Long Leggged Yankee Lies Analysis

The essay, “Long-Legged Yankee Lies” was a surprising essay – not what I expected to read after reading James M. McPherson’s other works. The focus of this essay was to thoroughly explain one of the main interpretations of the Civil War – the “South’s Lost Cause.” The Lost Cause, as the Southerners perceived themselves after the Civil War, is explained in that the South was incredibly outnumbered by the North in both men and resources. The South perceived themselves as righteous men who fought for state’s rights, freedoms granted by the Constitution that cannot legally be infringed upon by the government, and the approval of the people with actions taken against them by their government. Knowing that their views were challenged by the North, McPherson argues, they made sure to keep these attitudes alive through their own offspring. Special ceremonies, parades, rallies, veteran groups, Southern heritage groups, and games were formed with the purpose of inspiring – or, dare I say, indoctrinating – children of the …show more content…
McPherson has expertly woven a story of the “Lost Cause” viewpoint. Although I may disagree with this viewpoint and find some its claims ludicrous, I can respect that McPherson started off by utilizing opinions from primary sources, not his personal beliefs, to explain the school of thought. For example, when discussing the South’s impact on children and perceived intellectual threats, McPherson wrote, “Here was the serpent in the garden, warned Confederate veterans: Yankee textbooks introducing innocent Southern children to the knowledge of good and evil – mostly Northern good and Southern evil.” This “warning” was reported by him as expressed by Southerners in the past – this is not, necessarily, an expression of his