[Dr. Sivana]

As soon as you call it the “Civil War”, you are already spinning.

I am a CT Yankee who simply calls it the War of 1861. That is the most neutral term I can come up with.

[OL Hickory]

even us yankee folks from NJ can read this article and get a wiff of stink...

[AU72]

The victor gets naming rights. Our War of Independence would have been called the Colonial Rebellion if GB won and the Civil War would have been the war of independence, or the war of northern aggression if the Confederacy prevailed.

[CoastWatcher]

I agree that it was not a civil war: The South was not trying to take over the government. I view it as a war for independence, but you will never read that in a history book.

[DocH]

I am from Georgia, and many of us call it "The War of Northern Aggression".

That's as neutral as I can get. :)

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

In the depositions of the many chancery court cases I have read (mostly in and about the counties of Hanover, New Kent & Henrico, VA), the war is referred to by those who lived through it as 'the war' or 'the late war.'

I cannot recall anyone referring to it as the 'Civil War,' 'War Between the States,' 'the War of Northern Aggression.' I may have seen it referred to once as the 'great war,' but cannot swear to it.

Anecdotal at best. I am not claiming a universal truth.

[PistolPaknMama]

I am a CT Yankee who simply calls it the War of 1861. That is the most neutral term I can come up with.

I think any American, any real American who ever read, and understood and held dear to the words "we hold these truths to be self evident" and believed that people truly had the right to govern themselves would even bother with a "neutral term". Why bother? Either you believe in the freedom to self government or you don't.

The thing is, we know who won that war and those same people are winning today. The same people who don't believe in the right of self determination. There's no neutral sides here. I respect the fact you tried to offend nobody, but sometimes the enemy of freedom just needs offending. And I don't mind doing that one bit.

God bless Dixie!