Unified Narrative of American Civil War History as an Element of Memory Policy

The presented article explores the process of building a unifying historical narrative in relation to the history of the Civil War in the USA from 1861 to 1865. The research methodology is based on case study and descriptive analysis. The purpose of the study is to identify positive and negative (from a functional point of view) points in this process. It is established that the architects of the U.S. policy of memory abandoned the tactics of demonizing one of the sides of the conflict by integrating representatives of both southerners and northerners into the pantheon of national heroes. The authority of specific historical figures was used to justify the need for reconciliation of former enemies. The motives of the participants in the conflict on both sides were tied to the basic values of American society. Mass culture was used to form a unifying narrative. Due to this, a system of emotionally charged symbols was introduced into the mind of white Americans. These system of symbols triggered mechanisms of empathy towards former enemies. At the same time, the model of the unifying historical narrative was built without taking into consideration possible change in the target audience. It did not match the interests and values of macrosocial groups, whose role in public and political life in the United States increased sharply in the second half of the 19th century (especially African Americans and the color population in general, women, sexual minorities, etc.). At the same time, the state and its affiliated structures failed to respond adequately to the formation of the antiimage of southerners in mass culture, which contributed to the resuscitation of radical forms of local identity.

Keywords

Policy of memory (memory policy), memorial policy, historical narrative, unifying narrative, identity, Civil war in the USA.

Received

12.11.2018

Publication date

12.11.2018

Number of characters

1804

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GOST	Belov S. Unified Narrative of American Civil War History as an Element of Memory Policy // USA & Canada: ekonomika, politika, kultura – 2018. – Issue 11 C. 46-59 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://usacanada.jes.su/S032120680001910-5-1 (circulation date: 26.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S032120680001910-5
MLA	Belov, Sergey "Unified Narrative of American Civil War History as an Element of Memory Policy." USA & Canada: ekonomika, politika, kultura 11 (2018):46-59. DOI: 10.31857/S032120680001910-5
APA	Belov S. (2018). Unified Narrative of American Civil War History as an Element of Memory Policy. USA & Canada: ekonomika, politika, kultura (11), pp.46-59 DOI: 10.31857/S032120680001910-5

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