Southern man

Posted on: July 3, 2022 at 19:30:12 CT

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Thomas H Pritchett
Former Chemisty Instructor at Cedar Crest College (2003–2022)Jun 12
Why is the South still angry about the Civil War?

I grew up in the South up until the mid-80’s when I first moved to Colorado and them to the Northeast for employment opportunities. As I was growing up I was always taught that the South had forgiven the North for winning the Civil War but hey would remember the Reconstruction for a long time. How much truth there was in that statement I will never know but I do know form seeing it first hand, many families in the South hated the Federal mandates that came down during the Civil Right reforms of the 60s and early 70s. They also rejoiced when the similar efforts in Northern cities such as Boston and Chicago resulted in widespread protests and even riots. I watched as the South shifted from being strong Democrats because of how FDR’s New Deal helped so many families stay alive and often keep their small farms and businesses to becoming staunch Republicans because of LBJ’s Civil Rights reforms. I would now suggest that most of those still angry in the South are not angry over the Civil War or even the Reconstruction. Instead most of current anger goes back to being forced to treat Blacks as their equals. As that is the reason why political strategies with racist overtones are still so successful in securing elections in the deep South.