The Lost Cause Myth in The United States Discussion

Discussion 2 Instructions: Frankly, many popular stories and grade-school lessons about U.S. History are myths that Americans have perpetuated throughout the centuries. Each period in American History
develops legends and myths that reflect the needs of the times (note, it reflects the needs of the times in which the myth was created rather than the time in which the myth is set): images of the thankful
pilgrims (who only later became Pilgrims with a capital “P”) and loving Indian maidens who give themselves and their lands to the white man in the colonial period, while the myths of George Washington and the Boston Tea Party create heroes for our country’s founding. By the period of Westward Expansion, our myths were self-serving and yet still heroic, while the reality of slavery’s inhumanity demanded myths of benevolent slave owners and the benefits of the peculiar
institution. It is possible that some of these stories have remained fixed in our culture because they produce good citizens, while in others, we relieve our guilt for real or perceived past transgressions. Whatever the case, these myths exist in great measure. For this forum, you will be assigned a myth about American History from before 1877 and in a post of a suggested 250 words, introduce your myth and the reality (which will be different from the myth),then explain why the myth rather than the reality has been immortalized in the American consciousness. Remember to use at least
two sources for your explanations. In your initial post think of it as participating in a discussion in a brick and mortar school. The instructor has thrown out numerous topics and you have decided to comment on one of them. To do this effectively you must identify which topic you will be speaking on (that would be your introductory paragraph). You then discuss the topic, using evidence from sources, this is the body of your post, at least one middle paragraph. In that paragraph, you will show where you found your information. And finally, you sum up what you have said: the concluding paragraph. This would be a thorough discussion on your part. 6. If your last name begins with T… – Z… look up the myth below and explain why you
think the myth rather than the reality has been immortalized in the American consciousness. After the American Civil War, Southerners invented something called the “Lost Cause” Myth. Explain what it was and why this myth was a blatant lie. Why does the myth continue to exist?