this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2025
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It seems like you have two questions combined into one. First, is why do people do historic reenactment of wars? Second, why do Americans choose this war?
For the first answer, performing historic reenactment of wars isn't solely an American thing. It is common for Europeans to reenact Napoleonic war battles. I've also seen cases of people dressing up as Roman soldiers in military camp. Beyond that, historical reenactment of various forms of veracity are common in different parts of the world as a type of cosplay. Wars end up being a popular thing to cosplay because there is narrative conflict; it is a real life story.
Why the American Civil War? It is a very significant war in American history, one of the three most important wars. Compared to World War II, it isn't problematic to depiction both sides fighting; it is a lot more problematic for people to dress in Nazi, Imperial Japanese, or even fascist Italian uniforms. Compared to the American Revolution, the uniform matches more modern fashion, so it is easier to buy equipment to cosplay. Also, the equipment was mass produced, so it is easier to buy replica equipment, including firearms.
Not questioning it but it is interesting how it is not seen as problematic to depict and dress as fighting for the confederacy when it was in favour of keeping slaves, but Nazis are too much.
Saw that at an SCA gathering once: apparently just a squad, but they were absolutely impressive.
Spoke pig-latin amongst themselves because no one could speak real Latin and they wanted to sound "latin-y" when out with the provincials.
Yeah, isn't there a French guy who's made a whole career out of looking like Napoleon in reenactments?
Honestly I'd rate the Japanese or Italians as slightly less problematic, and the Nazis on a similar level. American chattel slavery was deeply fucked up. Hasn't anyone watched Roots?
Of course, way too many participants are denialists about that bit.
I'd rate the Italians as less problematic, but the Imperial Japanese have a lot of blood on their hands as well.
And as horrific chattel slavery has come out to be, there are still whitewashers of it.
Yeah, the Italians were pretty brutal domestically and in north Africa, and were the original fascists, but I'd say the Japanese were probably worse. As a non-historian, it seems complicated by the fact they were a copy of the European empires they were contemporary with, who also did messed up things in colonies, even if according to the historians I've read they did go further.
The Nazis were very open about wanting all the terrible things, and very distinct from the people they fought against, so they go in the worst-of-the-worst bucket with the Belgians in Congo, ISIS and Dixie.
Was ever fully forgotten? Like, it's definitely spoken about more openly now than in the early or mid 20th century, but the abolitionists of the day and living memory afterwards were quite active documenting exactly how fucked up it was.
Among some people, yes. For some, there is a willful ignorance.
Lol, I did the same thing. Whoops!