One of our books exclusively discusses the United Daughter of the Confederacy, and I got really intrigued and perplexed at the same time about this organization. The book by Karen Cox, Dixies’s Daughters: The United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Preservation of the Confederate Culture really opened my eyes into a world that I was totally unaware of. For one, I could not believe that mainly one organization was responsible for the massive monument collection of Civil War veterans in the South. Also, women were responsible for preserving the South. Then, we read the book and it wasn’t as wonderful at it sounded. I wanted to be optimistic and encouraged that women in the nineteenth century could be so strong and involved with the culture of the entire South. However, after reading the book, my opinions have skewed due to Cox’s discussion of the hidden agendas that the Southern ladies of the UDC had.
So, my research began by first exploring the UDC website. On the homepage, nothing really stands out except a woman with a medal around her neck. Then you begin reading “Why I Am a Daughter of the Confederacy” by the current President-General, Mrs. Martha Van Schaick, for 2010-2012. Some peculiar phrases stand out to me, especially after reading Cox’s book. Mrs. Schaick states, “….I was born a Daughter of the Confederacy. A part of my heritage was that I came into this world with the blood of a soldier in my veins.”[1] A statement that is interesting to say the least. Cox discusses how children were “born into the Confederacy” due to the mission of the UDC educating the children of the South. This woman makes it sound like she didn’t even have a choice to belong to the UDC, over 150 years later; they are still doing the same thing. If you keep reading there are more perturbed phrases such as comparing her obligation to perform to the Bible, her birthright, and of course the true history of the South, as in the Southern Constitution (not the US Constitution). All of Mrs. Schaick’s speech draws questions about the UDC still to this day, like nothing has changed.
There are tabs on the right of the website where one can browse through various topics like Children of the Confederacy, Scholarships, Remembrance of 150 years Committee, different divisions around the nation, and programs and events. None of these are really that off the wall other than the Children of the Confederacy.
The Children of the Confederacy is interesting in that children of today are still being educated and inducted before they even know how to talk. The current President-General states that, “Together, we can use this sesquicentennial period in our history as a tool to learn and teach others the real truths of the War Between the States and honor the memory of our brave Confederate ancestors. As CofC members, we must never forget!” [2] Still the language of the past is resonating today in the youth of the South.
How can we progress if this Lost Cause is always present and influencing the tomorrow generation with the ideals of yesterday? It makes me wonder, because we discussed this in class on how to move forward but can’t if white supremacy and vindication still rule today. I know it’s just the South, and only a limited part of the South, that probably still thinks the way the UDC did. But, as an ever increasing mobile society, I can’t help but think the mentality will spread and keep hindering our society to get past segregation.
Here is some references relating to the UDC.
Caroline Meriwether Goodlett Library: open to members of UDC, nonmembers by appointment only
http://www.hqudc.org/index.html\
Helen Walpole Brewer Library: contains microfilm copies of the National Archives Compiled Confederate Service Records and a limited number of regimental histories, family histories, pension records, and cemetery records.
http://www.hqudc.org/index.html
UDC magazine:
http://www.hqudc.org/index.html
[1] United Daughters of the Confederacy, “Why I Am a Daughter of the Confederacy,” accessed June 21, 2012, http://www.hqudc.org/index.html.
[2] United Daughters of the Confederacy, “Children of the Confederacy,” accessed June 21, 2012, http://www.hqudc.org/CofC/index.html.
HIST501: Studies in Civil War Memory 