Your views on 150th Civil War anniversary events

[Malte279]

Because of my hopefully impending dissertation I have another question to our American members about the impending 150th anniversary of the American Civil War and the events which are going to be conducted for it. Working my way through books about the events surrounding the 100th anniversary I found that there was quite a number of different motivations in the events back then. My question is, what do you expect (no matter whether or not you like that expectation) to be the main emphasis of the coming 150th anniversary events?
Commemoration as in remembering the suffering and the brutality of the war.
Celebration as in celebrating the outcome of the war with a special stress on national unity.
Education as in trying to increase public awareness of the historical events with little political partisanship.
Re-examining history as in trying to break with traditional historic tradition and reinterpret events with a potentially strong political influx of various interest groups.
Commercialization as in get the paying tourists here no matter what.

I would also be particularly interested in whether you think that the events surrounding the 150th anniversary are more suited to "tear up old wounds" or on the contrary help for old wounds to heal up.

[Petrie.]

I'm going to say commemoration as the possibility.  Commercialization would minimize the respect for those who perished, so I have my doubts anyone would actually try that.  Re-examining through politics would be interesting, but what's done has been done for 150 years....interpret all you want, but its over.  I've a feeling that would only create bickering of sides....far from unity.  Education...I could see it, but not everyone really pays attention to this stuff, so it would inspire history buffs such as yourself, but the common folk will probably go about their daily lives.  Celebration, like commercialization I feel is the wrong way to go as it was far from "lets all work together now" at the end of the war, and old feelings do die hard, especially if you had relatives on the side that lost.

My two pennies.

[Petrie.]

Was I really the only one to respond to this?  Heh....unusual.

[Malte279]

Maybe the profound American interest in the Civil War that was described in many books (I'm currently reading "Confederates in the Attic" by Tony Horwitz) is not so profound among our members. I would still be quite interested in what you think / expect / hope, though I finished the expose and send it out yesterday.

[raga]

I'm not sure what those books were telling you Malte but there isn't much of a profound interest in the Civil War here.  In fact to me it seems to be the least mentioned American war.  Its simply not a hot topic, or at least that what it seems through my eyes.  In fact your the only person I've come across who's actually mentioned its upcoming 150th anniversary.

[Malte279]

I'm not sure what those books were telling you Malte but there isn't much of a profound interest in the Civil War here. In fact to me it seems to be the least mentioned American war.

If you are, as I presume, from one of the northern states this is pretty much exactly what the books told me that you would tell me
It would be of special interest to hear people from both sides of Mason - Dixie have their input here. We have members from Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas as well as from New York, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania (not listing every state now, but it would be really interesting to have the input from both sides). For all I know regional perceptions differ... as if we were talking about different countries :blink:

PS: Yes there is an internet connection where I am right now, but I don't have much time to use it.

[raga]

Haha, well yep, I'm a New Yorker all my life.  And it is true that the North and South feel almost like different countries so I'm not sure how the war is viewed down there.

[Nick22]

i would hope it would be used as a chance to educate the public. I'm a history buff so I'll be following the ceremonies quite closely, however, I'm sure I'll be in the minority there.
Wisconsin sent soldiers to the northern cause, but we were on the fringes on the North, much like Texas and Florida were on the South. there were no official battles fought in the state. it is, to me amazing that the two countries should have capitals so close to each other. the distance between Richmond Virginia and Washington Dc is about 30 miles. it would be like if Port Washington became the capital of the state of North Wisconsin, and Milwaukee became the Capital of South Wisconsin, and the two states were at war.