The Civil War is catching up with the Republicans

Neue Zürcher Zeitung Germany The Civil War is catching up with the Republicans Article by Christian Weisflog, Washington • 3 hours. After the Civil War, the United States abolished slavery. But it was only through protest marches like those in Memphis in 1968 that African Americans in the southern states won the right to vote. Things have only been looking up for Nikki Haley this election campaign. But then, just before the New Year, the Republican presidential candidate stumbled upon a simple question about American history. At an election rally in New Hampshire, a man in the audience wanted to know: “What was the cause of the Civil War in the United States?” It may have been a deliberate trick question to trick Trump's former UN ambassador. If so, the plan worked as intended. Haley fell completely into the trap: "I think the Civil War was all about how the state should function, about freedoms and what people could and couldn't do," said the former governor of South Carolina. After she finished speaking, the questioner in the audience commented: "It amazes me that in 2023 you are answering this question without mentioning the word 'slavery'." Trump accuses Lincoln of “many mistakes.” If it were a local election, Haley's answer probably wouldn't have made waves in her southern home state. White politicians in the South have been denying the connection between slavery and the Civil War since the Confederacy lost in 1865, historian William Harris told Newsweek. Boston University history professor Nina Silber even said: "Haley's answer was calculated to appeal to a large majority of today's Republican voters." However, in the national spotlight that Haley now finds herself in, her response quickly put her under pressure. By not mentioning slavery, she put her coalition of voters in danger, wrote the New York Times. Trump's former UN ambassador is trying to appeal to a broad base, ranging from moderate Trump voters to staunch Trump critics. Especially in New Hampshire, she must not offend the many moderate Republicans and swing voters if she wants to create a surprise in the primary elections here on January 23rd. In the moderate state on the east coast, the 51-year-old politician is only just behind Trump in the polls. Under increasing pressure from the public, Haley quickly admitted her mistake. “I should have said slavery,” said the presidential candidate the day after. But as a woman from the southern states, where the history of slavery is omnipresent, she took this reason as a “given” and was already thinking ahead. But that wasn't the end of the debate. Last week, Donald Trump also made reference to this and initially said: "I would say 'slavery' is kind of the obvious answer." He later stated during a campaign appearance that the civil war could have been prevented through negotiations. “So many mistakes were made.” Trump seemed to suggest that, as a self-proclaimed master of negotiations, he would have been a better president than Lincoln in this situation. “Of course, if Abraham Lincoln had negotiated, probably no one would remember Abraham Lincoln.” Former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney then sharply criticized Trump's comments: "What part of the civil war could have been negotiated? The slavery? The secession? “Whether Lincoln should have preserved the federal state?” the Trump critic wanted to know. The former president did not address this. Historians agree that by 1861 there was little left to negotiate. The choice was war or slavery. Caught in the myth of the “lost cause” Of the serious presidential candidates, Ron DeSantis was the clearest. “Lincoln did what he had to do.” He ended slavery and saved the federal state. “This is a great achievement by the Republican Party.” With regard to Haley, Florida's governor said: "It is not that difficult to recognize the role that slavery played in the Civil War." However, DeSantis himself came under criticism a few months ago because of his understanding of history. According to a curriculum adopted over the summer, students in Florida should now learn that “slaves developed skills from which, in some cases, they could personally benefit.” Haley's tortuous answer, meanwhile, can be explained by misrepresentation of history, the remnants of which are still prevalent in the Republican Party today.