THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 1

The Preservation of the Confederate Cause:

When Heritage is the Intersection of Hate

Taylor Maloney

Tallwood High School

Instructor: Gregory Falls

December 5th, 2017

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Abstract

Throughout American history, the Civil War has been a hotly debated topic, often intertwining

itself within the current political zeitgeist of the time. In this research paper, the author seeks to

debunk misconceptions about the Civil War and its outcomes, delve into the concepts of White

heritage, and the lack of significance of Confederate statues and memorials. Though limited in

scope, the author makes good usage of resources available to provide compelling research to

convince the reader to take an introspective look at how these issues influence race relations in

the United States today. The author specifically chose to interview a person who did not share a

popular opinion as to give a different perspective on the issues at hand. This results in a cohesive

and convincing paper about how misconceptions about the past can prove to be detrimental in

the future.
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Table of Contents

Cover Page………………………………………………………………………………………1

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………….2

Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………..3

Introduction………………………………………………………………………....…………...4

Limitations……………………………………………………………………………………....5

Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………….6

Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………..….10

. Historical Misconceptions about the Civil War………………………………………..10

White Supremacy and its Entanglement with Ideas of Heritage……………………….14

The Relevance of deNazification and the Applications to American Society……...….17

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………...…18

References………………………………………………………………………………………19

Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………….….25

Appendix B…………………………………………………………………………………......28

Introduction
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One of the most inspiring and striking features of the United State Constitution is the

First Amendment; no other right is as frequently and faithfully exercised as the freedom of one’s

speech. Even so, there is a debate on whether some more hateful sentiments should be protected

under the First Amendment. This paper is not going to deny anyone their rights as an American

citizen. Rather than telling one that they cannot do something, it is more effective to tell one why

they should not do something. Instead of instilling a response of “Yes I can” they will think

“Why should I not?”, this type of discussion allows for an easier exchange of ideas, opinions and

factual evidence to support each claim. With that being said, this paper will be addressing the

more prevalent controversy surrounding the Confederate flag, statues, and other forms of

memoriam towards the former coalition. It is America’s obligation to confront its past and decide

how it plans to move forward, or, if it wants to remain true to its foundations of white supremacy

and superiority. Although it is every American’s right to express themselves however they see

fit, the Confederate flag is one of the most misunderstood symbols in this country; most of the

supporters of what the flag stands for are misinformed of the historical events of the Civil War,

trying to preserve their white identity through symbols of supremacy, and often ignorant to how

similar dilemmas have been handled in Germany in a more effective and transparent manner.
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 5

Limitations

Personal bias: The author is African-American, so she is predisposed to a certain disdain for the

idea of white identity symbols and Confederate-related memorials. Her family has also been

victims of a hate crime as well. Her grandparents live in Charleston, South Carolina, and thus

have endured many times in which they had felt their race had made them more vulnerable. The

author must understand that she has a perspective on this that many do not, and tried to maintain

an objective argument throughout the paper.

Research Limitations: Unfortunately, the author was limited to the research of others and thus

do not have any peer-reviewed journals or articles to contribute in this paper. They did however,

make use of the numerous works available to them to address the topic in the most educated

manner possible. Even with the interviews to make up for new research, They had a very small

sample size to work with relative to the broadness of this topic. The author did not have access to

most of the prominent figures within this topic. She chose to interview peers as well as someone

who supported the Confederate flag and its meaning.

Influence: As the author is a student, they may not be able to make a lot of the change or actions

they want to see incorporated. They cannot vote, which is a major limitation in engaging in

political action, but they can help support ongoing movements to help them achieve similar goals

such as the removal of Confederate statues and flags that are on public properties.

Time Constraint: The author had to research and compile this paper within 2 months, with more

time, she could further delve into the many different aspects and viewpoints related to the topic

of the Civil War and the Confederacy.

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Literature Review

The sources in this paper are used in support of dispelling commonly held misconceptions and

move towards creating a deeper understanding of the American Civil War and how it affects the

current political zeitgeist. These sources will delve into the widely accepted historical

inaccuracies about the Civil War, debunking the notion of Southern/White heritage and the
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 7

significance of the Confederacy to that notion, and a comparative look at the deNazification

process that occurred in Germany after the second World War.

Catalysts for the Civil War

Numerous primary documents refute these claims, however, the read should look no

further than the former Vice President of the Confederacy: Alexander H. Stephens. In his

infamous “Corner Stone” speech, Stephens (1861), states “Our new government is founded upon

exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone rests, upon the great truth that

the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his

natural and normal condition.” When reviewing his speech, it is hard for one to sympathize with

those who claim state’s rights as a driving factor behind the Civil War. The speaker clearly

speaks on behalf of his Confederate comrades and openly expresses his disgust towards the

notion of equality between races, going as far to say slavery was “a great physical, philosophical,

and moral truth.” This is hardly sentiment exclusive to Stephens, John C Calhoun echoed similar

sentiments almost three decades before, Calhoun (1837) “Never before has the black race of

Central Africa, from the dawn of history to the present day, attained a condition so civilized and

so improved, not only physically, but morally and intellectually.” Most slave owners held the

same ideas as both, seeing slavery as a necessary evil that ‘civilized’ Africans, and gave slaves a

better position than they would have had if they had stayed in their homeland.

Germany and DeNazification

This paper pulls information directly from the Office of the Historian from the U.S. State

Department to gain historically accurate and credible information on the processes that occurred

in Germany after the events of World War II. The Understanding the German People’s
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 8

Participation in the Third Reich vividly details how the Nazi Party appealed to such a large

population through propaganda, fear, and misinformation ( Bailey, 1999). This information is

useful in understanding how the political and social climate in Germany mirrored that of

America’s in the mid-1800’s.

Another interesting perspective is that the Nazi party had looked upon the American

system of racial oppression for their infamous Nuremberg laws ( Whitman, 2017). These sources

all highlight the importance of knowing history intimately and educating the peoples of a country

in the hopes that they learn the history in its entirety and not through the the most comfortable

perspective.

Heritage Intertwined with Hatred

With the recent election of Donald J. Trump to the office of the Presidency, many

controversies and movements have been sparked; the one that will be focused on for the

purposes of this paper will be the “Alt-Right”, a term coined by Richard Spencer, the president

of the National Policy Institute and major figure in the Alt-Right community, as it’s positions on

the issues addressed in this paper are what most current supporters align with.

The author also takes this topic as a chance to address opposing viewpoints on the ideas

of white heritage. Arguments proposed are often dealing with overt liberalism, the eradication of

history, and the destruction of culture. Anti-Confederate sentiments are often seen as hypocritical

as General Lee was a larger critic of slavery than most Union leaders, writing “slavery as an

institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country” (Warner, 2015). Another argument is that
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 9

the notion of the Confederate flag as a racist came entirely from the NAACP in the 1990’s, as a

means to eventually undermine American symbols and to claim the country itself as racist as a

means to promote an “Afrocentric racial mythology” and clear implications towards an end goal

of “white genocide” (Francis, 2000). These arguments most often come from sites with a clear

link to the Alt-Right and its policies, such as Breitbart and American Renaissance.

In the interview that the author conducted with a staunch supporter of the flag, the author found

that this person relied on commonly used arguments found frequently used by the Alt-Right with

misinterpretations of accurate historical events and was clearly uncomfortable with the subject of

slavery and it’s intimate history with their proclaimed culture.

Discussion

Historical Misconceptions about the Civil War

When looking into American history, the uncomfortable conversation of slavery and its

role in creating this nation is always brought up. With that comes the debate over the Civil War

that divided the nation and resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties, with common claims

of state’s rights and taxes as being the cause. However, most historians agree that it was over

slavery, the events leading up to the war mainly relating to the continuation of slavery into the

newly claimed states. So, for the purposes of this paper, the reader will have to look at this topic
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 10

in the context that the Civil War was the culmination of a series of confrontations concerning the

institution of slavery.

Although many conservative outlets claim otherwise, most historians agree that the Civil

War was fought, over slavery. James Madison called it “America’s original sin” (Tsesis, 2010.),

when talking about American history, it is hard to avoid the deep, ugly scar left by chattel

slavery. Those who possess pro-Confederate sentiment will argue that state’s rights, was in fact

the true cause of the Civil War and mitigate the institution of slavery as a necessary evil. This is

proven wrong time and time again and with the most telling of sources being the Confederate

Constitution itself. How peculiar that every single article within the Constitution of the

Confederate is exactly like that of its Union counterpart, with one small addition. When

reviewing the document one will see that in Article I, Section 9, Clause 2 it transparently states “

“Congress shall also have power to prohibit the introduction of slaves from any State not a

member of, or Territory not belonging to, this Confederacy.” With that, the author will hope that

the reader is clearly able to discern historical fact from any previous political or personal beliefs

not based upon historical accuracy.

When discussing this topic, it is often leaving out the voices of the oppressed, as many

seem to assume that slaves and even free blacks were docile bystanders whilst only white Union

soldiers were active in securing their Emancipation. In fact, historian Matthew Harper in his

2016 publication, The End of Days: African American Religion and Politics in the Age of

Emancipation stated:

On February 22, 1865, the 4th and the 37th U.S. Colored Troops, among others, occupied

the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina. As the soldiers marched through the streets,

they sang, “Christ died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.” Slaves and free
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 11

blacks lined the streets to cheer, dance, and celebrate. One African-American woman

spotted her son among the soldiers. Young men who had left home as slaves now

returned as liberators. Their presence meant the end of slavery.

This puts into perspective how opposing the two sides to this conflict were; clearly both

saw their causes as valiant, but one clearly failed to see where their freedom and privilege

intersected with that of the other’s oppression.

Another commonly used claim is that most Confederate soldiers were not slave owners,

and while this is completely factually correct and evident, it leaves much to be desired as a solid

argument against slavery being the main factor in sparking the Civil War. In his Address to the

Charleston Library Society in January 25th, 2011, Gordon Rhea lays out the main reasons that

non-slaveholding southerners felt the need to fight so fiercely for the Confederate States. The

main inciting factor according to Rhea was most certainly the election of Republican Abraham

Lincoln, as this spelled out certain doom for the expansion of slavery within newly claimed

territories. But still why would these people fight for property they did not own? To understand

this, the reader must know that the estimated 4 million enslaved Africans that resided in the

Southern states of that time touched every single aspect of the South’s social, political and

economic life.

A common image of what we imagine as a slave is someone forced to pick cotton on a

plantation; this ignores the fact that many slaves were blacksmiths, dockhands, street cleaners,

bakers and how they shopped and cooked for their masters while watching their children. Even

Charleston looked like a negro town from the outside (Rhea, 2011). This made fear of a slave

rebellion even more prevalent as the slave population grew larger and larger, and even moreso

after numerous slave revolts made the notion even more real. The independence of Haiti, John
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 12

Brown and Nat Turner all played a much larger aspect upon harsher slavery sentiments in the

South than most would like to admit. This all happened whilst the abolitionist movement in the

Northern States began to gain traction while the Southern slave owners saw such notions as

hysterical. The South started to resemble more and more like a police state, with slave catchers

and vigilantes prowling every road.

Another large part of every Southerner’s life was church, and most Americans are not

aware of the influence that religion had on motivating both sides to fight during the Civil War.

And no place was more important to Southern social life was Church, it was the center for most

if not all social interaction within the region. During his same speech, Rhea goes on to say:

Southern clergy defended the morality of slavery through an elaborate scriptural defense

built on the infallibility of the Bible, which they held up as the universal and objective

standard for moral issues. Religious messages from pulpit and from a growing religious

press accounted in large part for the extreme, uncompromising, ideological atmosphere of

the time.

Most pastors cited the Paul’s return of a slave to his master in the Bible as evidence for the

justification of the Fugitive Slave Act. They saw the Bible as complete justification of chattel

slavery and anyone who opposed the idea of slavery as a right was directly opposing the word of

God.

In regards to the historical origins of the flag and its meaning, here are the words of

William Thompson, who designed the “stars and bars” of the Confederate flag (E, 2016):
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 13

“As a people, we are fighting to maintain the Heaven-ordained supremacy of the white

man over the inferior or colored race; a white flag would thus be emblematical of our cause.”

According to the Civil War Trust, their cause took the lives of some 620,000 Americans,

larger than any conflict the country has ever been involved in.

White Supremacy and its Entanglement with Ideas of Heritage

On August 12th, 2017, a Unite the Right rally descended upon Charlottesville, Virginia

and protested the removal of a statue in Emancipation Park of Robert E. Lee. Violence ensued

and left one counter-protester, Heather Meyer, dead. In light of these events, the nation was

shellshocked at the revelation of the prevailing existence of white supremacy; an idea this

country was founded on. Quickly, many Confederate statues have come into question, leaving

communities with a dilemma on “which side to choose”.

Whether most Americans want to face their history or not, the foundations of this nations

rested in the widespread idea of white supremacy; 41 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of

Independence were owners of human beings. That should have been indicative of their positions

on their initial ideas of racial equality, the irony of their views was evident when comparing the

ideas presented Declaration of Independence to their personal beliefs. However, this paper does
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 14

not directly use this point to say that the Founding Fathers also deserve the same treatment, as

their legacy was not intimately tied with their willingness to fight and kill for the sake of the

expansion and preservation of slavery.

Many times when one mentions white supremacy, it is often watered down and claimed

as white heritage or culture; this is an attempt to make the said supporter able to claim reverse

racism and divert from the initial argument. In fact, some admit in their arguments that they do

not inherently even agree with racial equality, citing the “mandated racial equality” and how

“racism is virtually a religious taboo” as the reasons the Confederate symbols have been subject

to mass criticism (Francis, 2000). This virtually further proves the point that if the South had

won, racial equality would not exist, and that it is a core belief in “Southern Traditionalism”. In

his article The War on White Heritage, Francis fears that destroying these white cultural symbols

would mean the end of white identity, saying “With their disappearance and the cultural and

racial dispossession it represents would come the racial domination of white Americans by the

non-white majority of the next century.” This heavily hints at the idea of white genocide, a fear

of the white race disappearing through “forced assimilation”, mass immigration, and most

importantly interracial relations. This is an effective use of propaganda by white supremacists

and is even echoed in sentiments from the President himself, in a July 2015 speech in Arizona he

rallied the audience with the foreboding claims of “Don’t worry, we’ll take our country back”.

The events in Charlottesville have been eloquently explained through the theory of

“White Fragility”, ( Diangelo, 2017), this theory explains that white people in America exist in a

sort of bubble that effectively prevents them from actually confronting any bigotry or racism

they feel entitled to. So much so, that it is to a point where once they are questioned in their

beliefs through direct opposition to their views, the racial stress is intolerable and is often met
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 15

with emotions of anger, fear and guilt. This makes its so behaviors such as argumentation,

silence and leaving the stress-induced situation the only viable options within their mind, thus

reinforcing the bubble in which their ideas reside. This is why so many situations about actually

confronting ideas of white supremacy never really reach a satisfying conclusion as it is almost

always answered with with immediate vitriol, disdain, or dismissal. With that being said, if that

is so often an occurrence when white heritage, and culture is brought up, what is it truly about?

To even imply that there is some collective white culture, is confusing in its own right,

because it is not specific on whether this is exclusively referring to the American culture or

extends to include European cultures as well. In Europe, there is no collective identity amongst

these cultures; to assume that Germans and Nordic people share a common culture is absurd. In

their minds, they are distinct in their mannerisms, language, foods and celebrations. Even

moreso, the notion of a common white culture could actually be more detrimental to the actual

cultures these people are linked to, it is assuming all white people are somehow a part of the

same culture instead of recognizing their own unique identity throughout these diverse countries.

If it is indeed referring to American heritage then it is even more absurd and bigoted to claim that

the idea white heritage and culture isn’t directly a product of white supremacy. If the only people

and causes these supporter claim as symbols of their culture relate to the ownership and

exploitation of human beings, their “culture” does not warrant praise and reclamation.

American white supremacy is a distortion of the core ideals of the very country it resides,

it is a complete contradiction towards its foundation. The idea of America was to be an open,

vast land ripe with opportunity and the increasing popularity of covert supremacist beliefs closes

that window to others who believe they are defending the values of Western civilization when

they are in fact, destroying it.

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The Relevance of deNazification and the Applications to American Society

Vergangenheitsbewältigungs; the German word meaning “to struggle with overcoming

the [negatives of] past”, it was used to describe the later 20th century period that describes the

efforts of the Germans to have a public debate about a problematic period of its recent history. In

this paper, it can be referred to as the deNazification of post World War II Germany. Although

today Germany is a leading global hegemony, on the forefront of the refugee crisis, and

pioneering in sustainable energy. However, in order to advance forward within the global

community, Germany had to confront its inner demons after the second world war concluded.

According to AlliiertenMuseum, at the Yalta conference, the United States, Soviet Union, and

Britain agreed to set a goal for the deNazification of Germany. In August 2nd of the same year,

the Potsdam Declaration aims to lay out this goal. According to the Protocol of the Conference

as stated by the office of the Historian in the US State Department, there was to be “a complete

disarmament and demilitarization of Germany”;

all aspects of German industry that could be utilized for military purposes were to be

dismantled; all German military and paramilitary forces were to be eliminated; and the
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 17

production of all military hardware in Germany was forbidden. Furthermore, German

society was to be remade along democratic lines by repeal of all discriminatory laws from

the Nazi era and by the arrest and trial of those Germans deemed to be “war criminals.”

The German educational and judicial systems were to be purged of any authoritarian

influences, and democratic political parties would be encouraged to participate in the

administration of Germany at the local and state level.

When looking into this in contrast with the events that transpired after the Civil War, the

Union was much more lenient on the way it handled the reintegration of the formerly

Confederate states and its residents. Many of the Southern elite families had maintained their

power, influence and wealth well after the war, and many freed slaves had remained on their

plantations as they lacked many viable skills to make them truly independent after their

emancipation. Most importantly, the people affected the worst by the Reconstruction era were

poor whites, who were plunged into poverty after the war. This led to an increase in racially-

motivated violence in the South and gave way to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. While the social

elite of the South sought to restore order to the South through the black codes, the poor and

middle class white citizens sought violence as a way to coax blacks into subordination through

fear. The federal government rarely intervened and tended to leave the South and its social

affairs in the hands of the then conservative Democratic Party.

In fact, there has never been any true accountability for these former Confederates and

unlike the former Nazis, these people had been able to continue to surround themselves with

these ideologies for generations while harboring complete hatred and resentment for the former

slaves. There are few times in history where the losing side is the one who writes the story, and

in no case is that more true than the Civil War. Almost immediately after the conclusion of the
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 18

Civil War, Southern historians like CSA General Jubal Early and Edward A. Pollard scrambled

to preserve the South’s perspective through various works. These writings framed the Southern

cause as a heroic defense of their way of life against the North. The Lost Cause narrative stresses

three main points; the belief that slavery was a benevolent institution, the Confederate fight was

the epitome of heroism, and of course, that the cause of the war was not slavery. Its effect on our

perception of the Civil War was tremendous, with many textbooks having expressed these

sentiments for generations of Southern kids to have indoctrinated in their minds. It is an

uncomfortable conversation but America must face its history as one country as Germany did.

After World War II, there was work to be done in Germany in reconstructing its society

into a functional democracy. And with that came the ugly truth of the extent of the Nazi regime,

and how the country could possibly confront it without toppling itself from the inside.

Truly where Germany shines is in its method of dealing with former Nazi rally grounds,

and other areas heavily influenced by the party. Many places were found to be repurposed, often

with different uses entirely or to expose the complicated moral history of the area (Komska,

2017). There is a certain humbleness and humility about these places and some are not even

acknowledged; they stand as silent monoliths and reminders of what one can learn from the past

deeds of others.
 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 19

Conclusion

While this paper condemns certain ideologies and opinions, it is not in an effort to

humiliate or belittle others. It is very hard to convince someone that their ideas and beliefs they

were surrounded by throughout their entire lives are wrong, or hateful. And thus it cannot be

approached with untempered emotions or blinding political narratives, rather with an open mind

and patience. With that being said, this paper focuses on deeply rooted hatred and the resurgence

of support for sentiments many Americans thought were long dead. There are moral wrongs that

have not been rectified properly, and uncomfortable conversations that must be had. In order to

move forward and “make America great again”, there must be an acknowledgement of the horrid

institution of chattel slavery and its role in sparking the bloodiest conflict in American history.

There must be an awareness of the historical inaccuracies of arguments claiming to justify the

sympathetic positions many have taken to those who had fought to keep human beings as

property. And there must be a unanimous decision to move forward while still having these

painful discussions, there is no nation with a story free of historical stains.

 THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE 20

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Warner, G. (2015, July 01). Hoist It High And Proud: The Confederate Flag Proclaims A

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Appendix A

Interview

Student 1: Jaelee Heard, Virginia Beach, Tallwood High School

Student 2: Samantha Waterman, Virginia Beach, Tallwood High School

Confederate Flag Vendor: George Abbot, Charleston South Carolina

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What was the Civil War fought over ?

1: Mainly slavery, because the South resented the North over issues of federalism and slavery.

2: Slavery, because the CSA wanted to maintain slavery while Union didn’t.

V: State’s rights and taxes, the North was being too aggressive on the Southern economy and its

lucrative cotton industry.

How does the Confederate flag make you feel?

1: It’s very disrespectful to me, it p*sses me off and tells me that you dislike me and what I stand

for.

2: Its not that I like it, but it doesn’t really affect me. I never even paid attention to it until it

became a national issue.

V: Proud. It’s my heritage and where I come from. It is also a symbol for rebellion, similar to

the Gadsden flag. Its saying “you can only push me so far before I retaliate”

How do the statues make you feel?

1: I feel like they were coming from a good place, but considering the current issues we face in

our country today, I see them as unnecessary. I don’t see any Union statues or slave statues

anywhere

2: I agree that the statues should be replaced with more relevant figures. “People say heritage not

hate” and its like, your heritage is hate.

V: These are important figures within the community, and especially Charleston, taking them

down would be erasing our history.

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In your opinion, is what the Confederacy did considered treason or self preservation?

1: Treason, they seperated from the Union.

2: They fought to keep slavery, so to me the most logical answer is preservation; they wanted to

maintain their way of life. I’m not saying it justified going to war, but their actions were

treasonous in nature.

V: Definitely self-preservation, the North was acting in an unconstitutional manner and the South

had every right to secede.

Was America too hard on the reintegrated citizens, or were they too lenient?

1: I felt like we took the necessary measures.

2: I think they were too lenient, I don’t think these people should have been so quickly

readmitted.

How do swastikas make you feel? Nazi salutes and phrases ?

1: They are just as disrespectful as the Confederate flag to me. It's like, why would you do that?

2: I don’t like any of them, simply because I think that it symbolizes all of the atrocities during

the Holocaust. And it's disgusting that these people get a sense of pride and power from this flag,

so wild. They use it as an identity when its a symbol for so much suffering for so many groups of

people.

Was the Confederacy morally wrong, or just defending their values?

1: I think it's both. Even though we see them a wrong they believed they were right in their

wrong-ness, if that makes sense.

2: Because of my upbringing and morals I see them as morally wrong.

V: Only 5% of Southerners were slave-owners, it's wrong to assume that most of these folks

were just terrible people.

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What do you define hate speech as?

2: Hate speech can be worded in a variety of different ways to sound not as obvious. To me what

qualifies as hate speech is defending/sympathizing with the views of an oppressor or being the

oppressor. Like outright slurs, like trolling

Appendix B
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