Author Topic: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War  (Read 2262 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Online mystery-ak

  • Owner
  • Administrator
  • ******
  • Posts: 381,855
  • Gender: Female
  • Let's Go Brandon!
150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« on: June 29, 2013, 04:22:23 pm »
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/150-years-of-misunderstanding-the-civil-war/277022/

150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
As the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg approaches, it's time for America to question the popular account of a war that tore apart the nation.
Tony Horwitz Jun 19 2013, 2:10 PM ET


The Battle of Gettysburg, lithograph (Currier and Ives/Wikimedia Commons)

In early July, on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, pilgrims will crowd Little Round Top and the High Water Mark of Pickett's Charge. But venture beyond these famous shrines to battlefield valor and you'll find quiet sites like Iverson's Pits, which recall the inglorious reality of Civil War combat.

On July 1st, 1863, Alfred Iverson ordered his brigade of North Carolinians across an open field. The soldiers marched in tight formation until Union riflemen suddenly rose from behind a stone wall and opened fire. Five hundred rebels fell dead or wounded "on a line as straight as a dress parade," Iverson reported. "They nobly fought and died without a man running to the rear. No greater gallantry and heroism has been displayed during this war."

continued at link
Proud Supporter of Tunnel to Towers
Support the USO
Democrat Party...the Party of Infanticide

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
-Matthew 6:34

Offline olde north church

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,117
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2013, 01:43:02 pm »
The article was interesting but attacked the typical boogiemen.  Yes, in hindsight we can say it would have been better to buy the slaves, put them on a ship and sent them back to Africa, it would have save men and dollars.  It would have saved the trillions of dollars we have spend on the descendants of a portion of the slaves.  We may want to consider to do the same thing now.
There was one point that bothered me.  The characterization of Northern Evangelicals as Abolitionists.  It was done in that condescending Leftist manner.  I would argue (of course I would!), it was Transcendentalism taking hold in New England that was the final catalyst in fighting slavery.  It also minimizes the effects of religion in the South and by extension onto the black slaves who adopted Christianity as the balm to soothe their bondage.
I'm not the first to say the Civil War continues today but in a "Cold War" version. 
Why?  Well, because I'm a bastard, that's why.

Offline Rapunzel

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 71,613
  • Gender: Female
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2013, 05:01:54 pm »
 Should have sent them back home Imho...
�The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves.� G Washington July 2, 1776

Offline olde north church

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,117
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2013, 05:09:54 pm »
Should have sent them back home Imho...

yeah, we spent a couple billion a few years ago with "W".  We could have hand-delivered it!
Why?  Well, because I'm a bastard, that's why.

Offline GourmetDan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7,277
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2013, 12:49:46 pm »
150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War

Welcome back Mystery AK!


"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." - Ecclesiastes 10:2

"The sole purpose of the Republican Party is to serve as an ineffective alternative to the Democrat Party." - GourmetDan

Offline ABX

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 900
  • Words full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2013, 01:11:13 pm »
Should have sent them back home Imho...

What home exactly?  Many where third, fourth, fifth or more generations here. They would relate to Africa as well as you or I.

Offline ABX

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 900
  • Words full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2013, 06:18:59 pm »
That's my point, too...and in both the North and South, there were Free Blacks who helped build America from the git-go. 

Should we have sent them away too, just becuz it wouldda been easier on the RACISTS on BOTH sides of the Mason-Dixon line...MUD :pondering:

Completely agree. Two things that bug me in the 'shouldda wouldda' conversation are 'we should have bought them' which just reinforces that humans are chattel that can be bought and sold by the government, and 'let them go back home' as this was their home, no matter how they got here or the state in which they were held. They should have had as free of a choice to go or stay as any free man in this country.

Offline jmyrlefuller

  • J. Myrle Fuller
  • Cat Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 22,326
  • Gender: Male
  • Realistic nihilist
    • Fullervision
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2013, 06:58:13 pm »
Welcome back Mystery AK!
No, MUD just bumped the thread... as he is wont to do every once in a while.
New profile picture in honor of Public Domain Day 2024

Online Bigun

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 51,331
  • Gender: Male
  • Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God
    • The FairTax Plan
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2013, 07:16:46 pm »
A good start at untangling the misunderstandings would be to stop calling it what it was not! There is a precise definition for what constitutes "civil war" and what happened here does not even come close to fitting that definition.

What happened here was a violent overthrow of one form of government in favor of another. A Coup d'état. Not a civil war by any means!
« Last Edit: July 15, 2013, 07:21:22 pm by Bigun »
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline Cincinnatus

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,513
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2013, 07:35:25 pm »
Hey, Bigun, good to see you here. You have been rather quiet of late so I hope this is evidence you will start adding more of your thoughts.
We shall never be abandoned by Heaven while we act worthy of its aid ~~ Samuel Adams

Offline GourmetDan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7,277
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2013, 08:53:16 pm »
Welcome back Mystery AK!

No, MUD just bumped the thread... as he is wont to do every once in a while.

"Stupid is as stupid does..."  (Me, not MUD)  :shrug:


« Last Edit: July 15, 2013, 08:54:32 pm by GourmetDan »
"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." - Ecclesiastes 10:2

"The sole purpose of the Republican Party is to serve as an ineffective alternative to the Democrat Party." - GourmetDan

Offline olde north church

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,117
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2013, 08:54:22 pm »
A good start at untangling the misunderstandings would be to stop calling it what it was not! There is a precise definition for what constitutes "civil war" and what happened here does not even come close to fitting that definition.

What happened here was a violent overthrow of one form of government in favor of another. A Coup d'état. Not a civil war by any means!

May I ask why you would use coup d'etat?
Why?  Well, because I'm a bastard, that's why.

Online Bigun

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 51,331
  • Gender: Male
  • Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God
    • The FairTax Plan
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2013, 12:58:21 am »
Interesting take, Bigun, but I'm sure you know what you said can be taken in more than one way...

Coup d'etat, you say?  Is that on account that the people making the decisions were more interested in maintaining their own access 2 wealth than it was thinking what would be best 4 WeThePeople? 
No. It is on account of the fact that from the very beginning there were those who abhorred the idea of an American republic and in 1860 did something about it.  The republic we were given by our founders was converted to the mercantile empire we now have. Nothing more than that.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2013, 12:58:53 am by Bigun »
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Online Bigun

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 51,331
  • Gender: Male
  • Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God
    • The FairTax Plan
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2013, 01:00:45 am »
May I ask why you would use coup d'etat?

Because that is the closest thing to describing what actually happened that I could think of but admit it is not entirely accurate either.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2013, 01:01:59 am by Bigun »
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Online Bigun

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 51,331
  • Gender: Male
  • Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God
    • The FairTax Plan
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2013, 01:04:11 am »
Hey, Bigun, good to see you here. You have been rather quiet of late so I hope this is evidence you will start adding more of your thoughts.

I have been rather overwhelmed with other things lately but will be here when the opportunity arises and see something posted that I wish to comment on.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien

Offline truth_seeker

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 28,386
  • Gender: Male
  • Common Sense Results Oriented Conservative Veteran
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #15 on: August 02, 2013, 08:00:36 pm »
The Founders knew that slavery was immoral, but first things first. They had to begin an independent nation.

The Brits stopped slavery in 1833. More on the historical timeline:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolition_of_slavery_timeline
"God must love the common man, he made so many of them.�  Abe Lincoln

Offline Rodrigo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 94
Re: 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War
« Reply #16 on: August 03, 2013, 08:53:13 pm »
There were several  riots in the US between 1800 and 1861  because do gooders wanted to send all freed blacks back to Africa.  The blacks DID NOT want to go to a place none of them had any memory of.  Many had been in the Americas for many generations.