Confederate War Memorial in Pioneer Park
The speeches at the decication of the monuments make it clear that the monuments are intended to support a states' rights ideology to prevent federal civil rights legislation which was being proposed in the U.S. Congress starting in 1890.
These Confederates who were expected to win by many managed to lose the Civil War. They choose secession despite the fears and warnings by many slave owners that there could be catastrophic consequences to their slave society and there were.
So how do you make a bunch of losers into heroes. First you state that they were overwhelmed and it was hopeless. Then you have to ask why pursue a hopeless war. After all if they hadn't seceded their slave society would take generations to come to an end and it would likely be on their terms. If they thought the odds were hopeless, wasn't it really bad judgement to pursue secession.
This is where the purpose of the statues reveals itself. The Confederates had to seceded even though they knew it was hopeless because they needed to be holy martyrs for states' rights which starting in 1890 would be an important idea to block federal anti-lynching legislation and other civil rights legislation.
By the way usually in history great military heroes are those who beat the odds and not subscumb to them.
These Confederates who were expected to win by many managed to lose the Civil War. They choose secession despite the fears and warnings by many slave owners that there could be catastrophic consequences to their slave society and there were.
So how do you make a bunch of losers into heroes. First you state that they were overwhelmed and it was hopeless. Then you have to ask why pursue a hopeless war. After all if they hadn't seceded their slave society would take generations to come to an end and it would likely be on their terms. If they thought the odds were hopeless, wasn't it really bad judgement to pursue secession.
This is where the purpose of the statues reveals itself. The Confederates had to seceded even though they knew it was hopeless because they needed to be holy martyrs for states' rights which starting in 1890 would be an important idea to block federal anti-lynching legislation and other civil rights legislation.
By the way usually in history great military heroes are those who beat the odds and not subscumb to them.