With all the talk of BLM and such, the issue of the Civil War is (again) back in the headlines, yet how many people really know what it was about. Abraham Lincoln's correspondence with Horace Greeley is illuminating as are the many quotes that come from his many speeches and letters
If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.
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
free all the slaves and send them to Liberia
Not exactly the Great Emancipator, as we know him.
The Civil War was over money as much as anything.
The protective tariff imposed on the South had more to do with secession than slavery. The tariff imposed prohibitive duties on European goods to force Southerners to buy Northern and were the main source of revenue for the Federal government.
When the South talked secession, it meant impoverishing the Feds. So 7 states seceded after Lincoln's election. Why did VA, NC, TN, and AR not secede until Lincoln mustered troops to South back in the fold?
Because they tried to talk Lincoln out of a war. Try to arrange some kind of compromise. Lincoln would hear none of it. The lunatics firing on Fort Sumter, the provocation Lincoln needed, forced the remaining 4 states to secede in solidarity.
So Mr Lincoln got his war, although he would be one of its last casualties.
This is a part of American history that few people seem to know, As a kid, I was taught about the protective tariff and, of course, it went right past me.
If the US cavalry wasn't fighting Indians, who cared? The Civil War was all Scarlett O'Hara, hoopskirts and sissified Southern gentlemen proclaiming their undying love.
That was for
girls.
Years later, as I heard people talking about Lincoln as the first statist President, those days in Mr Campbell's history class came back.
I'm going to do something about the new fad of Juneteenth in a bit.
Which may blow your minds even more.
PS Still learning how all this works, so bear with me.