Formal hostilities ended more than 150 years ago. But the Civil War still pits Americans against each other. Today’s news reports clashes over buildings, flags, or monuments—contentious symbols of a shameful and rocky past. And how and what students learn about the war could be only partially informing—or misinforming—generations about the terrible War between the States.
The American Civil War (1861–1865) was the United States’ deadliest struggle. As many as 750,000 soldiers died. That’s more than all U.S. deaths in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan combined.
Most people agree on those kinds of facts—numbers, battles, generals. Yet views of the war’s cause vary widely.
Schools, teachers, and textbooks often muddy the waters. Some emphasize states’ rights. Others emphasize slavery. Many stress economic and cultural differences between North and South.
American Civil War lessons usually begin in fifth grade. That means attitudes about the war—right or wrong—start early.
Alabama fifth-graders must “identify causes of the Civil War from the Northern and Southern viewpoints.” But Delaware eighth-graders learn that abolition meant the American people could for the first time “seriously claim to be living up to their commitment to the principle of liberty.”
Virginia’s U.S. history standards include “explaining how the issues of states’ rights and slavery increased sectional tensions.” Massachusetts courses focus on “the rapid growth of slavery in the South after 1800.”
Chester Finn is the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education. “If the state curriculum calls it the ‘War of Northern Aggression’ and says states’ rights were dominated by the Yankee army crushing the good people of the South,” Finn says, “. . . you can influence what a million kids take away.”
Mindsets might not be obvious until an issue enters the public spotlight. Consider recent violence surrounding Confederate symbols. People boldly choose sides: “Tear that statue down!” or “We have a right to honor our past!”
Humans are not capable of pure objectivity. Everyone has a bias. The facts someone chooses to communicate reveal that bias. One can teach with a bias and still tell the truth—but sometimes not the whole truth.
Christians are to “examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, NASB) The verse refers specifically to testing messages or prophecies. But God wants us to be discerning readers, hearers, and learners. Develop a healthy curiosity, check facts, and stay humble as you engage others. Realize that one person’s version—even your own—may not be the full story.
