The American Civil War still simmers below the countries political conscience over 100 years after…….
Since former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley did not mention slaverywhen asked two weeks ago what sparked the conflict that tore apart the nation from 1861 to 1865, every major presidential candidate has weighed in on it. Their commentary sheds light on how each party is addressing long-standing divisions over the legacy of its most divisive period — and what they mean for the current battles over race in America.
Republicans often downplay the worst components of the Civil War era, arguing that the country has moved far beyond its earlier sins and does not benefit from resurfacing them. Democrats, by contrast, see an integral tie between America’s history of racism and its modern-day reality, and draw very different conclusions about what is needed to address that history.
“The Civil War has never really left American politics — it just seems to have exploded in this moment,” said Tim Galsworthy, a historian at Bishop Grosseteste University who is writing a book about the Republican Party and memories of the Civil War. “When the U.S. is divided, the Civil War becomes that great reference point, because it’s the ultimate moment of division.”
The subject is especially volatile now, with the issue of insurrection back in the spotlight for the first time in 160 years. Some of former president Donald Trump’s adversaries are seeking to disqualify him for trying to overturn the 2020 election, while his supporters are downplaying the seriousness of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, portraying it as a heroic battle against injustice.
In recent days, those divisions have been laid bare by presidential candidates’ decision to train their attention, even briefly, on the past rather than the future. Trump alleged the Civil War could have been avoided through negotiation, a notion almost unanimously rejected by historians. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) slammed Haley for omitting slavery as a factor in the war, but he faces scrutiny over his own efforts to restrict how slavery and its legacy are taught in schools…..
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Historians note that multiple attempts at compromise were made in the run up to the Civil War and that negotiations came to an impasse over irreconcilable differences over slavery.
The former president did not offer specifics on what kind of negotiation could have headed off the war. His rhetoric has resonated with conservative voters unhappy with what they see as misguided efforts to link historic wrongs to current inequities and demand reparations for long-ago injustices….
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The bickering highlights how the country lacks the kind of unifying voice that can break through the noise in deeply divisive times as Lincoln did in the 1860s, said Tevi Troy, a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
“The other side of the Civil War discussion is that despite the trauma and the great cost, the nation survived, thanks to Lincoln’s leadership,” said Troy, whose book “Shall We Wake the President?” focuses on presidential leadership in times of crisis. “The interest in the Civil War reflects these twin concerns, about both political disagreement and the absence of wise leaders who can navigate us through these challenging times.”….