very true. In my opinion that war was fought because rich on both sides wanted to stay rich or get richer. IT wasnt fought over slavery. IF people back then had access to the truth like they do now soldiers on both sides would have never fought. Wars ain't won by people being nice to one another. I think Sherman executed a war plan. No one cares what the losers think.
Much depends upon whose "history" we study, and usually the truth lies somewhere between..in 'no man's land'.. which is why I have studied both, in an effort to find balance.
I believe Lloyd for the most part, is correct here.. Until shortly before the war, the southern plantation owners would ship their cotton to the north, and the north industrialists would resell the cotton to Europe for a tidy profit.
Then they would turn around, and sell manufactured goods including agricultural machinery, to the southern states .
The southern plantation owners decided to sell their cotton directly to European powers for themselves, and buy machinery directly from the European industrial base, and in doing this, they had made "friends' with the European industrial players..especially in England.
Of course, while doing this, they naturally raised the ire of the northern power brokers, so the planters agitated for action..
At this point the southern power axis... the rich planters, had they been smart and not so self centered, would have played for time.. The cotton gin had already been invented, and our industrial revolution was well under way, which would have negated most of the need for slaves, and in a relatively few years, slavery would have gone away.
To his credit, Lincoln seemed ready to let slavery "die on the vine", but for some reason the southern aristocrats insisted that slavery be allowed in the new states just coming on line in the west.
Lincoln's plan was far better that losing so many Americans in this futile war, IMO..
About 725,000 of our best died..and likely as many or more maimed? This out of a total of 31,000,000 people..
Imagine; nearly 2 persons per every 31 persons of our population, either killed or wounded !
So once war was declared, the first thing the north did, was to close the port of Charleston thereby closing off the finances to the south, and preventing aid from arriving from European powers. Once the port of Charleston was closed, next on the list was the port of New Orleans.
Remember logistics..
"Battles are won by tactics, wars are won by logistics" (Gen "Blackjack" Pershing) In all, between the northern industrialists and the southern plantation 'aristocrats' they managed to
get the war under way..the same story as most wars.
We should be blaming both of these power centers for the mess, rather than our troops our generals!
President Lincoln... I know I will ruffle feathers, but from my studies, I figure Lincoln to be a tragic figure, caught up in a war he desperately wanted to avoid, knowing the voluminous death count it would engender.
Yes, he wanted to end slavery, but an even stronger motive, was to preserve the union.
Look at Lincoln's background..he was no rich industrialist, but a farm boy from Illinois ! ...And he carried that identity and motives into the White house.
To wit.. In his second inaugural address , after being re-elected in 1864, Lincoln speaking toward an eventual victory, spoke of the outcome, when he declared, "with malice toward none".
When the articles of surrender at Appomattox Court House were signed, he only stripped the southern soldiers of their muskets..allowing them to take their horses, mules etc. home with them, knowing that they would need them in a reconstructed south.
Further, the democrats wanted to "punish" the south after the war, but Lincoln shot down their ideas.
A pity that he was assassinated, else he would never have condoned the shameful carpet baggers and scalawags.
IMO..Lincoln was fully a gentleman on the order of Robert E. Lee, but rough hewn and without the aristocratic touches.
Now, go ahead and hurl your brickbats! ..But please do it politely, with facts, and without name calling..
