American Civial War

[Maverick]

LOL, you obviously don't know why people do historic reenactment.

Actually I have met several re enactors. They all had a pretty darn good grasp of the subject they were re enacting. It was the interest in the actual subject that sparked their participation in re enacting the conflict. They were also able to spell the subject they were re enacting as well as discussing it in an erudite manner. They were able to frame a question in a manner to actually ask something specific. Something along the lines of "What was the point at which hostilities started for the Civil War?" or "What was the political situation that started the schism between the Northern and Southern states that resulted in open conflict?

In short I reiterate that your best source of information on the subject would be a history book, then bring a discussion.

[lasersailor184]

Some good answers. Its important to remember that at the time of the creation of the nation all the states had legalized slavery and indebted servitude. The fact that it disappeared in the north and stayed on in the south had more to do with climate conditions, crops grown, northern industrial growth, then it had to do with moral idealism.

And there were decades of causes, other then slavery, that had as much or more impact on an eventual conflict. Slavery tended to be the lightening rod that kept opinion red hot, most of all when new territories/states were annexed into the Union and the question of whether to allow slavery in them was raised.

At the same time I'd bet if you asked Union soldiers why they fought 99% would either answer "to preserve the Union", or, "because we were forced to". A southerner would answer the same question, "to preserve our rights". And anyone who thinks millions of white men in the 1860s, on either side, would fight a terrible 4 year war over slavery has a far to high opinion on human beings. The fact is most people on either side couldn't really have cared less about slavery. Those in the north, most of them, didn't think it a good enough reason to fight. And most in the south didn't own any.

The thing is the question of where Federal powers end, and the powers of the States begin, has been a contentious issue from day 1 to today. In 1861 War broke out over it, even today there is constant litigation and political maneuvering over who has power and when. The Federal Govt. or the individual States.

It was the position of The Confederacy that America was a Union ruled by consent and that the Southern states had a Constitutional right to secede from it. The north believed The Constitution formed a Union that was perpetual couldn't be divided and that talk of secession was rebellious.

And that! was the cause of The Civil War.

Not quite.  See, a lot of people think they are being smart when they say that it wasn't slavery. 



Every single smaller reason leading up to the split was founded in the greater issue of Slavery.  The south didn't really care about states rights over federal rights if they guaranteed slavery.

[JB88]

um.  are ya'll referring to the "war of northern agression?"

 

[Octavius]

lol, you're called 'small load' (there I said it...)

lol.

[Reschke]

um.  are ya'll referring to the "war of northern agression?"

 

,Southern plantation drawl on>I do believe you are correct; my kind misguided southern friend who has gone north to live amongst the Yankee's. I only hope that your "mission" to help educate them in the ways of the southern man goes well.

[BnZ]

Imagine a  trailer-park meth-potato with 12 teeth trying to leave her equally deplorable boyfriend because he takes half the money she makes at the strip club and drinks it up.

Imagine the boyfriend, a tall gangling fellow with a beard, beats the ^@%@%^$!#@!#$ out of her and drags her back in the trailer. Oh, he incidentally kills a illegitimate child or three of theirs while doing this.

Also, he has his own brother thrown in jail when he protests these measures as a matter of principle.

Imagine the whole nation thinks this incident was just great or at least inevitable and waves flags about it.

Oh, btw, the gangling bearded boyfriend also suspended habeus corpus and freed not a single slave in the 3 border states that did not secede during his presidency....

Welp, I think I've about run this metaphor through the guard rail and off the cliff. Talk amongst yourselves now.

[Mr No Name]

norther aggression started the war... union troops being strengthened at ft sumter after SC seceded.  Just an over-powered central government doing what overpowered central governments do...

[Rich46yo]

Not quite.  See, a lot of people think they are being smart when they say that it wasn't slavery. 



Every single smaller reason leading up to the split was founded in the greater issue of Slavery.  The south didn't really care about states rights over federal rights if they guaranteed slavery.

So does this mean that your "smart" and nobody else is?

[Donzo]

Any state in the can sprat them self from U.S.,there is no law that says they can't.  Vermont was in talks to sprat them self from the U.S about a year ago. 

sprat  (sprt)
n.
1. A small marine food fish (Clupea sprattus) of northeast Atlantic waters that is eaten fresh or smoked and is often canned in oil as a sardine. Also called brisling.
2. Any of various other similar fishes, such as a young herring.

 

[bcadoo]

norther aggression started the war... union troops being strengthened at ft sumter after SC seceded.  Just an over-powered central government doing what overpowered central governments do...

Sounds to me like a little bit of history repeating...

[lasersailor184]

So does this mean that your "smart" and nobody else is?

Not at all.  I'm not saying you're stupid either (this time).  It's just that a lot of people think that saying "Slavery" is an over simplification of the causes of the split.

[RipChord929]

20 yrs before the civil war started the slavery issue
was becoming critical... States were being admitted to
the union in pairs, 1slave/1free, so the balance of
power in congress could be maintained.. Both sides were fearful
that the other would gain supremacy, and then create an
ammendment to the constitution, which would make slavery/freedom
the defacto law of the land...

At some point, a free state was admitted to the union, without its
corresponding slave state, (cant remember which state, or the year)..
Combined with traditional American willingness to shoot first, and ask questions later...
The die was cast at that point...

The trigger was the required submission of states to federal law...
But the root catalyst, was definately slavery...

And yes, the problem was created at the very beginning...
When our people didn't stand up for the very principles under
which our nation was created...

RC

[bj229r]

"Slavery"..... 650 THOUSAND poor farmers died so that rich plantation owners might be able to have slaves. 

[lasersailor184]

"Slavery"..... 650 THOUSAND poor farmers died so that rich plantation owners might be able to have slaves. 

Yes.

[eskimo2]

Assuming that this isn't a trick question and the word "Civial" really is "Civil", I'll have to agree with Lincoln's statement and go with this chick:




BTW oakranger,

The way that you stated the question in this thread is very arrogant and assumes that only you know and understand the answer to a very controversial and debatable question.  Many well educated and respected historians would not begin with such a stance unless addressing a group of children.  They understand that the question is very complicated.  While most AH BBS posters have plenty of retarded moments, most of us are well educated, read and intelligent, especially when it comes to history.  It's not wise for anyone to assume that they are the absolute expert of any topic among this crowd.

To many of us, you will never come close to your presumed credibility if you cannot use proper spelling, grammar and sentence formation.  It is fine to respond to posts with loose spelling and grammar.  Starting a post while implying that you are the "smart" one, however, requires that your writing is clean.  I'm used to reading over errors, but I had to read:

Can you tell me what trigger the American Civial War started?

several times before I understood what you were asking. 

I believe you wanted to ask: Can you tell me what triggered the American Civil War?  (started dropped)