Abstract
The term Lost Cause is used by historians to refer to a historical narrative that has been advocated by partisans of the Confederacy over generations since the Civil War. The historical narrative argues that the slave states seceded for reasons other than slavery, that the Confederacy did not fight for slavery, and that slaves were contented or at least not treated badly. The term first appeared as the title of a book by A. E. Pollard published shortly after the Civil War in 1866. The Lost Cause viewpoint achieved national acceptance during the 1920s and 1930s and has had widespread acceptance since then. These interpretations of history are incorporated into the neo-Confederate ideology now advanced by a variety of white supremacist, anti-immigration, and “heritage” groups. The new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) attempt to mainstream the Lost Cause ideology and neo-Confederacy history. These new standards will instill in the minds of Texas children a neo-Confederate consciousness that will greatly enable and assist the neo-Confederate movement.
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Notes
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© 2012 Keith A. Erekson
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Sebesta, E.H. (2012). Neo-Confederate Ideology in the Texas History Standards. In: Erekson, K.A. (eds) Politics and the History Curriculum. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137008947_9
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