"Confederate soldiers should be honored because they bravely fought to keep black people on American soil enslaved."

That above statement, while not openly uttered, summarizes the attitude of a certain segment of American society that is in love with symbols of America's nadir, namely the war to preserve slavery, a.k.a the U.S. Civil War.

Granted, that institution of slavery was initiated by the British, and the USA's founding fathers reluctantly put the issue of slavery on the back burner when they declared independence from the British. Still, the evil of slavery wasn't something that could be tolerated in a nation which declared that all men are created equal.

Over time, as the northern states gained more control over D.C. politics, Americans opposed to slavery gained opportunity to limit (if not completely eliminate) such evil.

The rise of the Republican Party, with Abraham Lincoln as its presidential choice, spelled disaster for white southerners who profited from slavery. If slavery were to continue, then the white southerners would have to do something drastic, and they did.

Contrary to what pro-southern revisionists keep claiming, the Confederacy was formed for the purpose of preserving slavery. As historian Gordon Rhea states, "The Confederate States were established explicitly to preserve and expand the institution of slavery. Alexander Stephens, the Confederacy's vice president, said so himself in 1861, in unambiguous terms."

After the Civil War ended and slavery was eliminated, Confederates consoled themselves by saying,"We lost, but we should be proud of our heroic efforts to keep slavery alive." They and their descendants then set up monuments honoring the defenders of slavery.

In 1895, one such monument was set up in Louisville, Kentucky in a location that is now within the University of Louisville. On 04/29/16, the university's president and the mayor of Louisville announced that the monument would be moved from its current location and that it would be cleaned, repaired and stored until another location for it is selected.

Typically, whenever such a symbol of the Confederacy is removed from public property, somebody somewhere claims that U.S. history is being scrubbed. On the contrary, such a removal is a recognition of history. University of Louisville professor Ricky Jones says it best in a column published by Louisville's Courier-Journal newspaper:



It is amazing that, in the 21st Century, symbols of the old Confederacy are still being used to extol the southern states, as if the southern states hadn't changed any since the Civil War.

Well, the southern states have indeed changed. Gone With The Wind is just a movie, not a documentary about modern southern living. The nadir of America's history is to be remembered and taught about, but it isn't something to be proud of.

If modern-day southerners want to display something that represents southern pride, then they should display symbols of NASCAR, which has long been identified with the southern states.

After all, Richard Petty is already a southern icon.


[NASCAR legend Richard Petty]

Side Issue:

In a 2011 speech to the Charleston Library Society, historian Gordon Rhea states the following:



* * * * * * *

Originally posted @ The Moderate Voice

You seem to have a misguided notion,
that slavery was just a "southern thang".

I am sorry I have to disagree and agree at the same time.

This war wasn't only about Slavery that is what modern day history has turned it into...

Anyone that really knows history would know that...

A lot of Confederate soldiers fought for what they believed in...
"The Federal Gov. telling them how to live in their own homes, and funny how a lot of unrest is based on the same things today.

And it was also about economics...


Is the Confederate symbol offensive to some yes it is..I get that yet I find a lot of things offensive and I am not trying to change a culture or belief that was..
It is history whether we like it or not.

have you really thunk this thing through?

the whole article is just a slanted, misinformed bias rag meant to draw reactions from misinformed people... you should be embarrassed for posting it dodo .

While I absolutely do not deny that the war was on some measure fought over slavery those who deny that slavery did not exist in the north are ignoreing the facts. If only under financial guises and just finding another scapegoat to exploit like the thousands of immigrants that have been discriminated in ways that were every bit as brutal as slavery where they were given no value is worth looking into before we start pounding people on the back.

While Dances with Wolves make it sound like the whites were the only ones who preyed on Native American's it was also escaped/freed slaves that joined criminal packs and the militia's past and even present that often abuse other minority populations.

it's always just about white people... bias articles like this enforce those ignorant views...

While I'm sitting' in the trailer park frickin' my sister...amirite David?
And can I show that "Southern pride" when NASCAR is in CA, AZ, NV, MI, IL, IN,NY, NH, CT, KS?

Oh please inform this 'poor, white trash redneck Southern boy' more about how he should display his "Southern pride"....I'll check back in a bit, I gotta go find something to fry and slather in gravy

I am not embarrassed because what I wrote is accurate.

Way too many American have bought the fake revisionist history being sold by pro-south zealots. That I why I quote historian Gordon Rhea, who spells out the flaws of such revisionist history.

don't forget them Chitlins,Corn-pones and Collard Greens!

what did you write?

poor Guy is even missing in WIKI!

I agree completely. People who are not from the South somehow think that they know the minds and hearts of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers when, in reality, if you are not from the South, you probably only have a distorted view given to you by someone else that doesn't have a clue.

Dodo's posting is a bunch of crap.

Maybe someone should look up why ships and marines in the US forces in WWII flew the Confederate Battle Flag.

Point 1.
Anytime I feel like viewing the largest commemoration
to the "glory of slavery" in the U.S., all I need do, is visit
New York City.

NYC was built on the backs of slaves.

something does NOT compute!

basically, the democrats have sucked for a long time...

Your revisionist author,
and your revisionist posts,
paint all southerners as racist
and in favor of slavery.

I have rarely if ever seen anyone arguing about all this, post accurate and relatively complete facts about the Civil War.

First off, there is absolutely no question, that the reason given, by the sates themselves who tried to secede and form a new Confederacy, was that they wanted to keep slavery. It is specified in their proclamations of secession, therefore there is no arguing otherwise.

Second, the reason why it is somewhat accurate to say that economics played a part, is because slavery was a part of the economy of the states which allowed it. Some states became entirely dependent on slavery economically, by remaining almost entirely agricultural (tobacco and cotton). This ironically "enslaved" them to slavery.

They could have chosen to end slavery and convert to a pure capitalist economy with free workers, but this would have been a costly and painful transition, and they chose not to try. Instead, they worked for decades to spread slavery, much as some drug addicts work to spread their addiction, in order to have more support for their activities.

Modern claims that "States Rights," or the general right to self-determination were the primary heroic force driving the Confederacy, is essentially nonsense. It is a disguise, specifically. The reason why the Confederates talked about States Rights, was specifically and directly connected (yet again) to the fact that they wanted to continue slavery. Nothing else.

This is why modern racists use States Rights as their official way to hide their actual socio-political motives: it SOUNDS good to talk about individual rights. But what the States Rights advocates finally show the specifics that they want, it isn't to help each of us live our lives as we like. It is so that they can once again, be able to allow local majorities to dictate who is on top, and who has to knuckle under.

The opening post WAS a very biased, and inaccurate representation of reality. I particularly dislike the opening statement. First, as a dedicated historian myself, any time someone insists on putting words into other peoples' mouths, I get annoyed. That's not good history, that's just propaganda fantasizing.

Further, there are real reasons to respect the people who fought on the other side of even the most awful conflicts, including this one. Being wrong about who you are fighting for, doesn't mean you can't be an honorable person yourself. If this were not true, then it would be wrong for us to honor the Americans who were sent to fight for lies that our politicians told about the foreign countries they fought for us in, and I will not stand for that.

It is a real shame that a lot of modern Southern apologists have decided to continue the mistake that the leaders of the Confederacy did a hundred and fifty years ago, and pretend that they were right to have made that mistake. That is what they are doing, when they pretend that the war wasn't about slavery.

By the way, at first, it was Lincoln and the Republicans who tried NOT to make the conflict about Slavery. Lincoln himself was by no means a believer in the equality of all men, or of the idea that the "fix" would be to keep all the slaves here. The Emancipation Proclamation was not issued until the beginning of the THIRD YEAR of the war. If it had been all about the North wanting to end slavery from the start, it would have come out the day after Fort Sumter was fired on.

And if you actually read the thing, even when it was issued, it didn't free all American slaves throughout the land. It specifically freed just the ones still under Confederate control.

Bottom line, although the claims of Northern sainthood about all this are BS, it's even more true that the modern apologist claims about Southern innocence are complete lies. Pitiful at that.

http://www.americasfreedomfighters.com/2015/03/13/the-truth-about-confederate-history-its-not-what-you-think/#

History books, the media, the school systems, etc abound in falsehoods and inaccuracies of Confederate and Southern history. This fact sheet will help to clarify and dispel some of these rampant inaccuracies.

MYTH – The War of 1861 – 1865 was fought over slavery.

FACT – Terribly untrue. The North fought the war over money. Plain and simple. When the South started Secession, Lincoln was asked, “Why not let the South go in peace?” To which he replied, “I can’t let them go. Who would pay for the government?” Sensing total financial ruin for the North, Lincoln waged war on the South. The South fought the War to repel Northern aggression and invasion.

MYTH – Only Southerners owned slaves.

FACT – Entirely untrue. Many Northern civilians owned slaves. Prior to, during and even after the War Of Northern Aggression.

Surprisingly, to many history impaired individuals, most Union Generals and staff had slaves to serve them! William T. Sherman had many slaves that served him until well after the war was over and did not free them until late in 1865.

U.S. Grant also had several slaves, who were only freed after the 13th amendment in December of 1865. When asked why he didn’t free his slaves earlier, Grant stated “Good help is so hard to come by these days.”

Contrarily, Confederate General Robert E. Lee freed his slaves (which he never purchased – they were inherited) in 1862!!! Lee freed his slaves several years before the war was over, and considerably earlier than his Northern counterparts. And during the fierce early days of the war when the South was obliterating the Yankee armies!

MYTH – The Confederate Battle Flag was flown on slave ships.

FACT – NONE of the flags of the Confederacy or Southern Nation ever flew over a slave ship. Nor did the South own or operate any slaves ships. The English, the Dutch and the Portuguese brought slaves to this country, not the Southern Nation.

BUT, even more monumental, it is also very important to know and understand that Federal, Yankee, Union ships brought slaves to America! These ships were from the New England states, and their hypocrisy is atrocious.

These Federals were ones that ended up crying the loudest about slavery. But without their ships, many of the slaves would have never arrived here. They made countless fortunes on the delivery of slaves as well as the products made from raw materials such as cotton and tobacco in the South.

This is the problem with Yankee history History is overwhelmingly portrayed incorrectly by most of the Federal & Yankee books and media.

MYTH – The Confederate Battle Flag represented the Southern Nation.

FACT – Not true. While the Southern Battle flag was carried into battle, the Southern Nation had 3 different National flags during the course of the war.

The First National flag was changed due to a resemblance of the US flag.

The Second National flag was subsequently modified due to the similarity to a flag of truce.

The Third National flag was the adopted flag of the Confederacy.

The Confederate Battle Flag was never a National Flag of the Confederacy. It was carried into battle by several armies such as the Army Of Northen Virginia and the Army of Tennessee. Was also used as a Naval Jack by the Confederate Navy.

MYTH – The Confederate Battle Flag is known as the “Stars & Bars”.

FACT – A common misconception. The First National Confederate Flag is correctly known as the “Stars & Bars”. The Confederate Battle Flag is known as the “Southern Cross”.

MYTH – The Confederate Battle Flag represents racism today.

FACT – The Confederate Battle Flag today finds itself in the center of much controversy and hoopla going on in several states. The cry to take this flag down is unjustified. It is very important to keep in mind that the Confederate Battle Flag was simply just that. A battle flag. It was never even a National flag, so how could it have flown over a slave nation or represented slavery or racism? This myth is continued by lack of education and ignorance. Those that vilify the Confederate Battle Flag are very confused about history and have jumped upon a bandwagon with loose wheels.

MYTH – The United States Flag represented freedom.

FACT – No chance. The US flag flew over a slave nation for over 85 years! The North tolerated slavery and acknowledged it as a Division Of Labor. The North made a vast fortune on slavery and it’s commodities. It wasn’t until the South decided to leave the Union that the North objected. The North knew it could not survive without the Southern money. That is the true definition of hypocrisy.

MYTH – Abraham Lincoln was the Great Emancipator.

FACT – While Lincoln has went down in history as the Great Emancipator, many would not care to hear his real thoughts on people of color. Martyred President Abraham Lincoln was fervently making plans to send all freed slaves to the jungles of Central America once the war was over. Knowing that African society would never allow the slaves to return back to Africa, Lincoln also did not want the slaves in the US. He thought the jungles of Central America would be the best solution and conducive to the freed slaves best interest. The only thing that kept this from happening, was his assassination.

MYTH – The South revered slavery.

FACT – A very interesting fact on slavery is that at the time the War of 1861 -1865 officially commenced, the Southern States were actually in the process of freeing all slaves in the South. Russia had freed it’s servants in 1859, and the South took great note of this. Had military intervention not been forced upon the South, a very different America would have been realized then as well as now.

MYTH – The Confederate Army was comprised of rich slave owners.

FACT – Very far from true. The vast majority of soldiers in the Confederate Army were simple men of meager income. Most of which were hard working farmers and common men. Then, as now, very few rich men ever fight a war.

MYTH – Only the North had men of color in their ranks.

FACT – Quite simply a major falsehood of history. Many blacks, both free and of their own will, joined the Confederate Army to fight for their beloved Southern home. Additionally, men of other ethnic extraction fought as well. Oriental, Mexican & Spanish men as well as Native American Indians fought with pride for the South.

Today, many men of color are members in the heritage group SCV – Sons Of Confederate Veterans. These men of color and pride rejoice in their heritage. The continued attacks on the Southern Nation, The Confederacy, and her symbols are a terrible outrage to these fine people. These attacks should be denounced with as much fervor as those who denounce the South.

MYTH – The Confederate Flags are an authorized symbol of Aryan, KKK and hate groups.

FACT – Quite the contrary. These despicable organizations such as the KKK and Aryans have taken a hallowed piece of history, and have plagued good Southern folks and the memories of fine Confederate Soldiers that fought under the flag with their perverse agenda. IN NO WAY does the Confederate Flag represent hate or violence. Heritage groups such as the SCV battle daily the damage done to a proud nation by these hate groups. The SCV denounces all hate groups, and pridefully boast HERITAGE – NOT HATE.

MYTH – The SCV – Sons Of Confederate Veterans are a racist, hate group.

FACT – This is a blatant attack on one of the finest heritage groups ever. The SCV – Sons Of Confederate Veterans are a historical, patriotic and non-political organization comprised of descendants of Confederate Soldiers and sailors dedicated to insuring that a true history of the 1861 -1865 period is preserved and presented to the public. The SCV continues to educate the public of the memory and reputation of the Confederate soldier as well as the motives for his suffering and sacrifice.

The SCV – Sons Of Confederate Veterans are in NO WAY affiliated with, nor does it recognize or condone the terrible legacy of hate groups such as the KKK.

thanks for your OPINION...