Everything You Wanted to Know About the Black Confederate Myth in Less Than 10 Minutes

A couple weeks ago I sat down to do an interview with Nick Barksdale, who runs a popular video blog that focuses on history. He invited me to talk about misunderstandings and myths about the Civil War, which I was happy to do.

You can watch the full interview.

Nick also went ahead and cobbled together the sections in which I discuss the Black Confederate myth.

It provides a concise overview of the history of how enslaved men were utilized by the Confederate government and military as well as the evolution of the myth itself. At just under 10 minutes it should be useful for teachers who want to introduce their students to this subject.

And if you want to learn even more you can always buy the book.

Hope you enjoy it.

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2 comments… add one
  • William H Stokes Jun 8, 2021 @ 21:02

    Some Blacks labored for the Confederacy under the threat of the lash but there were free Blacks who willingly were the Lost Cause’s most ardent supporters. In Black Masters (1984), Johnson and Roark discuss the great contributions of the Ellisons who were slave owning Blacks and who worked overtime as supporting members of their nation. As for manning infantry positions, no. But their patriotic efforts empowered many White men to be active. And who is to say their were no Black shooters? There certainly are enough in the 21st century without slavery. Great thought provoking share!

    • Kevin Levin Jun 9, 2021 @ 1:09

      Yes, I am familiar with that book. Free Blacks in different parts of the South did support the Confederacy early on for a wide variety of reasons. Needless to say, it is complicated. Certainly the communities in places like Petersburg, Virginia and New Orleans were concerned about maintaining their financial assets under a new government.

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