UC Press Blog

Tragedy seldom unifies Americans today. Every year, horrific crises induce tremendous suffering. Most are privately tragic, affecting only those directly harmed and their immediate relations. A small number, though, become politically notorious and, therefore, publicly tragic.

This blog post explores a lesser-known piece of Confederate iconography, the Southern Cross of Honor. The US government’s gradual complicity in the establishment of these markers reveals how, and why, some insurrections become legitimized over time.