Civil War reenacting has taken a hit over the past few years, owing to the controversy surrounding the Confederate battle flag, the hobby’s aging population, and an evolving Civil War memory that now emphasizes the history of slavery and emancipation.
I love civil war reenactments, but when they provide some ridiculous cover for what the war was actually about, then it becomes nothing more than a racist exercise in Lost Cause nonsense. I remember one of the reenactments I went to when I was a kid had a faux surgeon demonstrating the pain of what the civil war wounded went through and they were in character the entire time talking about the anger they felt at watching young men die for slavers. It was incredibly educational.
Props to these two men for having the guts to call out the pseudo-historical bros of reenactment. Reenactment should be historical and educational, not a club.
I recall the presence of a mounted African-American orderly at an event in TN many years ago (he was carrying a sidearm). At this same event a Confederate infantry unit had an AA man in the ranks. While I never observed any untoward behavior on the part of white reenactors, the effect was not lost on me. A few of us wondered aloud afterwards about the historical basis for their presence.
Great stuff.
I love civil war reenactments, but when they provide some ridiculous cover for what the war was actually about, then it becomes nothing more than a racist exercise in Lost Cause nonsense. I remember one of the reenactments I went to when I was a kid had a faux surgeon demonstrating the pain of what the civil war wounded went through and they were in character the entire time talking about the anger they felt at watching young men die for slavers. It was incredibly educational.
Props to these two men for having the guts to call out the pseudo-historical bros of reenactment. Reenactment should be historical and educational, not a club.
Good for them! As Thoreau said, "Any TRUTH is better than make believe."
I recall the presence of a mounted African-American orderly at an event in TN many years ago (he was carrying a sidearm). At this same event a Confederate infantry unit had an AA man in the ranks. While I never observed any untoward behavior on the part of white reenactors, the effect was not lost on me. A few of us wondered aloud afterwards about the historical basis for their presence.