Education

Making History? Prof Claims Civil War Mistake in Child’s Textbook

(Editor’s note: As one reader pointed out, some assert that blacks did serve to some capacity in the Confederate Army before 1865. While this story cannot be a complete history lesson nor is it intended to be an exhaustive article on blacks in the Civil War South, it is important to note that there are two sides to the story.)

Comments (85)

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  • LukeAppling
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:47am

    Many of the books used in highschool, college and all studies have been revised to promote one viewpoint, not the truth. Glennbeck has talked about this long before anyone else suggested it. The “scrubbing” of blacks in the south, FDR’s lack of success in the Great Depression[much like Obama's lack of success today] has been , Viet Nam and Ho Chi Min, Stalin and Mao’s murdering one million people during their regimes all of these truths were hidden until recently. Who knows how many other untruths are in the minds of our children because of the outright lies or simply laziness of the school systems? In so many ways the 60′s radicals have screwed up our country while trying to appear to “correct” history.

    Report Post »  
  • Star Spangled
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:44am

    Yes ! It’s about time for all the history books are reviewed .
    There’s a lot of things that need to be weeded out of our schools history books and a lot that needs to be put back in . My daughter was about to graduate high school top of her class , her name is listed in a book in the national archives under : “Who’s Who of American Students 1995 ” ( yes , VERY proud ) But she had to ask US ” What the heck is a Liberty Bell ?” !!! She went to 11th grade and never heard of THE Liberty Bell .
    Public Schools should teach American History at every grade level . In the last year they should give a class on Americas Documents ( The Constitution , The Bill of Rights , Declaration of Independence ) That’s very important to reinforce who “WE” are as Americans , otherwise we’re a generation away from losing it all .
    Because they’ll always be someone on the other side waiting for another chance to turn them all into Socialist .

    Report Post » Star Spangled  
  • GeeWhiz
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:19am

    Hey, here’s a thought: Have history books and textbooks relating to history be written by…wait for it…HISTORIANS. You know, people who are actually EDUCATED on the subject matter and take it seriously.

    Naw, that’s too much to ask. Go pay some idiot a zillion dollars to create a piece of crap from the internet (because everything on the net is true, eh) and it’s all good.

    Seriously stupid stuff and the fact that it even needs to be discussed on any level reveals a lot about our process, our educational system, our priorities, and yes, even our intelligence level as a group. Thinking people should be embarrassed by this and the state of Virginia (the citizens not the government) should demand better as a matter of course, because it’s stupid to do anything less.

    /soapbox

    Report Post »  
    • charliego
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:31am

      @geewhiz
      I grant you historians should be the writers of history. Unfortunately, many ‘historians’ are infected with ‘revisionist’ bugs. You would think they would apply ethical and truism standards as a major criteria, but it appears the progressive mind-altering devises pull on their ego ridden frailities. Education, generally, is overcome by the same disease. Primary sources are the option; I wonder how much longer those will remain available to the American citizen.

      Report Post » charliego  
  • Jimbo
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:11am

    I simply agree with “ME” I grew up in Georgia and have many friends black and white.I have always been taught that black served in the Confederacy. There is even a clip in Gone With The Wind that shows some blacks in uniform. Why does it matter that it was on GWW? because it was filmed closer to the civil war and was consider common knowledge at the time that blacks served to protect their homeland.

    Report Post »  
  • SgtB
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:00am

    There was a time, before the United States was founded, and soon after the introduction of slavery, when local courts judged the validity of claims on slaves. Back then, in the late 1600′s I believe, quite a few slaves were set free when they converted to Christianity, and even more were able to release their children from bondage. Mind you, all of this was before a crucial ruling that decided people could be property. So the idea that there could have been black people fighting in the was for the south is not ridiculous, and unless you were there you have no right to say it never happened.

    Hell, even if you were there, it still could have happened without your knowledge.

    Report Post » SgtB  
  • RedneckJim
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:50am

    Yes, blacks served in the Confederate Army. No, the war was not about ending slavery. (Lincoln pushed that to secure New York on the side of the North). If you don’t separate the Revolution from the Civil War in terms of the mentality and reasoning, you understand that the tyrants in London taxing the Southern states had simply been replaced by tyrants in Washington DC doing the same. Read about the Stamp Act and the Tea Tax, then read about the Tariffs which the US Government imposed restricting free trade and favoring the fledgling Northern industries. Look up the Sedition Act and you‘ll read about Ben Franklin’s grandson being arrested and dying in jail awaiting trial because he spoke out against the Federalists which had taken power along with John Adams. Let’s face facts. Slavery was part of the reason for the war, but it was really about economics and liberty (of the ruling class – funny they couldn’t see the irony in arguing/fighting for the “freedom” for them to enslave others).

    There is so much more history than can be written into the typical textbooks. The interesting thing is finding out which parts of history our country has chosen to omit.

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    • MissCherryJones
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 1:20pm

      Thank you for your breath of truth.
      Too many people here getting their hackles up because of what the historian DIDN’T say. She did not say there were NO black fighting, just no proof of THOUSANDS. And she said no battalions could serve under Stonewall Jackson, because by the time blacks could legally serve (thus making up an entire unit, battalion, company etc), the man had been dead for two years.
      People are too quick to speak before listening.

      Report Post »  
  • Knightofhopex
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:29am

    Now if we could get all that progressive revisionist history in our textbooks reversed. :/

    Report Post »  
  • momsense
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:20am

    Anything to perpetuate revisionist history.

    Report Post »  
  • Swizzle Stick
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:02am

    Unfortunately, this happens often as people attempt to distill complex issues into brief summaries. The credentials of the author helps to mitigate such errors as well as a competent editorial staff prior to publishing. This publisher has failed and the author did a poor job. Before purchasing another book from this publisher, the school district ought to demand a contract rider to reissue without charge or correct books at with publisher footing the cost.

    Report Post »  
  • The Grinch
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:02am

    Why all the fuss about this book? I love a good fiction! Oh the humanity!

    Report Post »  
  • mickie4
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:43am

    What qualifications does this woman have to write history books?

    Report Post »  
  • Tyson
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:37am

    Whoops meant 1791 not 1781, didnot check before posting

    Report Post » Tyson  
  • Tyson
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:32am

    Whoops meant 1791 not 1781

    Report Post » Tyson  
  • Tyson
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:20am

    The term fight can be subjective. Yes the South was concerned of letting Free Blacks to serve in a armed capacity. However, like todays Corps of Engineers, there were thousands of Freed Blacks that served in other functions. Does the Corps of Engineer fight if they are building defense works, or bridges in hostile areas. I would think they would say they do. Freed Blacks prior to 1865 served in the Southern Army, interestingly, the W&M professor failed to point out that Freed Blacks Confederate soldiers were paid the same monthly wage as their White Confederate Soldier counterpart unlike inthe North where Black regiments that actually were sent in armed were only paid 2/3 the the monthly wage of their White North Soldier counterparts. This is more of a error than a rewriting of history, though the presentation of the War between the States has been revised as a whole by the progressives. To get a great insight into the War, read the book called The Real Lincoln. You be surprised that the war could have been avoided.

    On a side note , the Souths problem was not so much slavery as it was not having the high moral ground. Had they ended slavery prior to the firing on Fort Sumter, Lincoln’s own words from his House debate in 1848 would have come back to haunt him, when he said he believed states had the right to secceed from the Union. Had the South taken the approach to end slavery the war would have been a war of Northern Agreesion. Interestingly, South Carolina and Georgia threaten to leave the Constituional Convention if any action was taken to end Slavery in 1781. Jefferson, MAdison, Washington and Knox all were opposed slavery and had at on epoint pursued ending the institution. SC and GA threaten the formation of the Union. My opinion they should have let them leave, the pressure woul dhave caused them to join the US later.

    Report Post » Tyson  
  • Eyore
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:15am

    What Civil War
    It was the WAR OF NORTHERN AGRESSION

    Report Post »  
    • snowleopard3200
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:31am

      You seem to forget two simple facts here…

      1. The Conferate states broke away first.
      2. THEY started the first exchange of gunfire in the war. Hostilities commenced with their choice.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • MAULEMALL
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:39am

      Yep… Nothing led to it…All them southern boys got drunk and took a fort..

      It’s amaizing how history gets rewritten by those who won… Much like Obama is trying to do now…

      Report Post » MAULEMALL  
    • Bullcop34
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:52am

      Snowleopard….wrong. Lincoln sent troops to Fort Sumnter to fortify the garrison AFTER South Carolina legally seeceded. The option was given to Lincoln to withdraw troops from it and South Carolina would even pay the union for the fort. Lincoln was a huge liar and was the most harmful president to serve yet. Had he allowed the states to do what was garunteed in the constitution, that war may very well have not happened. But make no mistake, Lincoln started it and usurped the Constitution and it has been downhill ever since.

      Report Post » Bullcop34  
    • rickochet
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 12:03pm

      If you think it was as simple as that I think you’re being ignorant and need to read a little deeper into the history. Lincoln wouldn’t listen to his military experts who recommended “choking the South” financially. It was Lincoln who strongly “encouraged” the Confederates to take the first shot so he could politically claim the same thing you are claiming.

      Report Post »  
  • NC
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:15am

    And hare is an article that says they did serve. Who are we to believe?

    Black Confederates in the Civil War
    by Scott K. Williams

    http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/blackcs.htm

    NC (living in the “north” of Carolina but south of the Mason-Dixon line)

    Report Post » NC  
    • psalms
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:25am

      I don’t think she meant that there were “NO” blacks serving but that there was no possibility of them serving under whatshisname cause he was dead by then.

      Report Post »  
  • The Head
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:12am

    Parenting takes effort, Honesty, integrety and truth . Everything and everyone with access to your child must be checked, then checked again for those very things.

    Report Post » The Head  
    • charliego
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 2:25pm

      @the head
      Are you thinking ‘unions’ here? Did you see the video of the NJ union teachers meeting-convention? I do not wish to classify many of our great teachers, but there are plenty of rotters floating around with some choice administrators. Parents need to resume their role as parents–proper and engaged.

      Report Post » charliego  
  • NHABE64
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:09am

    I wish these historians who delved into the history to find that mistake would be as industrious about the important thing that is given almost no significance in our school history books. That is the fate of our WWII POWs by the wretched empire of Japan. Regarding the mistake about blacks fighting for the south I have no idea but personally why the heck would a slave have a desire to fight for the South ? To what end, to extend slavery ? Absurd. Not that most southerners owned slaves, they did NOT. Oh well…
    Pressing on I just wanted to say I read one High School history book that had a page and a half about the kindness of Moslems (puke!) and only had two sentences about the tortuous treachery committed against our American POWs by the evil empire of Japan I find this very, very sad and THIS should be brought to the forefront by historians like this. Will it be ? Shamefully, probably not.

    Report Post »  
  • LSX
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:08am

    One word – Amazing!
    .

    Report Post » LSX  
  • LibertarianEven
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:06am

    This one should take nobody by surprise. I am a former school teacher with family and friends still in the profession. It is shameless what goes on. What Beck says about this is absolutely right on. History is (has been) rewritten for quite some time. It is difficult to find anyone who knows the “truth” about ANYTHING. Everything has become opinion, and the facts don’t matter. Grandparents, where are you? Are you going to the grave with all of your wisdom, or are you passing it on? I had better not find you on the golf course! :)

    Report Post » LibertarianEven  
  • snowleopard3200
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:04am

    As far as my own understanding goes, the Confederates were actually afraid of letting armed slaves or armed freed-slaves fight for the south due to them turning upon the slave-owners and their own southern government. Even in the north there was a reluctance to let the african-american troops fight in the war; turns out they were great troops as all the rest.

    I can only hope this error was just that, an accidental error getting past a proof reader – otherwise once again the Progressives are in the process of still rewriting our own history.

    http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm (mix art)

    Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • ME
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:12am

      http://www.37thtexas.org/html/ConColor.html

      also the first slave owner in this country that owned a black man through the courts was BLACK

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Johnson_%28American_Colonial%29

      It was not a progressive writing this text book its real clear when part of the attack is on her so called lack of formal education or paid for indoctrination as I like to say. I firmly believe that prescriptivism is nothing new (no new thing under the sun) and more of it‘s roots are found in the civil war then in 1920’s. State = confederate, Federal = Federalist This was a state vs federal fight that I see brewing again and if the federals win the second time it will be written in history that the tea party just wanted slaves and where racist. This is the progressives letting us know what are history will be if we lose (Tea party vs. Democrats) or when they rewrite history. Emotional arguments in war are seldom the rally cry to war, freedom for an oppressive federal government is a rallying cry if we can not learn from the past we will repeat it. We will be pushed till we see no other way but to fight and then because it is at there pushing they have the control we will lose and history will look on our fight against a out of control federal government as the confederate are now seen.

      Report Post » ME  
  • o280949
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:03am

    If you read enough about a single subject you’ll find many “opinions” of what took place. However, this was a mistake, not some interpretation or attempt to deceive – correct it and let it go!!

    Report Post »  
  • LadyLiberty
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:01am

    how did this one slip by texas?

    Report Post » LadyLiberty  
    • DoctorRon
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:17am

      I doubt that Texas has a course on Virginia history.

      Report Post » DoctorRon  
  • overlumber
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:01am

    Heads up, teachers, parents, students and professors. There will be more and more of this going on as the pro-gress-ives try to rewrite our text books. Paying attention is a good thing.

    Report Post »  
    • Mikie
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:40am

      This has been going on for a very long time. Glenn has pointed this out many times. I can remember history classes that just made no since. And half the time they never even mentioned blacks, women and others that participated. So sad!

      Report Post »  
    • SgtB
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:03am

      it is you who needs to pay attention! This is the revisionist history. Not all black men in the south were slaves, and I am sure that like any man they would defend themselves.

      Report Post » SgtB  
  • Alvin691
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:01am

    Good catch.

    Report Post »  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:22am

      More ligitimate history professors need to start reading text books in their states and call out the mistakes and omissions publically. There needs to be a strong backlash against the writers of progressive history books being fed to our children and grandchildren. Rise up educators and take back your profession.

      Report Post »  
    • snowleopard3200
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:29am

      @Grandma of 5

      Agreed.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Flagwaver
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:36am

      I would more prefer if legitimate history professors actually wrote our history books. This rewriting of our history is beginning to get ludicrous. First, charging that our founding fathers were atheists, now that blacks fought for slavery to continue? Please, give me a break.

      Report Post » Flagwaver  
    • ME
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:41am

      Good catch? bull crap, there where blacks in the confederacy army it was fought for states rights versus federal rights and slavery was just one of many issues. The two battalions under Stonewell may have been wrong I am not saying the numbers or all of it is accurate but to think that the civil war was only about slavery is just wrong. The winner always write history and in this case progressives seem to be in charge of most it.

      Report Post » ME  
    • TxGold
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:06am

      It is a good catch, Alvin. I know blacks served, but there is no need to try and change history.

      Report Post » TxGold  
    • ILoveGlenn
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:17am

      HOME SCHOOL your kids!!!

      Report Post » ILoveGlenn  
    • ME
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:28am

      Dd anyone watch the whole video? The way it is stated is that the whole part of the blacks in the confederate was wrong and there is much evidence that blacks did fight in the confederate army (at will). I have not researched the Stonewell part but knowing how much I trust college professors to be experts, besides in propaganda, I may just side with the book on that point as well till it is shown wrong in fact not just a smug professor saying it is not so.

      Report Post » ME  
    • MAULEMALL
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:36am

      I’m sorry…Black history month is a ways away… Right now we are into Latvians who speak Klingon history month and then it’s Puerto Rican history month and then its Mexican and then its My Favorite,, The Swedish bikini team history month

      Report Post » MAULEMALL  
    • OldSouth
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 9:55am

      I understand that the textbook Our Virginia Past and Present was being revised because it mistakenly said that thousands of blacks fought under Stonewall Jackson. It went on to state, (which) “historians overwhelmingly say is unproven” May I ask who those historians are? No honest researcher could deny the fact of black Confederates. I am a professional historian and have been so for more than 20 years. Twelve years of that time has been focused exclusively on the Confederates in the War Between the States. There is no doubt whatsoever that thousands of blacks fought for the Confederacy. There are photographs, memoirs, even muster and pension rolls that attest to the fact. I applaud Five Pond Press for having printed the truth and am much saddened that PC history has once again won out over true history.

      If desired I can supply you with period photographs of armed black Confederates, or even a lithograph from the New York published Harper’s Weekly dated 1862, that depicts “Confederate Pickets on the Chickahominy” and they are quite plainly black soldiers. Or, should you visit Arlington National Cemetery, go to the Confederate section and examine the monument done by ex-Confederate Moses Ezekiel and you will see that there are black Confederates integrated with the white Confederates. For you see, the Confederate Army was not segregated like the Federal Army. Dr. Lewis Steiner, Chief Inspector of the United States Sanitary Commission reported no less than 3000 of Stonewall Jackson’s force was comprised of armed blacks. Frederick Douglass said ” There are at the present moment many Colored men in the Confederate Army doing duty not only as cooks, servants and laborers, but real soldiers, having musket on the shoulders, and bullets in their pockets” Are we to believe Dr. Steiner could not tell the difference? Or Frederick Douglass? What disease affects historians of today who frequently (on many subjects) believe they know more about a particular time period or event than even the most intelligent of the participants. To make such a claim is arrogance in the extreme.

      Virginia would be much better off if her citizens knew the truth, that blacks were Virginians just as much as Robert E. Lee or Jeb Stuart, and that those loyal black sons of Virginia deserve the same honour and respect accorded white Confederates.

      Regards
      Shannon Pritchard
      Mechanicsville, Virginia

      Report Post »  
    • ron the veteran
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:22am

      this is the kind of crap the dept of education has brought us. its time to get washington out of our schools our lives and our pockets. if we are going to save our nation we got to stop government from corrupting our kids. there is no seperation of church and state thats a lie being sold by the left. but youll notice the left will use religion when it helps them. like to sell the global warming lies. and political correctness both are marxist ideas. we have free speech use it and dont let anyone shut you up! if they dont like it they can get out of our nation. are we not fed up with all this commie crap?

      Report Post »  
    • kindling
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:35am

      Thank you OldSouth, great statement. If they are not quoting actual journals or actual photos are not shown I tell my kids that they must question what the teacher is telling them. If there is one thing Obama has done it is to drive us back to the source of information…..that is except his that is, because the truth is the only thing worth learning. A lie can be what ever the teller wishes and is limited only by the quality of the teller’s imagination and can even have some truth to it. It is still a lie. The truth on the other hand is only the truth and nothing more. If it is embellished in any way it becomes a lie.

      Report Post » kindling  
    • Seven
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:35am

      Oldsouth, how can I learn more? God I love America!

      Report Post »  
    • evilmrwiggles
      Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:29am

      @oldsouth

      I would love to get those photographs you have. Just for personal reasons.

      Report Post »  
    • ozz
      Posted on October 29, 2010 at 7:57am

      My degree is in History as well. I back every thing Oldsouth has said. It is easy to verify. You should. Teaching false history knowingly in public schools should be a civil and criminal offense. There is a thing called public trust. In my job if I violate it I get fired, sued and slapped with criminal negligence charges, why shouldn’t they?

      Report Post » ozz  
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