The Confederacy lost the Civil War—but the myths built around it and white supremacy continue to shape and distort American history and national identity.
These racist, treasonous losers still have monuments, bridges, and schools named after them. Their flag is still defended by Republicans and racists who claim they’re defending “heritage” and a legacy that includes defending slavery.
After the Civil War, former Confederates and pro-Confederate organizations promoted the idea that the South had fought primarily for states’ rights rather than slavery. These narratives also portrayed enslavers as benevolent caretakers and framed the Confederacy’s defeat as the result of the North’s superior resources.
Instead of being mocked, ridiculed, and villainized, these incompetent losers have been whitewashed and valorized by MAGA, Hollywood movies, and “both sides” revisionism. Just look at the most popular movie in American history, Gone with the Wind, or Birth of a Nation.
In this conversation, historian Connor Williams examines how these historical distortions took hold, why they endured long after Reconstruction, and how their legacy continues to influence and haunt American politics.
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