A Q&A with the historian who caught the error can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/10/20/DI2010102002560.html?hpid=talkbox1 She argues " . . .it was illegal in the Confederacy to use black as soldiers until the waning days of the war (early 1865). A few companies (a company was usually 100 men at full force) were raised then, but none saw battle action, as the surrender followed shortly thereafter."
Linda Tollefsrud Professor of Psychology University of Wisconsin - Barron County 1800 College Drive Rice Lake, WI 54868 (715) 234-8176 ext 5417 [email protected] -----Original Message----- From: Mike Palij [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 5:23 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Cc: Mike Palij Subject: Re: [tips] revisionist history On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:08:11 -0700, Christopher D. Green wrote: >Mike Palij wrote: >> A quick search of the internet shows that there are several books that >> allege to be historical research and to provide public records in support >> of the contention that African-Americans served in the Confederate army. > >And what would be demonstrated even if it were true? First, if a claim is being made, shouldn't we determine whether it is true or not? Or is the truth irrelevant? I would think that the truth matters to us and, once such a claim is established, try to understand why it is true, instead of speculating about the reasons as demonstrated by the following comments: >That men who had >known nothing but slavery their entire lives could be bullied and >threatened into military service? That men who had no education and no >sources of information apart from what their "masters" told them could >be persuaded by tendentious fictions about the intentions of northern >soldiers (They will rape your wives! They will steal you children!) or >even distorted truths (They will burn the farm and you will starve in >the winter!) Tell me, Chirs, do you make these statements because you know the actual circumstance of the individuals involved? If so, cite your sources. I'll await them. >Honestly, now, how desperate must one be to think that the >simple "fact" (if it be so) of a few Black soldiers in the Confederate >Army will convince people that... what? ... slavery was a good thing and >should have been retained? Actually, I don't know what the significance of African-Americans in the Confederate army has for arguments in favor of slavery though I do believe that the arguments the South made for slavery were based mainly on economic, religious grounds, and the alleged inferiority of African-Americans relative to European. Some of these issues are reviewed in an article by George Fredickson on Abraham Lincoln's racial beliefs which is available on Jstor: http://www.jstor.org/pss/2206706 It may come as a surprise to some as to what Lincoln appeared to believe up to his death. -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13355.5bffd68fb7c84ef12f478133e5791e9e&n=T&l=tips&o=5839 or send a blank email to leave-5839-13355.5bffd68fb7c84ef12f478133e5791...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=5842 or send a blank email to leave-5842-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
