The North Carolina At Chapel Hill Essay

Thesis: As the debate continues on whether or not we should keep confederate monuments and symbols displayed publicly, it is important that we recognize both the benefits and downfalls of removing these symbols.

The tensions of the Civil War are very much still alive in the Southern United States one hundred and fifty years after the Confederacy surrendered to Union forces to end the war. While the tensions may have mitigated away from full-fledged war between North and South, there still remain tensions along racial and cultural lines well beyond the war. In Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic these long standing tensions left over from the war are delved into by Horwitz as he makes his way across the south to see how the old Confederacy is viewed in the modern world of the United States. What Horwitz found was a dualistic society differing views on the Confederacy and the events of the Civil War. Dualities left from the war in aspects such as racial tensions, the meaning of the Confederate flag even between North and South entirely. Those living in the South can be seen holding a resonating connection to the Civil War. It becomes clear in Confederates in the Attic the Civil War not only became the catalyst of such dualities in Southern society, but still further shape and perpetuate these dualities long after the Civil Wars conclusion.

The Civil War continues to be a major talking point today -- a war that was fought over the extension of slavery. In 2017, a contentious conversation continues as the public debates the reasons of the Civil War, whether or not it was about slavery or states’ rights, and the ethics behind having massive monuments commemorating a time of our history that was so divisive. Symbols of the Confederacy, which includes the Confederate flag and monuments depicting leaders of the Confederacy, are seen to be racist and propaganda tools used by white supremacists. However, there are those who believe that these confederate symbols are misleading and leads to the false ideas that the South was patriotic and heroic during the Civil War. Through

The American Civil war is considered to be one of the most defining moments in American history. It is the war that shaped the social, political and economic structure with a broader prospect of unifying the states and hence leading to this ideal nation of unified states as it is today. In the book “Confederates in the Attic”, the author Tony Horwitz gives an account of his year long exploration through the places where the U.S. Civil War was fought. He took his childhood interest in the Civil War to a new level by traveling around the South in search of Civil War relics, battle fields, and most importantly stories. The title “Confederates in the Attic”: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War carries two meanings in Tony Horwitz’s

A recent hot-button subject in the media has been what to do with Confederate monuments in the South. After the removal of a statue honoring Robert E. Lee, a general in the Confederate Army considered by many to be a hero for the part he played in the American Civil War, a clear divide has formed over whether it was the right thing to do. Some agree with this choice, calling the statues remnants from a time of racial oppression in the United States. Others are outraged, considering it desecration of their proud history. Still others don't understand either side of the issue, and see it as a pointless feud. It is imperative to understand that to many people, these are more than just statues. Whether their impression is positive or negative, this issue goes beyond physical monuments.

The Confederate flag has recently been another hot button issue in education with the events that happened in South Carolina in the summer of 2016. That flag represents different things for different people. African Americans view the flag a symbol of racism and oppression. While white people from the south view it has a symbol of their southern spirit and a salt of the earth hardworking heritage. As this debate continues to wage on, one wonders if the period of Reconstruction is not over. What does one do in the educational setting? If the image of the Confederate flag disrupts the educational setting then it is the principal’s responsibility to make sure the symbol is not scene in school. By doing this some students may believe that their freedom of speech is being suppressed, but the law is on the side of the school districts when it comes to this issue.

This article from The Clarion Ledger by Ryan Walters discusses the removal of the confederate statues across the southeast. This article discusses the push politicians Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker are making for the removal of the state flag. The push has seen a drastic increase since the deadly shooting in South Carolina committed under the Confederate banner. With this article being posted on The Clarion Ledger it is attempting to bring awareness of the push for the removal of the flag by state

After a 15-hour legislative debate, South Carolina voted to remove the Confederate flag from Statehouse. Millions watched as the flag came down on Friday, marking a milestone in how America commemorates the war that tore the nation apart.

Later in life I moved South of the Mason-Dixon line to Richmond Virginia which was the one time capital of the Confederacy. Here I learned an alternate version of history, one of states’ rights against an oppressive government. What once I knew as the War on Slavery was here called the War Against Northern Aggression

Grey uniforms, so often pierced with bullets from the other side, were proudly donned by the men of this nation from 1861 until 1865. These men fought tirelessly and honorably for their beliefs, and throughout each battle, carried the battle flag of the Confederacy. Throughout the Civil War, this flag took six different forms, for design flaws led to confusion on the battlefield. Each soldier, standing tall, did not fight for a flag, but under it. As an emblem of courage and honor, and a representation of their way of life, the “Rebel Flag” still stands as a symbol of pride in the southern United States. South Carolina’s contest of whether or not to permanently lower the flag flying over state grounds has aroused the question of the true meaning of the “Navy Jack” banner. American history has lent endless resources to the discovery of this meaning. The causes of the war, the history of the Confederate Flag’s origin, the truth about racism and slavery, and the disproving of supposed offensiveness of a piece of cloth all play an integral role in the argument opposing the flag’s removal.

In South Carolina the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People began an economic boycott of the state in hopes that the government would decide to remove the flag from the statehouse and all “positions of sovereignty” (Darby par. 2). After much deliberation, and despite very little lost revenue due to the boycott, the state of South Carolina did decide to lower the flag. However, the powers at be didn’t entirely satisfy the NAACP’s demands; there was a compromise instead. The state decided to move the flag from its location atop the statehouse to a much less conspicuous location on the statehouse grounds near the Confederate Soldiers’ Memorial. This was a very carefully brokered deal on the part of several politicians in the state including Governor Jim Hodges, Speaker of the House David Wilkins and many other state congressmen; however, like many political moves this only seemed to anger more people than it satisfied. The NAACP saw it as a slap

Throughout history, African Americans had played a major role in the development of South Carolina’s politics, culture, and society. This is evident in the African American Monument at the State House grounds located in the Capitol of South Carolina. From slavery to emancipation and from segregation to equality, over 400 years of history is presented in this monument. The African American monument that sits on the ground of the State House depicts the courage, endurance, and achievements of African Americans from the 16th century to modern

Judkin Browning’s book, Shifting Loyalties: The Union Occupation of Eastern North Carolina, is about the effects the Union Army’s occupation of the cities of New Bern and Beaufort, North Carolina had on its citizens. His purpose is to explain why some North Carolinian’s in this area sided with the Union or why their loyalties shifted back and forth between the Confederacy and the Union. Browning argues that one’s racial and class status influenced the reason for siding with or against the Union while it occupied Southeastern North Carolina. He also examines how their choice of sides helped shape the economic, social, political, and cultural dynamics of the region.(2)

North Carolina “Esse Quam Videri” (“To Be Rather Than To Seem”) is the state motto for North Carolina, a very interesting state with a moderate climate, scenic beauty, a culture rich in history and the arts, and much more. It is located on the southeastern part of the U.S. and has a very diverse landscape. It has everything from warm beaches to snowy mountains. North Carolina covers 53,819 square miles with more than 300 miles of Atlantic coastline and has the highest mountain peaks east of the Rockies (“NC.gov.”). Virginia colonists founded the Province of Carolina, an English colony in North America in 1653.

One would assume that with all of this easily accessible public information only a “Google” search away that there would be an outcry to have all memorials and monuments glorifying the Confederacy removed immediately, unfortunately