Master the facts of Historical Context: the CSA , the Lost Cause, and Civil War National Memory (c. 1865-1964)
1. Questions: When, where, what and why were there "Confederate States of America?" What is the post-war Myth of the "Lost Cause" of the Confederacy? Where did it originate? Who authored the myth? Why has it been propagated? What is neo-confederate ideology and what roles has it played in Civil War remembrance-- and in monument construction especially
2. Where and in what historical period(s) were the bulk of Confederate Civil War monuments constructed? Why were they constructed? And what is their symbolic meaning?
3. Choose one documentary to watch. How the Monuments Came Down about civil rights activism in Richmond Virginia, or Whose History?: the Reckoning over Confederate Monuments and Racial Terror of Lynching.
Supplement with sources from links in articles above, Alemany Library Catalog - Lost Cause, Confederate Monuments, Iceberg, JSTOR, Google Scholar, and or credible web sources. Use: site:edu or site:org or site:gov
Master the facts of our recent social context and the politics of Civil War memory (c. 1964-2023, especially 2013-2023)
1. Using this "Research Starter" and its chronology of key dates, explain the contemporary controversy about the removal of Confederate Statues using this CQ Research overview report. You must grasp the essential facts about each event on the timelines: who, what, where, when, how. You must also grasp the arguments for and against (use the CQ Researcher source and this ProCon Source.)
2. Using this "Research Starter," explain BLM What is Black Lives Matter? And how does it stand in relation to previous black liberation movements like the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power Movement, Black Panthers, etc. What are the causes that led to its recent rise?
3. Using your understanding of historical context,, relate the contemporary history of the controversy surrounding Confederate monuments, racial justice, policing, white nationalist movements, and BLM.