Shouting the battle cry of Freedom

[khaosworks]

The better angels
Why Americans are still fighting over who was right and who was wrong in the Civil War

Who won the Civil War? You'd have a hard time finding out at Gettysburg. Sure, there are plenty of artifacts in the dilapidated vistor center: cases full of gray and blue uniforms, fading regimental flags, and rows of shining rifles. Step outside, and you'll learn about the flanking movements and angles of fire, the storied charges and tactical gambits that decided the momentous three day battle. The 1,320 monuments, markers, and memorials that dot the fields of Gettysburg National Military Park pay special attention to troop movements and casualty lists, emphasizing the valor and courage of those who fought. Only a few mention the preservation of the Union; none celebrate the end of slavery.

For almost 2 million visitors each year, the Pennsylvania battlefield confirms everything they know from documentaries, Hollywood, and popular fiction: that the war was America's epic, a heroic conflict both sides fought for freedom. The same tale is told at battlefields across the country. And it's wrong.

In trying to honor the soldiers who died, Civil War battlefields have historically avoided referring to what the two armies were actually fighting about. As a result, say scholars and park service officials alike, the message of most Civil War parks is subtly pro-Confederate, alienating many people who should find the parks compelling. What's missing, they say, is a moral element, what Abraham Lincoln referred to as "the better angels of our nature." The Civil War was a fight over slavery. The South was for it, the North against it. Not talking about slavery, they say, erases right and wrong from history–not only in the parks but in the national memory itself.

Comments

Re: Robert E. Lee

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

Ah, ol' Marse Robert. Strange man, that. He apparently viewed slavery as an evil and yet owned slaves and did not free them until after the war, believing that they were better off slaves than free men. Opposed to secession and yet telling Lincoln that he could not take up arms against his "country", Virginia. A genius in war for his audacity and cunning in the face of superior odds and yet stubborn enough to order Pickett's Charge in the face of contrary advice and good sense. There's been a recent backlash among historians re-examining Lee's life in a less-than-favorable light over the last several years. I haven't quite decided myself what I really think of the man, although I certainly admire such masterpieces as Chancellorsville - I'm going to pick up Emory Thomas' (who taught at UGA and whom I met briefly this year) bio of Lee before I do.