From Charlie Kirk to Supreme Court backlash, Civil War historians see modern parallels

['Staff Writer', 'Sonja Sharp Is A Legal Affairs Reporter For The Los Angeles Times', 'A Founding Member Of The Society Of Disabled Journalists. Before Joining The Newsroom In', 'She Worked As An Nypd-Credentialed Member Of The New York City Press Corps', 'Writing Stranger-Than-Fiction Stories Of Crime', 'Culture For Vice', 'The Wall Street Journal', 'The Village Voice', 'Among Others. She Is A Bay Area Native', 'A Graduate Of Uc Berkeley'] Los Angeles Times 2025-09-13 00:00:00

Professor Kevin Waite had just finished a seminar on the run-up to the American Civil War on Friday morning when a student cautiously raised her hand. AdvertisementWhile cautioning that the country is nowhere near as fractured as it was when the Civil War erupted, Waite and other scholars of the period say they do increasingly see parallels. The Wide Awakes struck terror in their hearts. “I argue it was the fugitive crisis, more than the territorial crisis, that drove the coming of the Civil War,” Pinsker said. “We do not want another civil war,” Pinsker said.