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I must have missed that, what with secession starting before Lincoln was even sworn in. What "shutting down" are you thinking of?
You are a recent immigrant, no? Read about American history concerning the 19h century.
None of it is smoke and mirrors, all you need do is apply yourself.
I find it amusing how many Americans scoff at people in other nations that are still ticked off at events that happened many years ago. The Americans will proudly mock them and tell them to "get over it" - and yet we're stuck with 1/3 of the country that is still fighting a failed revolution that ended 150 years ago. It's a joke.
Also, the Confederate flag is exactly what you stated. Today, it's nothing but support of slavery, racism, and killing your neighbor cause "ain't nobody gonna tell me what to do!" I seriously doubt anyone is flying the Confederate flag out of concern for cotton prices. I have yet to encounter anyone who flies the Confederate flag who isn't suffering from some mix of severe ignorance, bigotry, and an irrational hatred of "duh guberment" - even as they drive their jacked-up pick-up truck down the roads created and maintained by the government they despise.
Still, part of me is okay with them putting the Confederate flag on their license plates since it gives me fair warning that the person with the flag plates is almost surely irrational and a pain to deal with; bumper stickers saying "I'm an ignorant bigot" wouldn't sell as well, but same effect. Consider it a form of "truth in advertising!"
Obama/Biden bumper stickers are pretty much the same in many eyes.
Slaves are used in Babylon, nearly 2000 years BC, in Greece 600 years BC, in Rome 100 years BC, throughout the Mediterranean in 500 AD, in Germany and Russia in 900 AD, in the Middle East in 700 AD and throughout areas between Spain and Persia.
In the 1400’s the Portuguese begin trading slaves captured in West Africa throughout the Mediterranean, Portugal, Spain and Cape Verde Islands.
1492 – Columbus (an Italian sailing from Spain) discovers America, or at least the Bahamas, Cuba and Haiti.
By 1502 slaves were being brought to the Caribbean.
Between 1533 and 1581, slaves were introduced to Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Florida.
The first slaves were brought to North America at Jamestown in 1619. These were actually taken from a Portuguese slave ship, trying to deliver the slaves to Mexico, by an English warship. Some worked as indentured servants and eventually won their freedom. Rules and laws on slavery in the Virginia colony developed gradually through 1705.
By the 1700’s the English, Portuguese, French and Dutch brought most of the slaves from West Africa. The primary destination was the Caribbean and Brazil as well as other colonies in the new world.
Slavery now existed throughout colonial America.
By 1800 slavery had all but died out in the North simply because it was not profitable. Many people considered it an institution that would simply cease to exist.
Then in 1793 Eli Whitney, from Massachusetts, invented the cotton gin. The combination of the cotton gin, the European appetite for cotton, good soil and warm climate in the South and slaver labor made “cotton king”. By 1860 cotton accounted for 56% of US exports. The slave population was worth at least two billion dollars.
Slavery was not popular with everyone.
There were other issues.
The North was becoming industrialized. Immigrants were arriving by tens of thousands. The West was opening up. New Northern industry was threatened by cheap European imports and wanted aid and protection from the Federal government in Washington.
In the South, there were few immigrants, society was more static with few large cities. There was little industry and people there wanted as many cheap European imports as they could get. There was fear that if the North controlled the Federal government and legislation would ruin the South. The theory of states’ rights developed as a form of protection.
Many of these issues could probably have been worked out in the democratic process except for slavery.
Many attempts had been made to compromise on the issue of slavery.
In 1820 the Missouri Compromise declared there would be no new slave states north of Missouri’s southern border.
In 1850, the Wilmot Proviso that would disallow slavery in western states was argued for years, eventually resulting in slave trading being abolished in Washington D.C. while stiffer laws were enacted to return escaped slaves to the South. Antislavery sentiment escalated in the North due to this Fugitive Slave Act enacted by the Federal government. The Underground Railroad was formed.
In 1854 the Federal government enacted the Kansas-Nebraska act which repealed the Missouri compromise and allowed “popular sovereignty” or new states to determine slavery by popular vote. Of course the South was in favor but the argument over slavery reached new heights including fist fights on the floor of the U.S. Senate including one senator hitting another over the head with a cane.
By 1855 the bleeding Kansas territory became a battle ground for pro and anti-slavery causes.
In 1857 the United States Supreme Court denied a slave, Dred Scott, freedom stating the Constitution of the United States gave slavery ironclad protection and that slavery could not be excluded from any territory.
The Federal government all but became paralyzed over the issue of slavery.
In 1859 John Brown raided Harpers Ferry in an attempt to start a slave insurrection in the South by taking over a Federal armory. He was hung by the Federal government for treason. To the people in the South he kindled new fears of slave revolt. To many in the North he was a martyr.
In 1860, Abraham Lincoln wins the presidential election and South Carolina, based on its argument for States Rights, secedes from the Union.
In early 1861 other southern states follow and also secede. They form their own country with their own constitution, their own president and government. They no longer belong to the United States. They are the Confederacy.
President Lincoln, of course, has other ideas and believes strongly that the Union that is the United States should remain together.
The rest of the world watches to see the outcome.
1861-1864 – The Civil War
The Civil War resolves issues of secession and slavery in the United States and the Union remains intact.
The renewed United States and its increased prestige has immediate results in westward expansion, in gaining rights to build the Panama canal, in purchasing Alaska from Russia, increased worldwide trade and the list goes on.
It also ensured continuing support for the international abolishment of racial slavery. International abolitionist gain strength.
In 1861 Russia ends serfdom.
In 1863 the Dutch end slavery in their territories.
The Spanish end slavery in Puerto Rico in 1873.
Cuba ends slavery in 1886.
Brazil abolishes slavery in 1888.
Without debate there is seldom change. North and South debated the issues in a most convincing way. No doubt the South had it wrong. In a sense they were a victim of circumstance that brought the worldwide issue of slavery to a head. Both Southerners and Northerners paid the price with an estimated dead of 620,000 American people. In the relatively short span of 4 years, the institution of almost 4,000 years of years of slavery was finally recognized for what it was on the world stage. Though slavery no doubt exists today in some isolated parts of the world as a criminal enterprise, internationally it is now recognized as a crime thanks to the Civil War.
Anyone that takes the time to actually read about the Civil War will know it was a war of brother vs brother. There was a serious departure of ideals but in the midst of confrontation there was idealism, love, and respect for each other as brother and neighbor. Confederate soldiers of all ranks were generally paroled and faced no formal charges of treason. The people that were there, that lived it realized cries of treason would interfere with the more important task of nation-building. In how many other countries where civil war has taken place will you see monument after monument to not only the victors but to those that lost as well? How can anyone one today, 150 years later, claim treason when the people that lived it could not?
I find great pride in both sides, both flags. In those symbols, even though they were at odds, arose a great nation that has changed not only its self but the world for the better. I pledge allegiance to the American flag. I fought for it. There are many flags that have flown in creating this country. They all deserve a place in history.
The Point?
Consider Babylon, Greece, Rome, Germany, the Middle East, Spain, Persia, Portugal, the Caribbean, Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colonial America under England, Mexico, France and the Dutch, the U.S. Federal Government and others ALL contributed to the institution of slavery for 4,000 years. To lay all the blame on one small, independent country and one flag that only existed for 4 years is absurd to say the least.
I like your post but have a problem with one aspect.
Are you of those who think man has only been on the planet for a short while? Slavery has existed, in one form or another, as long as mankind has existed. We only know of written history; what of that unwritten?
What of the times prior to the above countries having names? Your number of 4000 years is quaint when thinking of how old the Earth is and how long it has been inhabited by life of all forms, including man. How long has man been here? What have the thinking heads arrived upon? Are they the same group who insist upon GW/CC?
The real flag of slavery is the Stars & Stripes. Slaves were brought to America by northeastern(Mass., R.I., Conn.) states and sold south because slaves weren't able to do factory work. Not to mention profit even if they simply moved them south. Importation of slaves was outlawed in 1808.....the Confederate States of America came into being in 1861.
The real flag of slavery is the Stars & Stripes. Slaves were brought to America by northeastern(Mass., R.I., Conn.) states and sold south because slaves weren't able to do factory work. Not to mention profit even if they simply moved them south. Importation of slaves was outlawed in 1808.....the Confederate States of America came into being in 1861.
Heh I chuckled to myself. This is so true. For every overt slaveholder in the South there were always 3 crafty sheister yankees up north figuring out how to monetize and profit off the institution. Still true today. And I dont say that hatefully. Yankees are an ingenious crafty people adept at business and finances. But they will make money off of anything. And if theres a profit, itll continue.
They didn't constructively do anything. If the state board decided to accept a confederate flag plate, itd be right back on there. And it doesnt preclude other states that have them now from keeping it. You dont constructively know what youre talking about. What they are telling you is that license plate aint yours. Its the governments and that actually makes sense.
If that license plate ain't mine, then I'm not gonna pay for it anymore.
Tell me, why should the SCV not be allowed to put their logo on a license plate, when many other organizations already have their logos on license plates? What is it about the SCV that is deserving of government censorship?
If that license plate ain't mine, then I'm not gonna pay for it anymore.
Tell me, why should the SCV not be allowed to put their logo on a license plate, when many other organizations already have their logos on license plates? What is it about the SCV that is deserving of government censorship?
You do realize that the government isn't censoring anything. It's choosing not to support something it shouldn't.
You are a recent immigrant, no? Read about American history concerning the 19h century.
None of it is smoke and mirrors, all you need do is apply yourself.
It wasn't about slavery as much as it was about their economy. The south was agricultural whereas the north was industrial. Slaves were the machinery and the government tried to shut down their way of life. The USA is the only place where slavery/race ever became a huge divide - what did black slaves think of their black slave masters? Black Africans owned black slaves for ages. American Indians enslaved each other. The Moors of northern Africa enslaved white Europeans. The British enslaved the Irish. The Japanese made slaves of just about every nation they invaded, especially the Chinese.
Is slavery moral? Not to me. Then again, I was born in the 20th century, my family never owned slaves, I've never met a slave or slave owner so the point is moot. A dog is enough for me and they is expensive.
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