The American Civil War
This is a subject which was never mentioned in my formal education but over the years I've read a bit here and a bit there about it. I'd be interested to hear the views of US citizens, not only because it must have been a subject much-discussed in your childhoods but also because many of the matters it highlighted are still very much live issues in your country. A few years ago I watched Ken Burns' television documentary about it and subsequently read Shelby Foote's 3 volume history. I thought they were both admirable works. Since then a few novels, a movie or two and now I've just started Jefferson Davis' book about the war and the issues.
It seems to me that the South had a point to this extent: if you enter an association freely you should be able to withdraw from it. It seems to me at this stage that that's the principal question in dispute. Please don't accuse me of favouring the slave trade or of being insensitive to the war's dreadful consequences for US citizens of many backgrounds and many generations. I'm soliciting your opinions, for a start, on why it was admirable for a group of 18th century British subjects to withdraw from the Empire, but reprehensible for a group of 19th century Americans to withdraw from the Union.
I hope I don't regret this. 
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8 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.The South had no point. Per the constitution:
"The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State."
To secede, the states would have had to have had prior permission from Congress to change the property rights of the US. To become a state you have to have Congress' permission as well, so when you become a state, you have asked to be part of the Union and the Union agreed; to NOT be a state, you have to ask permission, and permission has to be granted since you are now PART OF THE UNION.
AtheistInNC
Level 7
Jan 31, 2018
0
@Hellbent I tend to agree with you ... however, if you enter an organization where the rules are "you cannot leave unless you get permission from all the other members to leave" then you know what you're getting into.
Kind of like an HOA ... yes you own your house, but you can't paint it purple and black, you can't park on the street, and if your grass is too long then you get a fine if you don't cut it after they notify you - if it is against the HOA rules. When you enter into an agreement that has rules, you have to abide by the rules.
Hmmm..How do you percieve the unconsciously overbearing racism of Your country?
In answer to your question the south attempted to secced from the Union on the basis of 1 reason..Slavery..plain and simple..You Can Not seperate that reason from any reasonable discussion of it..
Charlene
Level 9
Jan 28, 2018
0
@Hellbent that's the whole point of legal transactions. If everyone got to renege after a case of "buyer's remorse", then most of the transactions for automobiles would probably be reversed after someone got cold feet or realized that they made a deal they don't like. You can't have that in the legal world.
the difference is between nation and empire. All of the areas outside of the British Isles which Britain established their involuntary control are now independent nations -- as they should be. Many of them rebelled against British rule. In the case
if the American Civil War, a collection of states simply decided that it would live by the rules which all states voluntarily agreed to. The difference is huge.
wordywalt
Level 9
Jan 28, 2018
0
BluesBob99
Level 3
Jan 28, 2018
0
The issue was and is slavery. The states in succession were not being mistreated, unrepresented or otherwise being oppressed as were the colonies under Britain's rule. The succession was not legal and Lincoln's efforts to persuade them to remain in the Union failed and war ensued. Complexities and misinformation abound. The Ken Burns civil war series is a fair treatment of the issues and is a great alternative to the many thick books on the subject. The slavery ended as a formal institution as a result of the war. However, oppression of the black race did not and continues in some form today. Things have improved, but that train has yet to arrive at its final destination.
Dwight
Level 7
Jan 28, 2018
1
Slavery was openly acknowledged by the states that left the union. With respect to British rule and the colonies I was responding to the concern about acceptance of the revolution but rejection of secession. In fact neither action was legal, that is why war ensued. Remember that this is a discussion and not a manifesto. Just trying to help with the facts.
Ah well. You have a point. I mean the Brits left us to our own devices after the pioneers won the revolutionary war. I suppose someone up there in power (Lincoln?) thought it best to keep all the states as a United States. However, this being said, we still are not united. This has been brought to the ugly surface recently with the new President. He gave a face to those ugly things, and a voice. I thought as a country we had moved beyond that but we have not. So the South is still divided in my eyes. We do not have slaves, thanks be to Odin, but we still have are racism and its as ugly as ever. I cannot imagine what would have happened had we seceded but contemplating that is a mute point. However, the Brits have always had a notch up on us in their etiquette. I keep wanting to go back to the motherland. Maybe one day.
JustLuAnn
Level 7
Jan 28, 2018
0
I think you're more educated on the matter than I am. I've always disliked the subject.
bingst
Level 8
Jan 28, 2018
1
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