Quote:
Originally Posted by SWTXBelle
No overstatement - it's a fact. Since I'm speaking factually, I wouldn't say slavery was prevalent in the North (in the 1860s), nor that abolitionists were popular.
I was referring to the FACT that while slavery was outlawed by the Emancipation Proclamation in the unoccupied states of the C.S.A. it continued to be legal in the slave-owning states in the Union. After the War slavery was totally abolished by Consitutional Amendment. Given that historical fact, it is illogical to equate the uniform of the CSA with slavery. I understand the emotional response that some groups have, but my whole point is that it is not a logical one. It isn't about anybody being perfect - it is indeed about logic. I would be interested in what you regard as illogical in my statement that since slavery was outlawed in the CSA before the USA it would actually be more logically valid to argue that the Union Army uniform should be considered racist.
FWIW, I think the entire American culture north and south was racist in the sense we are discussing, and that it is ultimately detrimental to try and cast "good" and "bad" guys - the whole issue is far more complex than that, and I have found that those who buy into the whole "North was morally superior" mindset fail to recognize the larger societal issues raised by the idea that maybe the entire country had a problem, and not just the scrapegoat South.
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My issue with your logic was in saying that it makes more sense to be offended by Union blue. I should have just bolded that part of your statement when I responded to it. ETA: I also was probably a bit too direct in my comment - sorry if it came off rude.
I do agree, however, that there were issues with the entire culture at that time, and that it's wrong to romanticize one side or the other. There were problems in both the Union and the Confederacy, and it's useless and wrong to demonize either.
For what it's worth, I don't see all that much "North was morally superior" mindset in the North, and I've lived here my whole life. Most people I know up here will readily admit that the Union (and Lincoln for that matter) had some serious flaws during that time period.