Christmas 1960 and the Civil War

 

One of my favorite childhood toys was the Battle of the Blue and Gray playsets which we got 60 years ago this Christmas.  Me and Tom already had a couple of other sets such as the Cape Canaveral set I previously wrote about here.

The Civil War set was very popular in 1960 because of all the excitement and media attention on the many anniversaries of battles and incidents of the war that were planned for the upcoming year. 

The American Civil War Centennial was the official United States commemoration organization of the American Civil War also known as the War Between the States. Commemoration activities began in 1957, four years prior to the 100th anniversary of the commencement of hostilities and ended in 1965 with the 100th anniversary of the surrender at Appomattox. 

The role of the government in the celebration of the Civil War became very controversial because of the civil rights movement that was currently underway throughout America and especially the Jim Crow south.

We got this playset for Christmas in 1960 just at the country was getting reading to celebrate the war where so many Americans killed each other over slavery and a time when everyday there were reminders of the racist aftermaths of slavery on the black people of our country. The Centennial activities were also celebrating the 'lost cause' of the South.

For the next four years there was a constant barrage of anniversaries and memorials but also tributes and celebrations of Southern heritage.

To me and Tom the set was just another collection of toy soldiers to play with. I think it would be the next Christmas we would get the Fort Apache playset where we would play a form of cowboys and Indians where US soldiers would slaughter Native Americans.