ottotheboar

This subject was touched upon in another thread but it may be worthy of it's own.
We are quite close to Appomattox where the war ended and have property on Lee's Retreat so quite immersed in the history of the conflict.
Most of us term it the American Civil War however in the South it is called the "War Between the States" or the "War of Northern Aggression" and still the subject of much discussion.
One of the many dark aspects of slavery we were not aware of was the fact they were often buried in unmarked graves so care is needed around any old previously inhabited areas.

sir_eccles

Also known as "the late unpleasantness". Though not sure who coined that one.

S Folinsky

Just chatted with the young woman who is a paralegal in the office where I am "of counsel." She is from Dallas and tells me they referred to it as the "Civil War." My 60-something friend from Dallas tells me that it was the "War Between The States" when she was growing up except from some of the older folks who used "War of Northern Aggression." I remember a vacation in Maine some years back and I could swear I felt the ghosts of Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th of Maine. In the town square of Camden ME, there was the memorial to the "War of Rebellion."

I think that Ken Burns has caused general acceptance of "The Civil War." We just had the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address wherein Lincoln stated "Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure."

As Shelby Foote noted, before 1861, the term "the United States are ..." was correct syntax. After 1865, it became "the United States is ..."

As I have mentioned before, during my travels in the old Confederacy, no one seemed to object to taking $5 or $50 bills.

Bob

http://www.thefacultylounge.org/2011...monuments.html

Fun little town

civilservant

As I said in the other thread, my experiance of GA & SC folk is that they don't see it as a civil war because they see 'the South' as an occupied country, and it was more attempting to throw off the chains of oppression.

SalopianFunk

There is a mockumentary called "The Confederate States of America" that provides an alternative history of Northern America should the South have won the war. It's absolutely absurd, but the absurdity to stir some questions. Questions not so much on a "what if" basis, but more so towards antebellum attitudes, and then the juxtaposition of antebellum attitudes with contemporary society.

Anyway, the Civil War is the only real neutral way of naming the event, just because it can be spun in so many ways, whether it is called the War of Northern Aggression, or A Necessary Step In The 100+ Year Long Process Towards The Realization Of A True Liberty For All That's Still Ongoing.

Cardienscarf

According to the naturalisation Civics Test

73. Name the U.S. war fought between the North and the South
- the Civil War
- the War between the States

Nutek

I got asked that one.

rpjs

"War of Northern Aggression" my arse. The South fired first!

Guindalf

Actually, no. IIRC, the first shot fired was by the North on Fort Sumpter in Charleston, SC.

SultanOfSwing

Aye but they were asking for it.

Let's face it, whether in the UK or the US (or indeed Westeros) the North is just better

civilservant

.....at eating pies?

SultanOfSwing

Among other things, yes.

kimilseung

As the South left the United states, to form the Confederacy, and had no claims on the north, calling it a civil war seems to be the language of the victor and not neutral language.

Guindalf

Well, it certainly wins as being better at talking crap!