Civil War cayses - apology for misinformation

bobkoure · 02-19-2006, 03:13 PM

Some while back in a thread in this forum Lothar and I had a back-and-forth about the causes leading to the US Civil war.

I'd been of the opinion that the causes were primarily economic, particularly revolving around the New York "shortstop" of goods and capital between the South and the UK (primarily Liverpool) and that although slavery/abolitionism came into it, it was primarily a reason for the North to fight, not a reason for the war itself.
This was wrong. AFAIK I was victim of the historical revisionism that happened in the 1870s (and onwards through the 1940s). Even Jefferson Davis had written that the reason for secession was the "right to self determination". Well, yes he did write that - but only a decade after the war was over - and was very clear in his pre-1860 writings that the rights of "property ownership" were not to be impeded (meaning Southerners' "right" to take slaves "wherever" in the US - this after the Dred Scott decision).

Have a look at the Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union (really just the first paragraph) - and bear in mind that this was after the Dred Scott decision . So it seems pretty clear that the Southern states seceded over slavery (or, actually, the non-slave states attempting to resist federally mandated slavery in the new territories (Dred Scott again))).

Lothar and I had also had a back-and-forth about the US invasion of Iraq. I did (and still do) think it was on false justification (a "trumped up" war, if you will). Maybe I was/am wrong on that one too - but so far it doesn't seem that way.

Bob

[edit] that was civil war causes - can't believe I fat-fingered something in the title line and then didn't see it...[/edit]

02-19-2006, 03:13 PM	#1
bobkoure Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: USA - Boston area Posts: 798	Civil War cayses - apology for misinformation Some while back in a thread in this forum Lothar and I had a back-and-forth about the causes leading to the US Civil war. I'd been of the opinion that the causes were primarily economic, particularly revolving around the New York "shortstop" of goods and capital between the South and the UK (primarily Liverpool) and that although slavery/abolitionism came into it, it was primarily a reason for the North to fight, not a reason for the war itself. This was wrong. AFAIK I was victim of the historical revisionism that happened in the 1870s (and onwards through the 1940s). Even Jefferson Davis had written that the reason for secession was the "right to self determination". Well, yes he did write that - but only a decade after the war was over - and was very clear in his pre-1860 writings that the rights of "property ownership" were not to be impeded (meaning Southerners' "right" to take slaves "wherever" in the US - this after the Dred Scott decision). Have a look at the Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union (really just the first paragraph) - and bear in mind that this was after the Dred Scott decision . So it seems pretty clear that the Southern states seceded over slavery (or, actually, the non-slave states attempting to resist federally mandated slavery in the new territories (Dred Scott again))). Lothar and I had also had a back-and-forth about the US invasion of Iraq. I did (and still do) think it was on false justification (a "trumped up" war, if you will). Maybe I was/am wrong on that one too - but so far it doesn't seem that way. Bob [edit] that was civil war causes - can't believe I fat-fingered something in the title line and then didn't see it...[/edit] Last edited by bobkoure; 03-23-2006 at 06:50 AM.

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