12 Comments

Your revelatory instruction re full history of The Lost Cause promotion really needs to reach the general public.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, but I thought I already was.

Expand full comment

What Haley realizes seems to have little to do with what she says at any one moment, which is whatever will gain her political benefit. She went from condemning Trump as a candidate to working for him when he was in office, from pledging never to run against him and now in fact doing so.

The best thing I remember about the removal of the battle flag was Bree Newsome doing it - and being arrested for her pains.

Expand full comment
author

Agreed. I am not surprised that Haley's changing position on the flag reflected political opportunism. Of course, that's nothing new. My problem is with the way she attempts to rewrite the history of the controversy to suit her political ends.

Expand full comment

Unfortunately it is a very long slow process. I was a believer in the states rights theory for most of my adult life. Born, raised and educated in the Philadelphia/ South Jersey area that is what we were taught. It was not until about 10 years ago the I got “ hooked “ on history and started reading about the details of the civil war and slavery. As you mention, read a book or two would help most people. Pandering to a voter base will never change. We need a third party in the middle to hopefully make a change.

Mike

Expand full comment

Mike, I also believed in the “states rights, 10th Amendment” theory. I grew up a mile from the Civil War Battle of Brandy Station, considered the beginning of Lee’s second northern venture that ended in defeat at Gettysburg. And I deeply believed in the Lost Cause, even arguing with a park ranger over whether or not a civilian was killed by a rebel bullet. Working at a high poverty school began to open my eyes, and I went back and reread some history with a new perspective. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Expand full comment

Oh the tangled web of Lost Cause and Noble South lies she still believes.

Expand full comment

Of course the irony is that she's already lost the base irrevocably. The pro-flag people at least have never forgiven "Nimarata" Haley (as they tend to call her) for taking the flag down.

Expand full comment
author

You are probably right, Ken.

Expand full comment

I think Kevin’s post is spot on. South Carolina has tried hard to hang on to its “Southern heritage” while refusing to acknowledge that heritage rests firmly on slavery. But I think this has long been true in South Carolina. I visited Charleston a few years ago. The old part of the city is one large monument to the pre-Civil War south. I’m an historical archaeologist and I’ve never seen so many elegant old buildings with national registry markers. But about the only place I found an open treatment of the role of slavery in the City’s history was at National Park Service administered sites

Expand full comment

If they didn’t have revisionist history, they would only have shame.

Expand full comment