“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”
This accepted and oft-used paraphrase of a 1948 Winston Churchill quote has a certain “to the victor goes the spoils” ring to it.
But as we know living in the South, “writing history” isn’t all that closely tethered to winning.
“Lost Cause” mythology of the Civil War is pretty common ‘round these parts, and education systems in southern states have for years commingled fact and retrofitted fiction into lessons about the conflict.
In my high school U.S. history class in Arkansas, for instance, we were taught states’ rights were the primary cause for the war with slavery as a side issue. Mind you, we weren’t exposed to many primary documents on the matter, like the Articles of Secession. We did memorize a portion of the Gettysburg Address, so I guess that counts for something.
In recent years, Texas has been caught throwing “benevolent slavemaster” mythology into its textbooks. But in Florida (because, of course), things are getting a bit crazier.
A TikTok has gone viral of a teacher in Naples showing a video Manatee Middle School students are being forced to watch. Putting it kindly, it’s a love letter to the Confederacy.
Among other things, it rebrands the Civil War as “The War to Prevent Southern Independence.” It leans pretty heavily in pro-Confederate language, but what struck me most was the tone differential the narrator uses when switching talking points between Union – flat, almost monotone – and Confederate – which I would describe as borderline, “Hey, kid, there’s candy in my van” creepy.
When the narrator talked about Jefferson Davis, I couldn’t decide if he was gushing about the wrestler he wanted to win “Royal Rumble” or the nice boy he really hoped would ask his daughter to prom.
It was strange but also very predictable.
The teacher in the TikTok pans the propaganda for what it is, noting it adds insult to injury when it’s being force-fed as fact to students of color. Minority enrollment at Manatee is 94 percent, after all.
Parents aren’t digging it either, as they are also publicly pointing out its biases and falsehoods.
Still, for places like Florida and the other 10 states that “valiantly” succumbed in the “War of Northern Aggression,” this is the next play in an effort that started near the turn of the 20th century with the introduction of cheaply made Confederate monuments. Before, it was an exercise in weaving a new mythical narrative with facts. Now, it’s banning access to the truth and replacing it with blatant propaganda and an entire month each year where we “honor Confederate heritage.”
It’s called the “Lost Cause” for a reason. Confederate heritage is one of losing. It’s a failed insurrection. It’s an ill-planned economy with inflation so high it would make George Soros vote Republican. It’s fearful men who left Richmond in such a damn hurry, they managed to accidentally set most of the city on fire as they did. It’s an armed effort to keep 4 million people enslaved.
So why do we celebrate this with such mouth-foaming vigor instead of teaching it for the cautionary tale it is? We learn about George Armstrong Custer without having to observe a holiday honoring his contributions in the Battle of Little Bighorn.
One reason is shame masquerading as pride. We hear constantly such things as, “well, I didn’t own any slaves,” from white southerners who just as vehemently insist false narratives about slavery and the war be taught to children and that Confederate statues remain in public places. It’s like they feel the sting of defeat from a war in which they never even fought.
Another, more prominent reason is place. An ignorant lifestyle requires complicity from the majority and the vicious subjugation of dissent. And if you’re convinced you’re entitled to that lifestyle and the position to enforce it on others, then you’ll believe, do and hate whatever is necessary to protect your sense of place.
So, these people rewrite history so it will be kind to them, rather than allow the real story to make them kinder, better people.
Zack Plair is managing editor of The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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