The Lost Cause - Losing the True History of the Civil War:
The Lost Cause:
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What is the Lost Cause?
The Civil War. North and South, United States and Confederate States. The war of America. Over 700,000 people died fighting in the Civil War. This would cause major issues within the States and as a result of this war, we've had many laws and amendments come forth. However, once the Southern states lost the war, they began to rewrite history. The Southern states had to do whatever the Northern states wanted to do to enter back into the United States and this would cause friction within the country. Five days after the war officially ended, Abraham Lincoln was shot dead. The President who saw the war throughout his entire presidency was dead and now his vision of a new America was shattered. However, since the new President, Andrew Jackson did not punish the Southern states as harshly as they should have been, the South had a new plan for what was to come of their America. This was what would be known as the Lost Cause. The Lost Cause is considered the justification for the reason that the Southern States succeeded from the Union and as a result, it ruined how people saw the Civil War and the reason for it happening. Some of the false narratives that came from the Lost Cause are as follows,
One of the misconceptions of the Civil War is why the Civil War happened. The Civil War was fought because of the threat of Slavery ending. You may have been taught in school that the reason for the Civil war was States' Rights or the threat of the Southern Economy collapsing. However, that is just not the whole truth. Technically, yes states' rights was being threatened, but the states' right to do what? Also, yes, the South's economy was being threatened, but why? The right to White people holding enslaved Africans was the only reason the Southern States succeeded from the Union. The first state to go was South Carolina. To prove that the only reason the Southern states succeeded was because of slavery will come right from their declaration of successions. South Carolina would say in their Declaration of Succession, "Those States have assume the right of deciding upon the propriety of our domestic institutions; and have denied the rights of property established in fifteen of the States and recognized by the Constitution; they have denounced as sinful the institution of slavery." Texas' declaration of succession would say, "She was received as a commonwealth holding, maintaining and protecting the institution known as negro slavery--the servitude of the African to the white race within her limits--a relation that had existed from the first settlement of her wilderness by the white race, and which her people intended should exist in all future time. Her institutions and geographical position established the strongest ties between her and other slave-holding States of the confederacy. Those ties have been strengthened by association. But what has been the course of the government of the United States, and of the people and authorities of the non-slave-holding States, since our connection with them?" Mississippi directly said in their declaration of succession, "Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world." The Southern states were upset because when Abraham Lincoln was elected President, they thought that he would get rid of Slavery. Seven of the slave states that succeeded would succeed even before Lincoln took his oath to become President.
Another myth that the Lost Cause perpetuated was that slaves were happy to be slaves. They are depicted in movies like Gone with the Wind as being happy when they were slaves, but that is not the case at all. Enslaved Blacks were beaten, raped, mutilated, tortured, enduring back breaking pain and labor and not to mention the psychological toll that it took on them also. Not only were Black women raped by their masters, but Black men were also raped by their masters to emasculate them. This practice is nothing short of despicable and no one will ever be able to justify that. Black people during the time of slavery wanted nothing more than to be free; learning to read and write and have an education was something that Enslaved Africans wanted. As Frederick Douglass said, “Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.” The education of anyone is important so they can progress through society and Douglass knew how important it was for enslaved Africans to learn to read and write. The slave owners knew how important that was as well and that’s why they rejected the thought so fiercely. Douglass is also known for saying “I prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer, until I prayed with my legs.” Slaves did not enjoy being slaves because at the very chance that they could escape, some attempted. Frederick Douglass is one of the prime examples of how escaping slavery and fighting against was the goal for most who escaped bondage. Enslaved Africans came to America not knowing the language, the people, or what the land looked like as they came from their homeland. White Americans who enslaved these Africans did not want them to see freedom in America and there is truth to this statement.
Another false narrative that the Lost Cause tells us is that White Southerners were okay with Slavery ending. This is 100% false. White Americans did not want Black people to be successful in this country and there are so many ways that Whites from the South and some from the North went about it to stop former enslaved Africans from getting the true American freedoms that they deserved. From lynchings to race riots to Jim Crow to restrictive voting laws, Southern and northern Whites did what they could to stop Black greatness. Ida B Wells’ friends were lynched in front of their store because of their successes. Medger Evers was killed in front of his home and family because he wanted Black people to vote. Many Blacks were turned away from voting because of strict voting tests that they had to take. How were Southerners okay with Slavery ending if they did everything they could to hinder Black success. After the Civil War, a group of former Confederate soldiers created a group known as the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan hates Blacks people and wanted nothing more than to kill anyone who tried to level Black people up. Even some White people who wanted to give Black people the same rights as White people were also subjected to being murdered and treated poorly just as they did Black people. KKK members began as former Confederate soldiers but their children and their children’s children would grow to be police officers, doctors, businessmen, dentists, political figures and firemen. The KKK membership began to boom after the release of the film, Birth of a Nation. White women and children were also encouraged to be apart of the KKK. The KKK would do things to intimidate Black people as well as hurt or kill them. Lynchings were encouraged by the KKK to “keep Negros in their place”.
Slaves were not happy. The South started the Civil War because they wanted to preserve slavery. White people wanted Black people not to have the same rights that they did such as voting. White Southerners thought that Black people were beneath them. This opinion of Black people has gotten better, but not by much. Many Trumpublicans are more worried about preserving the fictitious Southern Lost Cause and this is causing issues such as voting rights for American citizens. The repetition of history is due to the lack of education when it comes to Black history. Black people have a right to be treated with respect and have the right to vote and right to have equal protection of the law. The 14th and 15th Amendments say so. The South did all they could to hide the truth and they are still doing so by making laws that say Critical Race Theory cannot be taught in schools. Critical Race Theory is so important for children and even adults to learn so that we as a nation can stop repeating the terrible acts that happen to Black people.
Sources:
https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/secession/2feb1861.html
https://www.togethercolorado.org/action-prayers-by-rabbi-hillel-katzir/
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