- Joined
- Jan 8, 2012
Anybody have examples of “bad history” questions asked of reenactors at living history events or reenactments?
I do not mean questions like, “Is that a real fire?” or "Are you hot in that?" Although those are fun, I mean questions that show a lack of education about history in general and the Civil War era in particular.
Here are some I’ve been asked:
I do not mean questions like, “Is that a real fire?” or "Are you hot in that?" Although those are fun, I mean questions that show a lack of education about history in general and the Civil War era in particular.
Here are some I’ve been asked:
- At a Civil War living history event, I had a teenager ask me if the Civil War occurred before or after WWII. I thought he was joking, but then realized he was serious--he really didn't know!
- While waiting to step off in the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade, I was standing next to a stack of arms consisting of Springfield muzzleloaders, and a youngster from the drill team next to us asked, "Are you guys supposed to be from WWII or something?"
- Onboard the USS Constellation, which is a US Navy sloop of war, a young woman asked me, "So, where did they keep the slaves?" She really thought they had a former slave ship docked in Baltimore's Inner Harbor as a tourist attraction.
- At a Civil War living history event, a young woman strode up to me, pointed at my V Corps badge and asked, "Why are you wearing Nazi insignia?"
- At Ft. McHenry, we were having a Civil War weekend, and a woman stopped me in my Union uniform, pointed at a Union Zouave reenactor from NY walking by and asked, “So, he’s British and you’re...an American?”
- At the Remembrance Day Parade, I was wearing my Civil War era Marine Corps musician's dress uniform, and a spectator asked, "Are you from France?"
- Finally, not from an event, but when in middle school, one of my kids (who was reenacting with me at the time) sat through a presentation by a student teacher on the Buffalo Soldiers and their role in the Civil War, which included the song "Buffalo Soldier" by Bob Marley. This was from a teacher, no less.
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