Question

Does pre antebellum makes sense?
I am writing a paper on the south before the Civil War. Would I just say:
"The main political goal of the scalawags was to keep the south as it had pre antebellum"

Answer 1

Well Antebellum means before the American civil war, and the prefix 'pre' means 'before'. So pre antebellum basically means before before the war... What do you think? :)