‘What’s left of the flag’: the Confederate and Jacobite ‘lost cause’ myths, and the construction of mythic identities through conflict commemoration

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3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The use of battlefields and associated conflict sites provide tantalising hooks upon which to hand tapestries of grand narratives relating to regional and national identities, often defined by what the identities are not. This paper examines the unlikely connection between Jacobite and Confederate romanticism, and how battlefields, conflict related sites, and symbolic material culture are mobilised through active commemoration by some heritage groups in support of a created, mythic identity of a ‘Southern Celt’. Furthermore, it examines the production of a mythic history that whitewashes and recasts the Confederacy, the reality of the Civil War, and the Confederate Flag, while at the same time minimising, hiding, or ignoring competing narratives.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)142-162
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of Conflict Archaeology
Volume12
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2 2017

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Archaeology
  • History
  • Archaeology

Keywords

  • American Civil War
  • Confederate
  • Jacobite
  • battle flag
  • commemoration
  • identity
  • neo-Confederate

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