Civil War reenactment is slowly fading away

Are the average American really this poor that money is a part of the problem for not getting into reenacting?
Just wondering. I am below average income for a normal average middle class family in Norway, but I can still afford to travel to other countries a couple of times a year.. Not to mention spending time on my hobbies, which include books, guns etc.
Just wondering, since money seems to be an issue more in the US than Europe when it comes to reenacting.

If we're just referring to people who around the age of the actual people they'd be portraying as reenactors, I'd say most in the United States wouldn't be in a position to afford it. Your average 22 or 23 year old is going to be fresh out of the college or the military, saddled with debt if a university student, employed in an entry-level position for their chosen field and what income they do make barely covers rent, utilities, and car payments. Having a good deal of disposable income to spend on a hobby is not usual for that age group.
 
There is really no need to reply to Tin Cups question about illegals storming across the border and the "sucking up" of benefits. Yes I'm from Texas too, yes it is happening all too often. He asked a question and the reply is Yes.
 
If we're just referring to people who around the age of the actual people they'd be portraying as reenactors, I'd say most in the United States wouldn't be in a position to afford it. Your average 22 or 23 year old is going to be fresh out of the college or the military, saddled with debt if a university student, employed in an entry-level position for their chosen field and what income they do make barely covers rent, utilities, and car payments. Having a good deal of disposable income to spend on a hobby is not usual for that age group.
I'm a perfect example of this. I reenacted in my teens and early 20s then life took over. Working hard to establish my business, building a house, family, at that time didn't have the time or extra funds to do it. It wasn't until a few years ago I got back into it now in my mid 40s. With everything established and my mortgage paid off I have the time and extra $s to do it and I can tell you I'm enjoying the hobby more now than I ever did. My story is not unique in the hobby.
 
Yes young people in Denmark or Norway have very very different conditions in regard to being able to afford this hobby.
It is impossible to debate Why without debating modern politics.

So let us stick to the situation in the US and accept that it is likely one of a number of factors. And it is something that is different today compared to the 90ties.
 
So to ask a silly question, why would a young person want to reenact the Civil War over World War Two? And is reenacting The Civil War worth the extra expense?

More and more Americans do not have any ancestors who served in the Civil War. More Americans have ancestors who fought In World Wat Two.
 
So to ask a silly question, why would a young person want to reenact the Civil War over World War Two? And is reenacting The Civil War worth the extra expense?

More and more Americans do not have any ancestors who served in the Civil War. More Americans have ancestors who fought In World Wat Two.
There's no accounting for taste. And I don't mean that flippantly. People like what they like, and there isn't always rhyme or reason to it. A lot of my interests don't overlap with anything I have a personal historical connection to, and many of the avid Civil War buffs on this board have no ancestral ties to the Civil War.
 
That is the price to pay when a country try to whitewash it's history, which I believe is happening these days in the United States. From my point of view as a European overly interested in American history and politics.
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Hey, folk were "white washing it's history" long ago when the "Lost Cause" took it's toll on history of the Civil War in schools, and word of mouth outlets like the UDC, UCV, SCV...and we fight that mentality to this day in the reenacting field!

Kevin Dally
 
Even whitewashed history can be reenacted. But the P C version is a little more difficult to get some people interested. The younger generation these days would be ashamed to be seen in public wearing anything Confederate. No one wants to be the "bad guy". Peer pressure alone would put the halt to a lot of it. And a lot of the younger generation don't know or care who great great grandpa was or what he was fighting for.
 
I think a core issue is cost.

I really don't want to make this political, but Fact is that the typical white middle class american have less more today than 20 and 30 years ago.
Wages have not gone up by much. Inflation make it close to negative and the price of housing is a lot higher. So is the price of college, healthcare and basic needs like food.
The end result is that people, especially people in the late 20 ties and 30 ties today simply have less money to use on hobbies... compared to in the late 1990ties.
Would think cost is huge part, since healthcare became "affordable" mine has gone from 2k a year for a great plan to 9k......and seems to be still increasing every year. 7k is a sizable chunk of disposable income gone for many.
 
Cost has to be a major contributory factor, the financial meltdown has affected reenacting in the UK right across the board, all periods have suffered, as in the States the last 10 years of recession have impacted heavily and things like our hobby have been one of the first things to feel the pinch. That said, ACW reenacting for us, always had been one of the cheaper periods to get started in and it's suffered, the more expensive periods like Napoleonics have really been hit hard.
 
I'll throw another two cents in mainly to keep this thread alive. It's really too an important subject to let die from lack of participation. First off I envy most of you out there. There really aren't any civil war events down in south Texas. Not enough to speak of anyway.And I don't see any popping up in the future.
Old overweight men on a parade float? One of our float riders is 94. But who wants to drive for 4 hours to an event? A lot of city fathers + organizers missed the boat years ago by not scheduling events. Kind of late to start now. If grown ups with interest think it's too inconvient one can imagine how younger people feel. Hard to get involved with something that just "isn't there". Sorry for the rambling, coffee hasn't kicked in yet!
 
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