Stop calling the War Between The States a Civil War.

Does this bother anyone else? A civil war by definition is when opposing factions fight for control of the government. This simply was not the case in 1860. The Confederacy no more wanted to gain control of the federal government than General George Washington wanted to gain control of London. There are more accurate names for the war such as:
The War between the States
The War to prevent Southern Independence
The War of Northern Aggression
The Second American Revolution
or When the Yankees invaded America (I am being facetious here).

I always thought of it more of an invasion.
Am I off base? I see your point, but of all the things that eat at me,
I loose sleep thinking about what if.

It was an invasion of a soverign nation. Not off base. The issue of "what if" is not answerable. I take comfort in what General Lee always said "It is in God's hands now." I am opposed to the term "Civil War" because it as not a Civil War.

I will do my best to call it what it is, an invasion. Thank you roydenoral.

I like the alternative names. I try my best to refer to them when speaking to my fellow Confederates but when I speak to regular people if I call it "The War of Northern Aggression" I usually have some explaining to do. And people who don't want to listen will only hear you for so long

I call it the War for Southern Independence.

GodBlessTN wrote:I call it the War for Southern Independence.

That's what I've switched over to lately as well...