The Civil War was fought to keep us enslaved. Period! But whites keep trying to rewrite history with these three BIG lies.
Lie #1: Lincoln Wanted Us Free
Abraham Lincoln didn't order troops South to free enslaved people. Whites love saying Lincoln "freed us," but he was just trying to keep the U.S. from splitting into two. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation only set SOME enslaved folks free – and in private he made it clear he thought we were inferior.
Lie #2: Black Confederate Soldiers
Did Black soldiers fight for the Confederacy? Historians say no! This lie supports ANOTHER lie – that the Civil War was a fight for states' rights, not enslavement. Black men WERE in Confederate Army camps, but as cooks, washers, and ditch diggers.
Lie #3: Wasn't About Enslavement
Whitewashed versions of history want us to believe the Civil War was about honorable men protecting their communities and "Southern heritage." This, too, is a lie! In actuality, it was a conscious effort to extend our bondage. Mississippi lawmakers even said this: "Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery – the greatest material interest of the world."
We must know the truth about our place in history. We can't let them keep teaching future generations of Black children lies about what happened. We should always question their whitewashed versions of history!