--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History textbooks still present Union and…" description: "\"“History textbooks still present Union and Confederate sympathizers as equally idealistic. The North fought to hold the Union together, while the South..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/james-w-loewen-12569_confederacy_history-textbooks-still-present-union-an_2887127.jpg" --- # History textbooks still present Union and Confederate… ![“History textbooks still present Union and Confederate sympathizers as equally idealistic. The North fought to hold the Union together, while the South fought, according to 'The American Way', 'for the preservation of their rights and the freedom to decide for themselves'. Nobody fought to preserve…” quote by James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/james-w-loewen-12569_confederacy_history-textbooks-still-present-union-an_2887127.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/james-w-loewen-12569_confederacy_history-textbooks-still-present-union-an_2887127.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/james-w-loewen-12569_confederacy_history-textbooks-still-present-union-an_2887127.jpg) > ““History textbooks still present Union and Confederate sympathizers as equally idealistic. The North fought to hold the Union together, while the South fought, according to 'The American Way', 'for the preservation of their rights and the freedom to decide for themselves'. Nobody fought to preserve racial slavery; nobody fought to end it. As one result, unlike the Nazi swastika, which lies disgraced, even in the North whites still proudly display the stars and bars of the Confederacy on den walls, license plates, t-shirts, and high school logos. Even some (white) Northerners vaguely regret the defeat of the 'lost cause'. It is as if racism against blacks could be remembered with nostalgia. In this sense, long after Appomattox, the Confederacy finally won.”” [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrative that both sides fought for noble ideals masks the Confederacy’s defense of slavery and the ongoing romanticization of its symbols. **In simple terms:** Both sides are portrayed as idealistic, hiding the Confederacy’s racist motives. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge myths that glorify oppressive histories. Themes history racism memory mythmaking identity Mood critical reflective somber Type analytical educational When to use this quote - education curricula - public monuments - school branding - personal belief systems Key Concepts revisionist historiography collective memory symbolic politics Questions to Reflect On - How do we confront cherished symbols that embody oppression? - What responsibilities do educators have in correcting historical myths? A Different Perspective Romanticizing the Confederacy can perpetuate racial inequality and hinder honest reconciliation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confederacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confederacy/) [Confederate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confederate/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ## Related quotes > [“All people—white and colored, slave and free, Union and Confederate—shared a common humanity belied by their outward differences. In a time of discord, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-chiaverini/all-people-white-and-colored-slave-and-free-union-and-confederate/) [Jennifer Chiaverini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-chiaverini/) > [“African Americans weren’t the only ones who took a hit. The states of the Deep South, which fought Brown tooth and nail, today all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-anderson/african-americans-weren-t-the-only-ones-who-took-a-hit-the-states-of/) [Carol Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-anderson/) > [When you think about the current present value of the fossil fuel reserves that are on the books, the current fossil fuel companies, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/when-you-think-about-the-current-present-value-of-the-fossil-fuel/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [“The fear had precedent. Toward the end of the Civil War, having witnessed the effectiveness of the Union's 'colored troops,' a flailing Confederacy began…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-fear-had-precedent-toward-the-end-of-the-civil-war-having/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“Michael King was a young preacher with horn-rimmed glasses and a close-cropped beard and mustache. "The Bible says, if eating meat offends your brother,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-horwitz/michael-king-was-a-young-preacher-with-horn-rimmed-glasses-and-a/) [Tony Horwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-horwitz/) > [“Some of you from outside the South may be wondering why we’re emphasizing this irrefutable historical fact that everyone should know so strongly already.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trae-crowder/some-of-you-from-outside-the-south-may-be-wondering-why-we-re/) [Trae Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trae-crowder/) > [There are among us those that would criticize our Confederate ancestors. Would you allow a stranger to come into your house and criticize your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-johnson/there-are-among-us-those-that-would-criticize-our-confederate/) [Calvin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-johnson/) > [My ancestors fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War; I was raised in Natchez, Miss.; I performed in the Confederate Pageant for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/my-ancestors-fought-for-the-confederacy-during-the-civil-war-i-was/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [“Criticism of Davis was neither new nor unusual, for his Confederacy was by no means a monolithic state. Secession had been imposed upon many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burke-davis/criticism-of-davis-was-neither-new-nor-unusual-for-his-confederacy/) Burke Davis > [In many ways, the North won the Civil War militarily and then lost the peace. You know, a group of writers, included many Confederate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/in-many-ways-the-north-won-the-civil-war-militarily-and-then-lost-the/) [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) > [In the Confederate Army, an officer was judged by stark courage alone, and this made it possible for the Confederacy to live four years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chesty-puller/in-the-confederate-army-an-officer-was-judged-by-stark-courage-alone/) [Chesty Puller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chesty-puller/) > [If your great-great-grandfather participated on the Confederate side, and you hold some sentimental value to that, and you want to fly the flag and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/if-your-great-great-grandfather-participated-on-the-confederate-side/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat the eleventh grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/those-who-don-t-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-the/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Neither these statesmen nor their constituents sought in any way to use the Government for the interest of themselves or their section, or for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-toombs/neither-these-statesmen-nor-their-constituents-sought-in-any-way-to/) [Robert Toombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-toombs/) > [Let's say Twitter existed during the Civil War. We would have a better understanding of people in the Confederacy who were against slavery, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/let-s-say-twitter-existed-during-the-civil-war-we-would-have-a-better/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) ## More by James W. Loewen > [Many Americans have never owned a book. And others have never owned a non-fiction book. Providing them with a 300-page paperback would get them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/many-americans-have-never-owned-a-book-and-others-have-never-owned-a/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Textbooks pretty much have no real drama. They have no real storyline. To the extent they have a storyline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/textbooks-pretty-much-have-no-real-drama-they-have-no-real-storyline/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Taking ideas seriously does not fit with the rhetorical style of textbooks, which presents events so as to make them seem foreordained along a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/taking-ideas-seriously-does-not-fit-with-the-rhetorical-style-of/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Cherishing Columbus is a characteristic of white history, not American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/cherishing-columbus-is-a-characteristic-of-white-history-not-american/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [I often suggest in workshops that if you have 30 students in your American History course in 11th grade, or whatever grade level, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/i-often-suggest-in-workshops-that-if-you-have-30-students-in-your/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Unfortunately, marketing textbooks is like marketing fishing lures: the point is to catch fishermen, not fish. Thus many adopted textbooks are flashy to catch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/unfortunately-marketing-textbooks-is-like-marketing-fishing-lures-the/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [As a result of the sufferings and hard labor they endured, the Indians choose and have chosen suicide. Occasionally a hundred have committed mass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/as-a-result-of-the-sufferings-and-hard-labor-they-endured-the-indians/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [I think the first important thing is that usually most textbooks are not written by their authors. And so by author I mean the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/i-think-the-first-important-thing-is-that-usually-most-textbooks-are/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Teachers need to teach the subject rather than to teach the textbook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/teachers-need-to-teach-the-subject-rather-than-to-teach-the-textbook/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [“No matter how thoroughly Native Americans acculturated, they could not succeed in white society. Whites would not let them. "Indians were always regarded as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/no-matter-how-thoroughly-native-americans-acculturated-they-could-not/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [“We seem to feel that a person like Helen Keller can be an inspiration only so long as she remains uncontroversial, one-dimensional. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/we-seem-to-feel-that-a-person-like-helen-keller-can-be-an-inspiration/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Nobody would ever want to read a textbook about the Civil War and then interrupt that for two pages about water rights in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/nobody-would-ever-want-to-read-a-textbook-about-the-civil-war-and/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Students will start finding history interesting when their teachers and textbooks stop lying to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/students-will-start-finding-history-interesting-when-their-teachers/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [“Students exit history textbooks without having developed the ability to think coherently about social life. Even”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/students-exit-history-textbooks-without-having-developed-the-ability/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [History can be a weapon, and it can be used against you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/history-can-be-a-weapon-and-it-can-be-used-against-you/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) [Explore all 54 James W. Loewen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) ## More Confederacy quotes > [Let's say Twitter existed during the Civil War. We would have a better understanding of people in the Confederacy who were against slavery, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/let-s-say-twitter-existed-during-the-civil-war-we-would-have-a-better/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Neither these statesmen nor their constituents sought in any way to use the Government for the interest of themselves or their section, or for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-toombs/neither-these-statesmen-nor-their-constituents-sought-in-any-way-to/) [Robert Toombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-toombs/) > [The triumph of the Confederacy... would be a victory for the powers of evil which would give courage to the enemies of progress and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-triumph-of-the-confederacy-would-be-a-victory-for-the-powers-of/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [If your great-great-grandfather participated on the Confederate side, and you hold some sentimental value to that, and you want to fly the flag and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/if-your-great-great-grandfather-participated-on-the-confederate-side/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [In the Confederate Army, an officer was judged by stark courage alone, and this made it possible for the Confederacy to live four years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chesty-puller/in-the-confederate-army-an-officer-was-judged-by-stark-courage-alone/) [Chesty Puller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chesty-puller/) > [When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/when-a-true-genius-appears-you-can-know-him-by-this-sign-that-all-the/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“When the singing ended, I chatted with others in my pew, including a tall, aristocratic-looking man with pomaded gray hair. I told him about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-horwitz/when-the-singing-ended-i-chatted-with-others-in-my-pew-including-a/) [Tony Horwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-horwitz/) > [The idea of aerial military surveillance dates back to the Civil War, when both the Union and the Confederacy used hot-air balloons to spy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/the-idea-of-aerial-military-surveillance-dates-back-to-the-civil-war/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [In many ways, the North won the Civil War militarily and then lost the peace. You know, a group of writers, included many Confederate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/in-many-ways-the-north-won-the-civil-war-militarily-and-then-lost-the/) [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) > [“Criticism of Davis was neither new nor unusual, for his Confederacy was by no means a monolithic state. Secession had been imposed upon many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burke-davis/criticism-of-davis-was-neither-new-nor-unusual-for-his-confederacy/) Burke Davis > [The United States form a young republic, a confederacy which ought ever to be cemented by a union of interests and affection, under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercy-otis-warren/the-united-states-form-a-young-republic-a-confederacy-which-ought/) [Mercy Otis Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercy-otis-warren/) > [The framers of our Constitution never exhausted so much labor, wisdom, and forbearance in its formation, and surrounded it with so many guards and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/the-framers-of-our-constitution-never-exhausted-so-much-labor-wisdom-2/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [In 1961, an official U.S. commission oversaw thousands of events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American Civil War. All 50 states joined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-foreman/in-1961-an-official-u-s-commission-oversaw-thousands-of-events-to/) [Amanda Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-foreman/) > [I like characters like Ignatius Reilly in 'A Confederacy of Dunces' and Ricky Gervais's character in 'The Office.' They think one thing about themselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/i-like-characters-like-ignatius-reilly-in-a-confederacy-of-dunces-and/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [If the Constitution is adopted (and it was) the Union will be in fact and in theory an association of States or a Confederacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/if-the-constitution-is-adopted-and-it-was-the-union-will-be-in-fact/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) [Browse all 56 Confederacy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confederacy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“History textbooks still present Union and Confederate sympathizers as equally idealistic. 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