The False Cause

Adam H. Domby is Assistant Professor of History at the College of Charleston.

The False Cause is full of thoroughly entertaining stories thatgrab readers' attention and make them think about the lies of theLost Cause and how pervasive that narrative has been throughout UShistory. Domby concludes this work by calling on his fellowhistorians to carefully and thoughtfully engage with the public withthe hope of curtailing these dangerous fabrications, because we "havethe ability to call attention to how the past has been used andmanipulated." Judging by his Twitter feed, Domby is leadingby example. -- "H-Net" Domby provides the most extensive discussion of the role of white supremacy in the Lost Cause that we have.... The False Cause makes an important contribution to current public debates over that history and the continued use of Confederate symbols. -- "Civil War Book Review" Domby's argument is subtle but significant. The Lost Cause was not just about ex-Confederates trying to make themselves feel better. Instead, it had wide-ranging and lasting implications for the South... Domby's work demonstrates that not engaging with the connections between the Lost Cause and white supremacy allows "historical justification for ignoring institutionalized racism, disparities in opportunity, and continued discrimination" (167). We cannot combat these issues without first understanding their history. --Kelli B. Nelson, University of Tennessee Chattanooga From street names to local politics to tourist attractions around the Lowcountry, the institution of slavery is arguably the single-most-significant historical theme still affecting Charleston, now a city which attracts millions of visitors each year and thousands of new residents each month. A just-released book by College of Charleston history professor Adam H. Domby examines the fallacies of the Confederate narrative which still define how many people see our diverse, growing state. -- "Charleston City Paper" In The False Cause, Adam Domby has written a highly-readable and pointed assessment of the South's postwar narratives about the Civil War, veterans, and slavery itself. He makes a compelling case that the Lost Cause, a narrative based on misrepresentation and, in some instances, outright lies, provided the justification for white supremacy, veterans' pensions, and African American disenfranchisement. While a case study of North Carolina, this book is a valuable addition to the historical literature on how the post-Civil War South reinvented itself and why, to this day, we still contend with the Lost Cause revisionism of the southern past. --Karen L. Cox, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, author of Dixie's Daughters: The United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Preservation of Confederate Culture In The False Cause, Domby not only debunks the lies at the heart of the Lost Cause, but also exposes their intent.... [He] disentangles this expansive network of untruths through an examination of monuments, histories, and pension records...A thoroughly engaging read....Domby pleads with his fellow historians to undo these fabrications through careful research and public engagement. With The False Cause, Domby puts himself on the front lines of this effort. -- "The Civil War Monitor" It is a measure of how valuable this book is on North Carolina, that itintensifies the need for a comprehensive look at the legacy of lies ennobling the CivilWar. Truth, it has been said, is the first casualty in war. It is time for historians to tendto the still-walking wounded. -- "North Carolina Historical Review" That The False Cause was released and has gained so much attention with the debate over monuments intensifying makes sense, as the origins of the book itself have to do with the fight over the 'Silent Sam' memorial on the campus of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Yet I suspect the book will be useful for years to come, both as a primer to think about the crafting of the Lost Cause narrative, and to spark deeper discussions about how communities shape--and reshape--public memory for political, social, and cultural causes. -- "Society for U.S. Intellectual History" The] impact of [Domby's] narrative is devastatingly powerful.... Domby never directly advocatesthe wholesale removal of Confederate statues, but few historians--or white southerners--who read this essential book, as they should, can look at them in the same way again. --Harold Holzer "Journal of American History" This is an important book that should be read widely by scholars, students, and activists who seek to counter the myths of white supremacy in our research, our classrooms, and in our in public spaces. -- "Slavery & Abolition" A fascinating, original, and highly readable book that makes a meaningful contribution to understanding the Lost Cause and Civil War memory. --David Silkenat, University of Edinburgh, author of Raising the White Flag: How Surrender Defined the American Civil War