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Let's take an example of glorification that distorts the history of the Civil:
Northern glorification: From the beginning, the Union set out to liberate blacks from slavery and through Reconstruction, sought to give them equal citizenship.
This over simplification ignores the fact that racism was prevalent among Union soldiers.
That the Northern states were hypocritical after the Civil War -- they were much more gun-ho about enfranchising blacks in the defeated Southern states, but were more reluctant to give Northern blacks, Chinese, and Amerindians the franchise.
Or, that there were some Reconstruction state government office holders in Southern military districts and states who were either corrupt or incompetent.
Or how about that white Northerners after Reconstruction embraced white supremacy to reconcile with white Southerners on the South's terms of Jim Crow?
Of course, there are positive examples as well: black soldiers serving in the Union army; well-meaning, competent Northern office holders in the South during Reconstruction; and white Northerners who protested the "Lost Cause" reconciliation.
Southern glorification: The Southerners who favored secession never seceded over the issue of slavery; it was over the issue of states' rights. The Ku Klux Klan during early Reconstruction was an organization that was necessary to protect white women and children. Reconstruction was an undemocratic era of bayonet rule.
This oversimplification ignores the fact that the issue of slavery constantly emerged, and resurfaced throughout the history of antebellum America.
It also ignores the atrocities that the Ku Klux Klan committed, and that it became a racist, terrorist organization for the Democratic party.
It also ignores the facts on how Reconstruction failed -- it failed for TWO main reasons -- one, the corruption and/or incompetence of SOME of the Reconstruction office holders, and two, the wave of racial and political terrorism that violently suppressed Republican voting.
Of course, there are some small truths: a small minority of blacks were faithful slaves who were weary of the Union army.
There were some inccomptent, and/or corrupt Reconstruction office holders, as mentioned already, but not all were.
Northern states were unfairly pushing for immediate racial equality in the South, but were hypocritical by stalling the same development in their own Northern states.
These are examples of how Northern or Southern simplifications of this history still reveberates today, in that we are still struggling with race relations.
Northern glorification: From the beginning, the Union set out to liberate blacks from slavery and through Reconstruction, sought to give them equal citizenship.
This over simplification ignores the fact that racism was prevalent among Union soldiers.
That the Northern states were hypocritical after the Civil War -- they were much more gun-ho about enfranchising blacks in the defeated Southern states, but were more reluctant to give Northern blacks, Chinese, and Amerindians the franchise.
Or, that there were some Reconstruction state government office holders in Southern military districts and states who were either corrupt or incompetent.
Or how about that white Northerners after Reconstruction embraced white supremacy to reconcile with white Southerners on the South's terms of Jim Crow?
Of course, there are positive examples as well: black soldiers serving in the Union army; well-meaning, competent Northern office holders in the South during Reconstruction; and white Northerners who protested the "Lost Cause" reconciliation.
Southern glorification: The Southerners who favored secession never seceded over the issue of slavery; it was over the issue of states' rights. The Ku Klux Klan during early Reconstruction was an organization that was necessary to protect white women and children. Reconstruction was an undemocratic era of bayonet rule.
This oversimplification ignores the fact that the issue of slavery constantly emerged, and resurfaced throughout the history of antebellum America.
It also ignores the atrocities that the Ku Klux Klan committed, and that it became a racist, terrorist organization for the Democratic party.
It also ignores the facts on how Reconstruction failed -- it failed for TWO main reasons -- one, the corruption and/or incompetence of SOME of the Reconstruction office holders, and two, the wave of racial and political terrorism that violently suppressed Republican voting.
Of course, there are some small truths: a small minority of blacks were faithful slaves who were weary of the Union army.
There were some inccomptent, and/or corrupt Reconstruction office holders, as mentioned already, but not all were.
Northern states were unfairly pushing for immediate racial equality in the South, but were hypocritical by stalling the same development in their own Northern states.
These are examples of how Northern or Southern simplifications of this history still reveberates today, in that we are still struggling with race relations.
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