Why does the Civil war have such a hold on people? Why not WWII, the goo war, or the revolutionary war?

Question

I mean, It's been what, 140 years? Time to move on? I suppose everybody needs a hobby. Once I saw some reinactors practicing in a park and I asked them if I could take a picture. They said sure and went around taking off their wristwatches and getting rid of Pepsi cans. Well the only reason I wanted the picture was for the acronistic elements, it wasn't funny without it. But I didn't want to hurt their feelings (they were so serious) so I took pictures anyway.
Help me understand what the deal is.
And where were all you civil war buffs when I asked about the film Confederat States of America?

Answer 1

It has to do with access to the battlefields, really. The American Civil War produced 100 times the casualties of any other war which took place in North America. There are battlefields all over the south. Lots of Americans have ancestors who fought in the Civil War, while comparatively few have ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Europe has rein-actors who do battles from Roman times all the way up to WWII. I'm sure Americans would be more interested in WWII if they could load up the kids in the SUV and drive down to the battlefield where granddad fought the Nazis.

Answer 2

The American Civil War holds American attention because everyone who died in it was American. All of the remarkably high casualties were citizens of The USA at one time or another. It was also the last of the dashing glorious wars and the first of the machine wars where it was possible to feed large amounts of men into one end and get hamburger at the other. We saw the introduction of the machine gun,the iron clad ship, trench warfare, rifled and breech loading cannon, rapid fire rifles, in other words modern war. It was fought on a vast theatre over the continent.War had been concentrated to battles like Waterloo at which farmers brought in a crop about a mile and half from where the battle raged. This war changed not only the tools used but how they were used. The scope of the war changed from a bend in the river to the length of the river.

Answer 3

Well, people really like history, for one thing. But the Civil war isn't recent history (thought WWI and WWII aren't exactly 'recent' our grandparents/great grandparents can remember it, at least the second one).

As far as the Civil War goes, it split our nation in two. Brothers fought against brothers. The dynamics that were a part of the war are so strong psychologically. It is truly people who put aside everything in their life to fight for what they believed to be right. Can you imagine shooting members of your own family for what you believe in? Or feeling so strongly about something that you could go to that extreme?

It also has a strong sense of patriotism to it. Though we had two factions that hated each other, in the end the United States remained united, though forcibly, and the south was ultimately forgiven, but changed.

It is the one war that truly changed and defined our country, well, besides the obvious revolutionary war, though that was a fledgling country united against the 'other'.

Answer 4

In a sense it is from a "romantic' time past that is really only a few generations passed.

It is history unique to the US and there are NO REAL BAD GUYS! We never crucified the South for their beliefs and instead began the healing process. So, you can be on either side and be on the side of right, so to speak.

So, it is so American.

However, I am a self proclaimed history buff and found the time period interesting and now feel that anyone who "glorifies" the war is doing us all a disservice. I think it was a horrible time in our history and very sad...all the killing of ourselves.

Lastly, though Lincoln is remembered as a great president, looking back, it must have been a tortured time for him and for that he had the most difficult job of all the presidents in my view.

We all should remember that.

Answer 5

They choose to reenact the Civil War period because it was a war involving ourselves, the Americans. There were also charismatic leaders on both sides who make for romanticized heroes for today. In reality, it was the bloodiest wars the United States has ever fought with horrible carnage on both sides. There were also horrible P.O.W. camp conditions and thousands in the south died of disease brought upon by the destruction of their homes. These are things the reenactors do not portray and which very much disturb me. (It has been estimated that 600,000 people died in the Civil War. This was not the costliest war in the Western Hemisphere during that time though. A few years later, Paraguay fought against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay in the War of the Triple Alliance. Thousands upon thousands more were killed in that war and it nearly annihilated the male population of Paraguay.)

Answer 6

The American Civil War is a defining moment in the history of the United States. It is the culmination of the growth toward our federal system that now exists. I had a direct effect on a great number of American families and also on a large group of newly arrived immigrants as the country grew. It is also uniquely American and as such is held very dear to many.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Ostensibly because, as has been pointed out by others in this question, the trauma of having the nation ripped in half is something that lingers on with our collective consciousness. But then, civil wars tend to be long remembered in most countries for the same reason.

Answer 9

Because the Civil War is the only time in United States history that we fought against each other. Fathers and sons, brother and brother. You get the idea. We did not kill or defend our land to foreign tyranny. We instead fought and killed the neighbor next door.

Answer 10

It is a fascinating war because it pitted North against South, brother against brother, father against son, family against family, as well as killing more than 500,000 soldiers in total in addition to the wounding and maiming of many others, more than in any other war period of our country's history. Also, it was fought in our country in order to preserve the Union. No other war in history even compares with the Civil War and that is why it is so fascinating.