Things that made you laugh today (Political Version)

[drauz]

That's the whole reason why the South seceded in the first place. They could see the writing on the wall, that they were becoming more and more outnumbered by people who explicitly did not want slavery. If the average Northerner really didn't care about slavery in the South, why secede at all? Where was the threat to provoke such an extreme response?

I would guess because the average northerner's voice wasn't what was going into legislation, similar to today.

[Back]

You're viewing this through a modern moral lens that I assure you most people did not have back then.

That said, I'm still at work. I'll answer more extensively later.

I would dispute that fully. Clearly there were anti-slavery sentiments to the extent a war was fought over it.

[drauz]

You have the right to think what you want but I would say that the main reason slavery was considered legal was because of the laws at the time. Abolition and anti-slavery movements were well pre-Civil War and mainly sprang from religious groups.

http://www.ushistory.org/us/27f.asp

You realize there are different religions that have different views on subjects, right?

[Tgo01]

Clearly there were anti-slavery sentiments to the extent a war was fought over it.

No. No it wasn't. The civil war wasn't "fought over" slavery, it was fought because the north wanted to keep the union together. You could argue state's rights and slavery were pretty much interchangeable on the south's part for why they wanted to secede, but the north's goal was to keep the union together.

Brainwashed people like yourself think the north started the war to "free" the slaves in the south. You couldn't be more wrong if you tried.

[Back]

No. No it wasn't. The civil war wasn't "fought over" slavery, it was fought because the north wanted to keep the union together. You could argue state's rights and slavery were pretty much interchangeable on the south's part for why they wanted to secede, but the north's goal was to keep the union together.

Brainwashed people like yourself think the north started the war to "free" the slaves in the south. You couldn't be more wrong if you tried.

I know the South started the war and slavery was the reason for it. No matter how you get to it the reason is always slavery.

Why are you and others so adamant about refusing to acknowledge this? Is it such a horrible thing that people decided slavery was wrong and did something about it?

[Latrinsorm]

I would guess because the average northerner's voice wasn't what was going into legislation, similar to today.

Again though, we have a record in this period of free state after free state being admitted to the Union. These are states that have made an explicit and intentional choice against slavery. Slave state doesn't mean that everyone has to own a slave, it just means slavery is allowed. If it were actually the case that Northerners were for the most part indifferent, surely they would have acceded to this option, no? We're not talking about fat cat Senators hundreds of miles away, these were choices made by popular vote.

[Ardwen]

The south wanted any new states to either be slave states or have that right, so as not to be outnumbered and have slavery made illegal etc etc
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[Latrinsorm]

No. No it wasn't. The civil war wasn't "fought over" slavery, it was fought because the north wanted to keep the union together. You could argue state's rights and slavery were pretty much interchangeable on the south's part for why they wanted to secede, but the north's goal was to keep the union together.

You could argue that, but you'd be wrong. The Confederate Constitution explicitly puts slavery ahead of states' rights by forbidding any state from ever banning slavery. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 4.

[Tgo01]

Why are you and others so adamant about refusing to acknowledge this? Is it such a horrible thing that people decided slavery was wrong and did something about it?

Because we're not going to rewrite history because of your feelings. The North did not go to war with the south to free the slaves. Period. End of discussion. Just because you so badly want it to be true does not make it true.

[drauz]

Again though, we have a record in this period of free state after free state being admitted to the Union. These are states that have made an explicit and intentional choice against slavery. Slave state doesn't mean that everyone has to own a slave, it just means slavery is allowed. If it were actually the case that Northerners were for the most part indifferent, surely they would have acceded to this option, no? We're not talking about fat cat Senators hundreds of miles away, these were choices made by popular vote.

If by popular vote you mean Congress... North of the Ohio River slavery was prohibited by Federal law for new territories.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Ordinance