Summary
Historical Myths and Narratives
The “righteous cause myth” portraying the Civil War as a moral crusade to abolish slavery is a distortion of historical record and has been destructive for the world.
The “proposition nation myth” of equality is contradicted by Massachusetts’ $3 poll tax and taxpaying qualification to vote in 1860.
The “lost cause myth” downplaying slavery’s role in the Civil War is considered pejorative by establishment academics but is actually true, according to historian Brion McClanahan.
Propaganda and Public Perception
The righteous cause myth has led to the dehumanization of Southerners, portraying them as “vampires” and “evil oligarchs” to be vanquished.
This myth has been sold to the American public through propaganda and motion pictures, such as Thomas Nast’s “grand characterama”.
Foreign Policy and Military Interventions
The righteous cause narrative has been used to justify American foreign policy, including the invasion of the South and destruction of its institutions.
This narrative shapes modern American history and foreign policy, with roots in Sumner and Lincoln, developed by Julia Ward Howe and Oliver Otis Howard.
It’s used to frame wars as humanitarian efforts to liberate oppressed peoples and spread democracy, rather than for material gain.
The narrative has justified interventions in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Georgia, Zimbabwe, Iran, Lebanon, and beyond.
It’s been applied to conflicts from the Spanish-American War to the War on Terror, and humanitarian causes in Southeast Asia, Africa, South Korea, and Vietnam.