Have you visited the National Civil War Memorial in Washington D.C.? Nether have I, it does not exist. There are a number of statues of Civil War Generals, and a memorial to the black soldiers. However there is no memorial to the over six hundred thousand men that gave their lives to the preservation of the Union. So far it is unquestionably the most traumatic war in American history.
Arguably the Civil War is an important turning point in world history. To say that the Civil War was not about slavery is like saying the Gulf Wars were not about oil. Good men gave their lives to end slavery. They should be memorialized. Most small towns have Civil War Memorials, but most people no longer live in small towns. There still is slavery in the world so the greater war has still not been won. Historically, the Civil War was a significant event in world history, yet we neglect it.
I would like to see National Civil War Memorial on the National Mall. I am so surprised that it has not been called for before (maybe it has, but I am unaware). The names of all those that died should be engraved in stone. Perhaps by the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial would be appropriate.
bubbatrump 
I generally enjoy your free-range opinion but if you want to keep it unfettered by fact you should include a disclaimer. If you check you’ll discover that the Civil War started over free-state vs. slave-state expansion in the west. The controversy was essentially economic and focused upon residential agricultural labor that was bound to a location and Northern wage-slave factory labor which was often more miserably housed and fed than the slaves in the South. The actual freeing of the slaves was a political move that was made after the war had been running for a couple years.
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From what I understand the Missouri compromise delayed the start of the war. Things were pretty rough out there. It was an interesting and violent history, we are much better off now. As you say it was about two competing economic systems, one being based on slavery. Men did not go into battle saying free the slaves, however it was a root cause. Like oil is the root cause of the gulf wars, the nonsense about the bomb was only a distraction. I’m quite taken by the statement that slaves were better off than factory workers. I am not disagreeing, factory life was tough, and living conditions were substandard. Interesting thought that is.
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Actually this post was to celebrate President Obama’s 55th birthday. I would think that he would be thankful.
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