Why Americans Want to Believe the Civil War Was Fought To Free The Slaves

[Webmaster]

by Vernon  R. Padgett, Ph.D.

    We like simplicity.  "The War was Fought Over Slavery," or The North Fought to Free The Slaves," is simple, as simple as a Pepsi commercial.  For a society raised on Pepsi commercials, the One Factor theory (slavery) has enormous appeal.   

    We like to believe that Good Guys Win in the end.  Since the blue uniforms won, then what they fought for must have been the right thing.  We won all our other wars, except a few that we don't talk about, and we were the good guys in all those wars.  (World War I is still hard to figure out—whatever did we get into that for?-- that's another essay.) 

Read more here http://www.rebelgray.com/slavery02.htm

[ole]

That is what is taught. It's shorthand and a skimmer. At the end of that unfortunate war, slaves were freed. Therefore, it must have been a war that freed the slaves. There is little time to teach actual history in today's US classroom. So if you, as a teacher, have a half-hour to say something about the USCW, you have to cut the facts.

ole

[BorderRuffian]

ole-
"....you have to cut the facts."

Yeah, that about sizes it up...

[Mark]

ole-
"....you have to cut the facts."

Yeah, that about sizes it up...

It is Time that we can get this facts Mr Ole
Mark

[ole]

It is Time that we can get this facts Mr Ole
Mark

Few in the North wanted a war to free slaves. That's clear in Lincoln's communications and in the social and political writings leading up to the outbreak of war. But a careful study of those writings and communications would take more time than your average student has time to study; therefore, as the war ended by freeing slaves, it is much easier for your average teacher and pop history book to say that the purpose of the war was to free slaves.

It is not an easy subject to master to be mastered in weeks or even months.

ole

[Piewacket1861]

When put that way, it is always taught then that the North was good and the South was bad.   

Nevermind that there were serious differences between the North and the South besides slavery.  Lincoln wanted to "save the Union"...how noble that sounds. If he had lived, while he saved it, he'd have pitched out the Constitution.  One example: he wanted the territories for "WHITE MEN ONLY".  That is unconstitutional.

More time should be taken to teach AMERICAN history rather than teach NORTHERN history.

The simplicity of this always will come across that there was no redeeming quality about the South.  And I guess that is what school books that teach it this way want to say.  I guess there's no time to teach about child labor or factories or taking all foreigners off boats and making them fight for the North, either, is there.

As it is the Constitution was forever changed that day at Appomattox.

Nope....forget the facts.  This will suffice.  Every generation will look down on the South.

PIE

[unionblue]

Piewacket1861,

If anyone of today looks down on the South because of a short, failed rebellion that lasted only four years, they are an idiot.

I'm afraid the only serious difference that Americans finally killed one another over in large numbers was the issue of slavery, and that is the truth, however unpleasant that is to some here.  No one died over the tariff or a big centrialized government or greedy captalists who rubbed their hands and cackled over getting Southern wealth.

The fact of the matter is the South is rich, powerful and has contributed much to the nation and its history.  This nation could not have survived much of its difficulties without the bravery of its residents or the wisdom of the leaders it has provided.

If we want to teach AMERICAN history, then let's teach all of it, horns and all, but not only from 1861 - 1865, but from the beginning to the present so we can fully prepare for our nation's future.

And the Constitution did not get pitched out and yes, it was changed forever, but not at Appomattox, but in the hearts and minds of the people, through their chosen representatives that expanded its protection and freedoms to all the citizens of this nation.

I would be very surprised at how much of any generation looked down upon the South.  The South has nothing to be ashamed of, IMO, to be looked down about.

Then or now.

Sincerely,
Unionblue