What is a Confederate?

As we look back on our country’s history, it is impossible to ignore the ironclad relevance of The Confederate States of America (CSA) and the Confederacy as a whole. The Confederacy was a short-lived country in the United States, consisting of 11 southern states that seceded from the Union and formed their own government during the American Civil War. But beyond the history of the Civil War, what is a confederate?

History of the Confederacy

The Confederate States formed the Union in February 1861 after a group of Southern states seceded from the United States. These 11 secessionist states were South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina. These 11 states became known as the 11 Confederate States of America and each state wrote their own Constitution, established their own governmental structure and developed their own laws. They also elected their own president, general-in-chief, and other leaders to command the Confederate army during the Civil War.

Political Ideology of the Confederacy

Confederacy was a political and social system built on defending the institution of slavery and a combination of local state autonomy and limited federalism. Central to their ideology was the preservation of the institution of slavery and the expansion of slavery into the western territories, which was a keystone principle for Confederates. This ideology was rooted in a pro-slavery interpretation of the US Constitution and the idea of states having the right to decide their own laws on the issue of slavery. The Confederacy also sought to protect states’ rights, preserve the legacy of the planter class and defend what they referred to as the “Southern way of life”.

Legacy of the Confederacy

The Confederacy lost the Civil War in 1865, but still its legacy remains a central component of the American story. Today, many of the core ideals the Confederacy stood for — states’ rights and limited government, for example — are still seen as important and valid by some. For others, Confederate symbols and monuments serve as reminders of the country’s troubled past and the history of slavery in the United States. Whatever the case may be, it is important to remember that the Confederacy was a major part of our country’s history, and as such deserves to be more than just a footnote in the annals of American history.