Names for the Civil War

Zoins · November 11, 2019 9:50AM

A while back I posted an article indicating there was no agreed upon, common name for the Civil War in 1952.

I've been collecting various names for the war and am still wondering when the term "Civil War" became popular and who made it so?

Here are some names I've come across. The first is from an article below while the following are all from tokens and medals.

American War of 1861-1865
War Between the States
War for the Union
War of 1861
War of 1861'62'63

The following 1952 article "A Name for the American War of 1861-1865" by E. Merton Coulter says it was still called the "American War of 1861-1865" in 1952.

Here are some token photos:

ms70 · November 11, 2019 10:01AM

I've heard it referred to as the War of Northern Aggression.

ms70 · November 11, 2019 10:03AM

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_the_American_Civil_War

BryceM · November 11, 2019 10:12AM

@ms70 said:
I've heard it referred to as the War of Northern Aggression.

This is the one I was going to suggest..... I wonder which side proposed it???

In reality, there’s no reason “to decide” what a war should be called. WWI wasn’t called WWI until WWII. Prior to that it was just “The Great War”. Time and history will eventually decide.

jmlanzaf · November 11, 2019 10:16AM

Technically, it should NOT be called a Civil War. It was not. A Civil War is a fight to control the government. This was not. The South did not want to control the United States, they wanted to secede.

This very much is the War of Northern Aggression and/or the War of Secession (also very common at one time).

Politics aside, it was called a Civil War as early as the war itself.

Nap · November 11, 2019 11:49AM

Many of the large battles of the Civil War are still known by two different names.

lcoopie · November 11, 2019 12:11PM

History seems to name the big wars.

Hydrant · November 11, 2019 12:18PM

Mr. Lincoln's War

The Late Unpleasantness

ricko · November 11, 2019 12:22PM

I predict it will never have a name that all will agree on....and by default, will remain the 'Civil War'....Cheers, RickO

JBK · November 11, 2019 12:56PM

"The War of Northern Aggression" or "The War For Southern Secession". Pick your side.

Smudge · November 11, 2019 1:10PM

The Second American Revolution.

Yorkshireman · November 11, 2019 1:13PM

@ms70 said:
I've heard it referred to as the War of Northern Aggression.

Yes

SaorAlba · November 11, 2019 1:27PM

What's so "civil" about war? I myself believe that the term Civil War is a gross misnomer, maybe Uncivil War would be more appropriate.

AUandAG · November 11, 2019 1:55PM

History class taught us that it was "War between the States" in the early 1950's.

dpoole · November 11, 2019 2:00PM

I was born in 1945. The only alternative I ever heard to the term "The Civil War" was the occasional "The War Between the States." All the others you heard ("The War of Northern Aggression," "The Late Unpleasantness," or even "The Woh-ah" etc.) even then were regional eccentric monikers, usually cited with a wink or its equivalent.

jmlanzaf · November 11, 2019 2:03PM

@SaorAlba said:
What's so "civil" about war? I myself believe that the term Civil War is a gross misnomer, maybe Uncivil War would be more appropriate.

Different meaning of civil:

1.
relating to ordinary citizens and their concerns, as distinct from military or ecclesiastical matters.

thefinn · November 11, 2019 2:22PM

The Split Union War.

NSP · November 11, 2019 4:30PM

I’ve always heard it called the Civil War (or American Civil War if you’re talking to non-Americans). Then again, I’m a Yankee oppressor (haha), and I’m pretty sure Southerners have different terms for it.

loro1rojo · November 11, 2019 4:34PM

@SaorAlba said:
What's so "civil" about war? I myself believe that the term Civil War is a gross misnomer, maybe Uncivil War would be more appropriate.

Words sometimes have more than one meaning.

Zoins · November 12, 2019 2:44AM

@jmlanzaf said:
Politics aside, it was called a Civil War as early as the war itself.

Are there any contemporary Civil War Tokens calling it the Civil War?

DNADave · November 12, 2019 4:33AM

@dpoole said:
I was born in 1945. The only alternative I ever heard to the term "The Civil War" was the occasional "The War Between the States." All the others you heard ("The War of Northern Aggression," "The Late Unpleasantness," or even "The Woh-ah" etc.) even then were regional eccentric monikers, usually cited with a wink or its equivalent.

The “Woh-ah”. Said with best southern accent you can muster up. But you have be watching gone with the wind.

Names for the Civil War

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