Confederacy, What else did it do - Historum

**Vladd** · July 11th, 2011, 01:31 AM

OK the question of slavery has been debated here again and again, but did the Confederacy actually do anything good? So come on you supporters of the South, what was so good about it?

**Lawnmowerman** · July 11th, 2011, 01:34 AM

The south was and still is full of deep fried goodness

LowKey · July 11th, 2011, 01:41 AM

The only good thing the confederacy did in my opinion was speed the abolition of slavery by several decades. Had it not occurred I think we would have been well into the industrial revolution before slavery was abolished.

**Qymaen** · July 11th, 2011, 01:57 AM

Was Egyptian cotton of finer quality than cotton from the South? If so it certainly helped Egypt's economy. And possibly India.

**jegates** · July 11th, 2011, 04:03 AM

There are (hundreds,thousands?) who became famous (in a positive way) as a result of the ACW. I don't think the south had as many, but the south certainly played a part in advancing several people's carrers.

Grant = president
Sherman = General of the Army
Lincoln = may have just been another name on a list of presidents
Custer = not always painted these days in a positive light, but famous in his day due to the ACW
Lee = although lost, he was noted as an honorable man, and excellent leader and his name is still well known
Stonewall Jackson = dies in the war, but his name came out in a very positive manner...some even say he may have turned Gettysburg and added time to the South's fight.

I'm sure there are many more and I am looking for help on more positive results for men of the south from our southerners here.

**Viperlord** · July 11th, 2011, 04:32 AM

Quote:

some even say he may have turned Gettysburg and added time to the South's fight.

Which is about as useful as speculating on what would happen if Lee had B-52s at Gettysburg.

**botully** · July 11th, 2011, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jegates

There are (hundreds,thousands?) who became famous (in a positive way) as a result of the ACW. I don't think the south had as many, but the south certainly played a part in advancing several people's carrers.

Grant = president
Sherman = General of the Army
Lincoln = may have just been another name on a list of presidents
Custer = not always painted these days in a positive light, but famous in his day due to the ACW
Lee = although lost, he was noted as an honorable man, and excellent leader and his name is still well known
Stonewall Jackson = dies in the war, but his name came out in a very positive manner...some even say he may have turned Gettysburg and added time to the South's fight.

I'm sure there are many more and I am looking for help on more positive results for men of the south from our southerners here.

I agree with the list, but ascribing these as positives for the Confederacy is rather like saying one positive for Nazi Germany is President Eisenhower. Sure, it gave a boost to his career, but unintended effects on personal careers as a result of war isn't much of a positive, all things considered.
The problem with the OP is that the Confederacy lasted barely 4 years, and lived and died almost entirely within war. There simply wasn't time for science and literature or anything else to emerge. We could list ironclads, submersibles and that sort of thing, but everything will be related to war, as that was the context.

**jegates** · July 11th, 2011, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viperlord

Which is about as useful as speculating on what would happen if Lee had B-52s at Gettysburg.

Good one...

**jegates** · July 11th, 2011, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by botully

I agree with the list, but ascribing these as positives for the Confederacy is rather like saying one positive for Nazi Germany is President Eisenhower. Sure, it gave a boost to his career, but unintended effects on personal careers as a result of war isn't much of a positive, all things considered.
The problem with the OP is that the Confederacy lasted barely 4 years, and lived and died almost entirely within war. There simply wasn't time for science and literature or anything else to emerge. We could list ironclads, submersibles and that sort of thing, but everything will be related to war, as that was the context.

Good point and probably should be (or maybe already has been) a new thread. Does anything good come from a war? Or, since so many die and suffer, is it similar to buying someone a gift by using drug money?

**jegates** · July 11th, 2011, 04:47 AM

Just a quick google search and here is a link to some inventions that sprang from war:

Modern Marvels — Inventions of War — History.com Videos