Sons of Confederate Veterans- Georgia Division
- 1-888-SCV IN GA (888-728-4642)
- Presents
- A Southern View of History
- The War for Southern Independence -The Other Side of the Coin
Sons of Confederate Veterans
The members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Georgia Division presents this history course for primarily for its members and their family, but as time goes on, we see the need to educate not only ourselves and our family and friends, but also our neighbors and the community.
There are two sides to every story, two sides to a conflict, and while history is history, it has always been open to many interpretations. Somewhere along the line the Southern Perspective has obscured. It is said that the first casualty of war is truth and that the victors write the history. Our attempt here is to provide another perspective on the events leading up to, during, and after the forming of the Confederate States of America. Some may argue that this is not a balanced treatment. In response we would say that current history taught in most classrooms is not balanced. In fact it is biased and flawed in that only one perspective, the Northern Yankee perspective is presented to students. For years that Northern approach to teaching American History in that time frame has been slanted.
Here we present the "other side of the coin". Do not let others do your thinking. You have heard their side, now hear ours. Those who approach this with an open mind will be amazed at the facts left out of nearly all the textbooks. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, school boards, and citizens are encouraged to review our course, check out many of the referenced readings, read a few books from the late 19th and early 20th centuries for another view and then draw your own conclusions. For those with a closed, hateful minds, no amount of factual presentation will be sufficient. They who are out to destroy everything Southern and Confederate are not the audience for our efforts. Rather, our focus is on individuals willing to approach this conflict without prejudice. We believe if we are allowed to present the facts, the facts will speak for themselves.
We would be remiss if we allowed the term American Civil War to be used. A "civil war" is a war within a country where two or more political factions do battle for control of the government. The War of 1861-65 was a War Between States, a War for Southern Independence or a Defensive War Against Northern Aggression. Why? Because the seceding states, who formed the Confederate States of America peacefully formed its own nation and then was invaded by the Federal Armies of the North. The war, started by the Northern aggression was a call, as in the First War for Independence, for men to defend their rights included in the Constitution and their homeland. Southerners rights and the US Constitution were being violated by Northern Federal monetary interests.
It was not just a one issue war, a war over slavery, as is so often poorly taught in schools today. Economics, power, politics, greed, a domination of the Northern interests over the Southern people, were the driving forces behind this conflict. These factors are often overlooked in today's politically correct history lessons.
This is our attempt to show you the other side of the coin. It could take a library full of volumes to get the entire perspective into the public. Sadly most do not have the time for such exhaustive research. We therefore have attempted to condense our lessons for a more timely presentation of the Southern perspective, with of course references noted for individuals who wish more background on a subject area. After you complete the course, you decide which history is closest to the truth.
ABOUT
THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE
VETERANS:
The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South's decision to fight the Second American Revolution. The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which this nation was built.
Today, the Sons of Confederate Veterans are preserving the history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause.
The SCV is the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans, and the oldest hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate soldiers. Organized at Richmond, Virginia in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as a historical, patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to insuring that a true history of the 1861-1865 period is preserved.
Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces. Membership can be obtained through either direct or collateral family lines and kinship to a veteran must be documented genealogically. The minimum age for membership is 12.
Proof of kinship to a Confederate soldier can take many forms. The easiest method is to contact the archives of the state from which the soldier fought and obtain a copy of the veteran's military service record. All Southern state's archives have microfilm records of the soldiers who fought from that state, and a copy of the information can be obtained for a nominal fee. In addition, the former Confederate states awarded pensions to veterans and their widows. All of these records contain a wealth of information that can be used to document military service. The SCV has a network of genealogists to assist you in tracing you ancestor's Confederate service.
The SCV has ongoing programs at the local, state, and national levels, which offer members a wide range of activities. Preservation work, marking Confederate soldier's graves, historical re-enactments, scholarly publications, and regular meetings to discuss the military and political history of the War Between the States are only a few of the activities sponsored by local units, called camps.
The SCV works in conjunction with
other historical groups to preserve Confederate history. However, it is not
affiliated with any other group other than the Military Order of the Stars
and Bars, composed of male descendants of the Southern Officers Corps. The
SCV rejects any group whose actions tarnish or distort the image of the
Confederate soldier or his reasons for fighting.
If you are interested in perpetuating the ideals that motivated your Confederate ancestor, the SCV needs you. The memory and reputation of the Confederate soldier, as well as the motives for his suffering and sacrifice, are being consciously distorted by some in an attempt to alter history. Unless the descendants of Southern soldiers resist those efforts, a unique part of our nations' cultural heritage will cease to exist.
If you would like more information about the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Georgia, call 1-888-SCV IN GA (888-728-4642) or visit the Division website at http://www.georgiascv.com/ or 1-800-MY-SOUTH, or 1-800-MY-DIXIE, visit the IHQ website http://www.scv.org, or write to:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
We gratefully acknowledge all the authors citied in the recommended readings for their works through the years to keep the Southern perspective of history available to the public. With out their exhaustive work and dedication, our summary course would not have been possible. We also thank all of the men who have served on the SCV Georgia Division Education Committee over the years, especially Darren Wheeler and Marc Thayer who developed a similar history curriculum from which we have taken that framework and expanded this work. Images presented here in this work are to the best of our knowledge in the public domain, unless otherwise noted and credited. They are provided to help bring to life some of the words presented. Cited material for publications in and out of the public domain have been used. Some sent by committee members for inclusion. Copyright infringement, if identified in word or image was not intentional and we have tried to make every effort to receive permission for use of others work and to cite and reference the original works.
Sincerely,
John A. Griffin
To cover costs a $10 donation per CD suggested. If you order 10 or more the donation suggested is $7.50 per CD.
If you order 1 CD from us and make your own copies to distribute to non-profit organizations such as schools, libraries, or SCV Members etc.; You will be on the honor system to send a donation of a minimum $1 per copy to the camp. No one may sell copies for profit without permission of the camp.
The donation covers our cost to buy materials and pay postage and also puts a little bit of funding back into the camp education program for future use. Send checks or money orders payable to: