The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The Great Truth about the Lost CauseJames W. Loewen, Edward H. Sebesta Most Americans hold basic misconceptions about the Confederacy, the Civil War, and the actions of subsequent neo-Confederates. For example, two thirds of Americans—including most history teachers—think the Confederate States seceded for “states' rights.” This error persists because most have never read the key documents about the Confederacy. These documents have always been there. When South Carolina seceded, it published “Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union.” The document actually opposes states' rights. Its authors argue that Northern states were ignoring the rights of slave owners as identified by Congress and in the Constitution. Similarly, Mississippi's “Declaration of the Immediate Causes. . .” says, “Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery—the greatest material interest of the world.” Later documents in this collection show how neo-Confederates obfuscated this truth, starting around 1890. The evidence also points to the centrality of race in neo-Confederate thought even today and to the continuing importance of neo-Confederate ideas in American political life. The 150th anniversary of secession and civil war provides a moment for all Americans to read these documents, properly set in context by award-winning sociologist and historian James W. Loewen and coeditor, Edward H. Sebesta, to put in perspective the mythology of the Old South. |
Contents
| 3 | |
CHAPTER 1 The Gathering Storm 17871860 | 22 |
CHAPTER 2 Secession 18591861 | 92 |
CHAPTER 3 Civil War 18611865 | 167 |
CHAPTER 4 Reconstruction and Fusion 18661890 | 230 |
CHAPTER 5 The Nadir of Race Relations 18901940 | 277 |
Other editions - View all
The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The "great Truth" about the ... James W. Loewen,Edward H. Sebesta No preview available - 2010 |
The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The "great Truth" about the ... James W. Loewen,Edward H. Sebesta No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
abolition abolitionism abolitionists adopted African Americans Alabama Amendment Arkansas army battle citizens civil rights claim compact Confederacy Confederate Congress Confederate Veterans conflict Congress Constitution Convention declared delegates Democratic Party Dixiecrat documents Dred Scott duty election emancipation equal existence fact Federal Government fight flag force fugitive slave Georgia Governor historian hostile important inferior institutions interests Jefferson Davis John Klux Klan Ku Klux Klan labor laws leaders legislation legislature liberals liberty Lincoln Louisiana majority ment Mississippi Missouri Compromise Nadir Nathan Bedford Forrest nature negro neo-Confederate never non-slaveholding North Northern officers organization peace political President principles protection question racial Reconstruction relations resolutions Resolved schools seceded secession sectional Senate slaveholding social soldiers South Carolina Southern Partisan Stephens Supreme Court taxes territory Texas tion troops truth U.S. Constitution Union United Daughters Virginia vote white race white Southerners white supremacy