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Author
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Topic: Interesting email received this morning
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted August 24, 2017 01:22 PM
We have had a little dialogue about the Civil War, and what started the whole conflict.
This email sheds some light on the subject. Read on~
(received via email)
History Lesson on the Civil War....why isn't this being taught....Here is some food for thought in these troubling times. All of this is fact and is on the public record.
It might stop some of the HATE overtaking our nation......
"The Civil War almost happened in 1832. Prior to the Revenue Act of 1861, there was no federal income tax in the US. Prior to that, 90% of federal revenue was derived from import tariffs. These tariffs varied by goods but averaged 15 to 20%. In turn, the European countries that were importing US goods charged a similar tariff rate.
Nation to nation this may seem like an equitable arrangement, but domestically it was very unbalanced. The bulk of industrial goods, produced in the north, was being consumed within the US. On the other hand, 80% of the agricultural goods produced in the south were being exported.
In short, the tariff was forcing the south to charge higher prices for the goods that it sold, while at the same time forcing them to pay more for the industrial goods that they had to purchase. In the early- to mid-1800's, the south only comprised about 30% of the US population, but it was paying about 80% of the revenue that the federal government was collecting.
Things came to a head in 1832, when the Fed had enacted two new tariffs and had effectively raised the tariff rate to almost 50%. South Carolina responded with a state convention and articles of nullification. This nearly led to secession and armed conflict. This is known as the "Nullification Crisis". Fortunately, a compromise was reached in 1833 and the tariff rate was reduced to an average of 20%.
In the late 1850s, the US was experiencing a recession. The recession had the most effect on the industrial north. Using the recession as an excuse, in May of 1860, the federal government passed the Morrill Tariff. This effectively raised the tariff rate to 50%. This was a highly partisan act.
Only one southern congressman, out of 50, voted in favor of the tariff.
South Carolina responded in December by seceding from the union. They were quickly followed, in January of 1861, by five more southern states. By June of 1861, the eleven primary southern states had all seceded from the union.
This was a major concern to the northern-controlled union government. They knew how much they relied upon the south for federal revenue. Conversely, the general populace in the north had an attitude of "let them go". They didn't see the significance of the departure of the southern states and also most people recognized that the union was designed for mutual benefit and also recognized that each state had a right to secede.
The southern states considered the matter closed and set upon the task of forming a confederacy and putting together a government. They had no desire for war and certainly no intention of invading the north. The only point of contention is the fact that there were multiple union garrisons located in what was now a bordering country. South Carolina demanded that the union forces vacate Fort Sumter.
Newly elected union President Abraham Lincoln, along with the northern federal government saw the situation at Fort Sumter as an opportunity to force the south (South Carolina in particular) into an aggressive act, and thereby gain popular support for military efforts to bring the south back into the Union.
The entire union government was of the opinion that the north held an overwhelming advantage of the south, based on population and industry, and that an armed conflict would be quickly resolved and that the south would be soundly defeated.
President Lincoln informed South Carolina Governor Francis Pickens that not only would the union not surrender Fort Sumter to South Carolina, but they intended instead to resupply the fort. On April 12th, 1861, South Carolina batteries fired on the resupply ships approaching Charleston Harbor and also fired upon Fort Sumter itself.
The resulting battle lasted for one day and the fort was surrendered to South Carolina on April 14th. Ironically, no one was killed on either side, yet the north used this as an excuse to start the bloodiest war in the history of the US resulting in the deaths of over 500,000 combatants and countless civilians.
What Lincoln and the northern government did not count on was how quickly the south would prepare for full-scale war, nor how strong was the resolve of the southern men to defend their lives, homes, and freedom.
The south either won or fought to a stalemate all of the early battles. Northern sentiment for the war was quickly lost and northern men and women began to question why they were sending their husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons to die in the name of denying the southern states their right to self-governance.
Needing a scapegoat to regain support for the war, Lincoln latched on to slavery and ending that oppression. His war against the south ultimately was no different than any other war. There had to be a scapegoat to justify the loss of life and destruction of property. The almighty dollar just didn't seem to fit the need.
Now, the entire war is blamed on slavery. This is of course incorrect. Prior to the war, not a single slave had been liberated and slavery was alive in well in the north as well as the south. Slavery simply was not the driver that led to war. It was the scapegoat that kept the wheels turning.
Here are some facts that are simply that, facts. The Civil War officially started in April of 1861 when South Carolina rightly reclaimed its sovereign ground. Slavery was not legally ended until the Emancipation Proclamation in September of 1862.
Basically, the war had been raging for almost a year and a half before there was an official freeing of the slaves.
What makes this even more ridiculous is the fact that the proclamation only freed the slaves if the south continued the war effort and did not rejoin the union. In effect, if the south had laid down its arms and rejoined the union, then the proclamation would have been void and slavery would have remained legal.
Another very important fact is that the Emancipation Proclamation had no effect on slaves held in the northern states. It only applied to southern states that continued hostilities. Here is another fact that the left likes to completely ignore. The Civil War ended in April of 1865. Slavery did not end in the US until the 13th Amendment was fully ratified in November of 1865.
The Civil War is constantly purported to be about slavery, yet slavery was legal in the union for the entire duration of the war.
On a related note, the Confederate battle flag is often portrayed as being the representation of slavery in the US. This is completely false. The reality is that the stars and bars of the Confederacy were very similar to the stars and stripes of the union. This resulted in much confusion on the battlefield for both sides. The Confederacy adopted the battle flag in October of 1861. This was a benefit to both Confederate and Union forces. War is ugly regardless, but knowing who is who is a benefit to both sides.
Slavery began in the US in 1619 and ended in 1865. Ultimately, that means that the British flag flew over legal slavery here for 157 years. The US flag flew over legal slavery here for 89 years, including the full duration of the US Civil War. The Confederate battle flag flew over slavery in the south for only 3 years and 7 months.
Ninety-seven percent of the southern combatants in the civil war did not take up arms, take life, give their own life, and at the same time watch their families be raped and murdered, and their homeland destroyed, all so the other 3% could continue the institution of slavery.
Also, the federal government did not engage in this costly war for the noble cause of defending their fellow man, only to turn around and commit genocide against the Native Americans less than two years later. They murdered the Native Americans for the same reason that they murdered their southern brothers. In the name of the almighty dollar."
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So, I haven't gone to snopes to fact check the above but it seems to jive with what I've been told.
Good hunting. El Bee
[ August 24, 2017, 01:43 PM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31460 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Az-Hunter
Hi, I'm Vic WELCOME TO THE U.S. Free baloney sandwiches here
Member # 17
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posted August 24, 2017 04:11 PM
If one is ever inclined to spend some time reading, gloss thru the entire text of the seven Lincoln/Douglas debates that were held in 1858.
You'll soon find ole honest Abe was a bigot/racist (by todays standard) much like everyone else of the times. I'd bet most people think Lincoln never held a negative thought about the negroes, but it's right in the text of the debates, his words, proclaiming the superiority of the white man over the negro, be it intellectually socially or culturally. It's an interesting read.
Posts: 1627 | From: 5 miles west of Tim | Registered: Jan 2003
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knockemdown
Our staff photo editing Guru, par excellence
Member # 3588
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posted August 25, 2017 03:34 AM
quote:
I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races — that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.
-Abraham Lincoln
September 18, 1858
Posts: 2202 | From: behind fascist lines | Registered: Mar 2010
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Aznative
FARTS ON CLUELESS LIBERALS
Member # 506
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posted August 25, 2017 08:16 AM
I never knew as much detail as your post Leonard, but I have heard that it started because the northern states put heavy taxes on the goods of southern states. The northern states had the population to control congress and had to voters to decide each and every President.
The Democrats have always been the racist party. LBJ knew he didn't have enough votes to win re-election so he pushed his party to start the "War on Poverty". While signing this bill that started the great welfare state Johnson said, "This will have them niggers voting democrat for two hundred years." I've read this is a book and I saw it in Dinesh D'Souza's movie: Hillary's America. And for the recond, I don't us the N word in any of my conversations. I just don't believe in using such foul language, but I used it here quoting one of the worst presidents we ever had, Johnson, for factual accuracy.
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Never thought the devil would need a teleprompter but I could be wrong.
United State of America: RIP
Born July 4th 1776 died November 6th 2012
Posts: 1924 | From: Phoenix Az | Registered: Jan 2005
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Aznative
FARTS ON CLUELESS LIBERALS
Member # 506
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posted August 25, 2017 09:08 AM
I should say" I used it here for historical accuracy."
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Never thought the devil would need a teleprompter but I could be wrong.
United State of America: RIP
Born July 4th 1776 died November 6th 2012
Posts: 1924 | From: Phoenix Az | Registered: Jan 2005
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