Originally Posted by HowardBThiname
Since there are no footnotes, it's hard to determine the accuracy of those statements...
You could have stopped right there. It would take time to verify all those statements.
No one is saying, OK - no reasonable people are saying "erase the heritage", but that is why we have museums to preserve and explain our heritage. A flag flying over a state capitol explains nothing.
It is quite easy to "determine the accuracy . . . ". There's this thing called the internet which allows one to read all manner of websites providing 'information'. I always find it rather interesting, how often ideologues quote each other, often without giving credit to the originator.
Examples of myths - more properly LIES used to promote the pro-Confederacy beliefs:
MYTH - The War of 1861 - 1865 was fought over slavery.
FACT - Terribly untrue. The North fought the war over money. Plain and simple. When the South started Secession, Lincoln was asked, "Why not let the South go in peace?" To which he replied, "I can't let them go. Who would pay for the government?" Sensing total financial ruin for the North, Lincoln waged war on the South. The South fought the War to repel Northern aggression and invasion.
This one is easy, all you have to do is read the documents of secession from the various states, several of which are quite explicit in stating that secession was necessary to protect slavery.
MYTH - Only Southerners owned slaves.
FACT - Entirely untrue. Many Northern civilians owned slaves. Prior to, during and even after the War Of Northern Aggression.
Surprisingly, to many history impaired individuals, most Union Generals and staff had slaves to serve them! William T. Sherman had many slaves that served him until well after the war was over and did not free them until late in 1865.
U.S. Grant also had several slaves, who were only freed after the 13th amendment in December of 1865. When asked why he didn't free his slaves earlier, Grant stated "Good help is so hard to come by these days."
Contrarily, Confederate General Robert E. Lee freed his slaves (which he never purchased - they were inherited) in 1862!!! Lee freed his slaves several years before the war was over, and considerably earlier than his Northern counterparts. And during the fierce early days of the war when the South was obliterating the Yankee armies!
Lastly, and most importantly, why did NORTHERN States outlaw slavery only AFTER the war was over? The so-called "Emancipation Proclamation" of Lincoln only gave freedom to slaves in the SOUTH! NOT in the North! This pecksniffery even went so far as to find the state of Delaware rejecting the 13th Amendment in December of 1865 and did not ratify it (13th Amendment / free the slaves) until 1901!
A few more minutes required to debunk this bunch of nonsense but it can be done.
There are no records showing that Gen'l Sherman owned slaves at any time.
The only record as to Gen'l Grant owning slaves is a document showing he freed a slave in 1857. Just like Gen'l Lee, Grant's wife "inherited" a couple of slaves, so if that is an excuse for Lee it must be seen as one for Grant.
First: Yes it is true that Northerners owned slaves but most northern states abolished slavery before 1861,
Vermont forbade slavery in its state constitution of 1777. State constitution in
Massachusetts abolished slavery in 1780. Bills passed in 1784 and 1797 abolished slavery in
Connecticut, though the census of 1850 found there were approximately 50 slaves remaining in the state. Ohio did so in 1802. Ohio did so in 1802. 1804: New Jersey begins a gradual abolition of slavery. 1807: While it was still called the Northwest Territory, the region which became Michigan, was declared a slave-free zone. Also in 1807 the
Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves was passed by Congress. 1817: New York passed a law ordering all slaves to be freed by 1827. 1820:
The Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36°30′ north, except within the boundaries of the proposed state of Missouri.
