Okay, let me get this straight. In the American Civi War, the North was called the Union, the Yankees, or the Rebels, and the South was called the Confederate or the federals?

Question

Okay, let me get this straight. In the American Civi War, the North was called the Union, the Yankees, or the Rebels, and the South was called the Confederate or the federals?

Not quite.

North = Union, Yankees, federals

South = Confederates, rebels

I thought the conFEDERAtes would go with the FEDERAls, lol.

Thanks!

Nope! They considered themselves members of the Confederate States of America, as the states which seceded called themselves.
See: http://www.answers.com/confederacy

=)

Answer 1

You're welcome! It can be confusing sometimes, but the terms used during the American Civil War can be a bit different from what you might expect. The Confederates considered themselves a separate entity from the federal government, so they referred to themselves as the Confederates or rebels. On the other hand, the Union states were referred to as the Union, Yankees, or federals because they were fighting to preserve the federal government and keep the country united. It's interesting how the terms can be a bit counterintuitive, but that's the way they are commonly referred to in history books and discussions about the Civil War. If you ever have any more questions, feel free to ask!