol, not virginia. his in-laws allies the nation first of state loyalty "afterwards". we could not more in 18612 factors. first, harry lee for all of his revolutionary fame had been our clock husband and father and left family when robert was only six years old. the shadow harry cast over the lee name was one of robert struggles to redeem the broad street of perfectionism in his behavior. robert also yearned to briefly of his father's reputation and otherwise. he wanted independence and wanted to be his own man and one sense his marriage was an attempt to stake out a room for himself but he also yearned for security. the security his father denied him so while most of lee's contemporaries left the army as soon as i received their taxpayer provided college degree decently resigned and go into private engineering practice other professions, stays with him as the one certain profession could count on. a huge factor in this pursuit of independence, security and per

arlington itself benefited from the enslaved labor. and at the same time, he's a voracious public private correspondence. write thousands of letters. she also ties that disapproval because it's bad for white people really this crazy rationalization happening there and despite his expression of disapproval , his family was supported in large part by enslaved labor so can you talk a little bit about lee's thinking around slavery and how he drove to those rationalizations and conclusions ? >> lee grows up so to speak with slavery. his parents owned slaves. his mother owned slaves when they were living in alexandria even though there were reduced circumstances. there were at least six slaves in the lee household in alexandria. when and carter dies in 29, part of her estate is the disposition of the slavesin that estate . some slaves are appointed towards her two daughters. in this case and marshall lee . i'm sorry, and kim lally. she becomes an lee marshall and her sistermildred lee . but one slave family is willed to robert, or at least i

the horse drawn gear will make its way through washington and over to arlington cemetery. let's watch. [projector sound] >> that is where to do you see the larger sarcophagus over that which was not constructed at this moment. >> there is the final shot of arlington national cemetery much as we see it again with the many head stones marking the fallen. it is important to pause and think about the meaning the unknown soldier had at this time. it was about world war i, yes but also it was thought to be a memorial that could connect all the different american conflicts that stretch beyond world war i and honor those who served in the nation's armed forces and that continue strongly until today. >> you are watching american history tv exploring our nation's past. >> veterans from world war ii to the iraq war have told their stories and recorded oral history interviews which aired in their entirety on american history tv. coming up next to mark veterans day we hear experts from a selection of these veterans beginning with a firsthand account of the raising of the american flag

join us to narrate in 1921 silent film on the journey of remains of unknown american world war one arlington national cemetery. >> how does this unknown soldier being honored come about? >> it goes back to the beginning of the warfare you see expand during world war i, you get a lot more on identifiable remains, it's a lot in the civil war but people were struggling with the fact that the could not figure out who many of these casualties were so great britain and france in 1920. an unknown soldier in each of their country. in great britain, and france under the one in paris. the u.s. decided to do something similar to that, the idea was started by hamilton of new york who submitted legislation to bury an unknown soldier. >> the casket is being carried down to the united states capitol, a seen modern americans will be familiar with similar ceremonies in our time put on the year that will make its way over through the streets of washington and over to arlington cemetery. let's watch for just a minute. [silence] [silence] >> that is where today you see the larger part of which was not yet const

i also served at arlington national cemetery with the old guard of the army, the regiment that guards the tomb of the unknown soldier. honor funerals and ceremonies like the inauguration or joint arrival ceremonies for heads of state. i was just back at the cemetery yesterday. it was veterans day. a very special veterans day. it was the 100th anniversary of the tomb of the unknown soldier. 100 years ago yesterday, the world war i unknown was interred. a couple days ago my wife and i took our six-year-old and five-year-old boy to the tomb because for the first time in 96 years, since it never had a guard of any kind, civilians were able to walk and lay a flower on the tomb to honor those unknowns. we wanted our boys to do that even though they are probably a little young to know what is going on. they are old enough to have the memories and we certainly have the image. if your kids at six and five -- you might be concerned about taking them onto that plaza. we drilled into them they needed to be quiet and respectful, that this was sacred ground, and as we are getting up to the edge of

there is a final shot of arlington national cemetery much as we see it today with headstones marking the graves of the fallen. >> the capitol lit up at night. >> it's important to pause and think about the meaning of the unknown soldier had at this time. it was at world war i yes but also thought to be a memorial packet connect all the different american conflicts that could stretch beyond world war i and honor those who have served our nation's armed forces and it continues strongly until today. >> you're watching american history tv, exploring our nation's past. ♪♪ >> weekends on c-span2 are an intellectual piece every saturday, american history tv documents american stories. some days from a book tv brings the latest in nonfiction books and authors. funding for c-span2 comes from these television companies and more including comcast. >> you think it's just a community center? it's way more than that. >> comcast partnering with 1000 community centers to create wi-fi enabled some students from low income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. comcast alon

the ceremony also mark the centennial of arlington cemeteries to move the unknown soldier. >> today you will hear the tolling of a bell 21 times signifying the armistice at 11:11 and for causing all hostilities to in on the battle of the western front. then you will hear taps. taps is paid in commemoration of the centennial of the burial of the world war i unknown soldier across town in arlington cemetery, only known to god. [bells tolling] [bells tolling] [taps] [taps] [taps] [taps] >> starting now on american history tv, it's the recent pamplin historical park civil war symposium. over the next several hours civil war scholars will discuss a range of topics but first it's a look at the mississippi homefront during the civil war with university of southern mississippi professor susannah ural. >> i i want to get right to our speaker. we are so happy to have susannah ural here, and she's been so gracious to come in with, coming in and actually getting our first speech tonight. susannah ural is professor of history and codirector of the dale center for the study of or in society at the un

i have the great honor of leading troops in iraq and afghanistan and in between i served at arlington national cemetery with the oligarch and stop the army from our regiment that guards the tombun of the unknown soldier that does ceremony like the inauguration or ceremonies or heads of state. our just pack up the cemetery yesterday, it was veterans day, a special veterans day. one hundredth anniversary of the tomb of the unknown soldier. one hundred years agogo yesterd, the one unknown was in turn. a couple of days ago my wife and i took our 6-year-old and five euro boys to the tomb because for the first time in 96 years ever had aye guard of any kind, civilians were able to walk and lay a flower on the tomb to honor theth unknown we wanted or boys to do that even though they are probably a little young, they are old enough to have memories of and certainly the images of it. if your kids are six or live from my kids at that age might have been a little concerned that we drove into them they needed to be quiet and respectful, this was sacred ground as we were getting up to the edge, we

navy ship in the playing of the gas in the ceremony also marked the centennial arlington cemetery's tomb of the unknown soldier for world war i service men were first placed to rest. >> you will hear the tolling of a bill today 21 times, signifying the arm assist and 1111, and for causing all hostilities to head on the battle of the western front. and then you will hear taps, is played in commemoration of the centennial of the burial of the world war one unknown soldiers across town in arlington cemetery, only known to god. [bellss]. [bellss]. [bells]. [bells]. [taps]. [taps]. [taps]. [taps]. ...