Where did Slavery go?

Sorry this is a little late, I'm working and I got really caught up in the readings for this week. It was so nice to actually read a book that told the history but also connected it to modern day life. The book Confederates in the Attic written Tony Horwitz gives a great account how modern day people of the South deal with remembering the past, specifically the Civil War. He starts out by discussing his introduction to the Civil War, by his grandfather and his father, and then seg-ways into how he starts his journey of enlightenment on how the South continues to celebrate their confederate past. Horowitz starts by spending a night with a group of civil war re-enactors (or hardcores as they call themselves). His interest is peeked and he continues on his journey to Salisbury, NC. He meets a lot of interesting people, including the leaders of the local United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) and the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV). Horowitz gets into the issue of prejudice with a young black hair dresser and gets a great quote from a local saying that she was glad they had the freedom to commemorate the war but they also need to remember that they lost.

Horowitz continues his journey to Charleston, NC, the birthplace of the Civil War and it's Fort Sumter. I think this part of the book really gives the reader perspective on what life is like in the South. For the most part, Charlestonians commemorate the Civil War in the own way but it isn't at the forefront of everything but still has a major stake in a lot of people's lives.

Here is a little blurb on the 152nd commemoration of the Star of the West event. 

Painting of the Star of the West attack on January 9, 1861
Photo courtesy of the Charleston City Paper 

The thing I find most interesting, is that for the most part, the confederates of this day and age don't want to admit that the one of the main causes was Slavery. They say it has to do with states rights vs. federal rights, or Northern aggression but at the most basic of levels, the cause was slavery. Horowitz brushes over the viewpoints of African-Americans in the South but there isn't really any mention of slavery. I also couldn't help but think about my possible move to Florida if I would see confederate flags stuff like that. I know that not a whole lot happened in Florida during the Civil War but Pensacola is close to the boarder of Alabama so I'm not sure. I looked up some history of the state in the war which showed Florida's limited contributions.  

I also couldn't believe the article we read about the lack of slavery discussions in plantations and museums in the South but as I continued to read the author makes a good point that most historic places "whitewashed" history. I know that so many places want to focus on the things that were good during history, not things that were bad because who would want to visit a historic place if they knew their families had been slaves or worse. 

I think the best part of this weeks readings wasn't a reading at all, it was the satirical video about the Confederate soldiers getting a pep-talk from a Lieutenant. It makes fun of the Confederates and their "irrational" ways of thinking. I think my favorite quote from this video is: "'The South never won no war getting caught up in no logistics.' ' The South never won no war..' 'Exactly!'" This just cracks me up and then reading the comments people posted is just a funny.