Hello, my name is Evelyn Sanchez, and for this research project I will be analyzing the debate over the symbolism and display of confederate flags and how, by analyzing both sides of the argument, I can refute, but also confirm, stereotypes and popular assumptions about the south. I chose to investigate this topic because it is one that has been heavily prevalent here in Charleston, and because, as a southerner, I have been exposed to both viewpoints on this issue and feel like both sides have a competitive argument to make. My end goal with this project is to be able to determine whether one side makes a more convincing argument than the other. So far, I know that the confederate flag was representative of the confederate union of states that seceded during the civil war era and the reason that many people find it offensive is because they feel like it is meant to be a symbol of white supremacy and extremist views on slavery and its defense. On the other hand, people who argue for its display center on the fact that the flag wasn’t the actual symbol of the union but instead it was the flag used in battle, and therefore has a completely different meaning behind it than most people think.

My name is Annie Sautner and for this project I chose the topic of John C. Calhoun’s Positive Good speech to congress and how the speech shows us why harmful beliefs persist within Southern Culture. I chose this topic because while we looked at this speech during class, I found Calhoun’s arguments behind why slavery is beneficial very interesting. I think this speech is a great example of how harmful beliefs persist within the South because Calhoun justifies that human beings’ freedom and humanity being stripped from them as beneficial to the south and the white high-class. Calhoun also argues that slaves in other countries have it worse than the African American slaves in the South. I think this is one of the many examples in Calhoun’s speech that really emphasize harmful beliefs persisting in Southern Culture because Calhoun makes it seem like because others have it worse, slavery in the South is not such a bad thing. I also want to include how Historians have denied the myth that the south had nearly abolished slavery by the end of the American Revolution because it shows that Slavery in the South was present for much longer than many think. In terms of these belief persisting in the south today, I think that the confederate flag is a perfect example of that because many southerners still hang the flag proudly, even though the flag represents racists idea and advocation for slavery in many people’s eyes. 

Right away, it is evident that both of our topics have a common foundation in that the issues that we are researching stem from ideas that have been prevalent in the south for centuries, but that nowadays have been put up for debate and whose relevancy is being questioned. One half of the confederate flag stand is centered on how people perceive it as a racist symbol, the basis of this is heavily rooted in the extremist ideas that people in positions of power in our county have held for centuries. One of these examples being the Positive Good speech by John C Calhoun. Although this speech was not directly tied to the confederate flag issue, the general feeling of his viewpoints emphasizes why so many people find offense in its symbolism today. The great impact that these issues have on the citizens of Charleston are also greatly tied together. Just in the last couple of years, a statue of Calhoun and a confederate flag have been removed from public display because of how immense an aversion people felt towards them. 

Written by Annie and Evelyn.