Stars and Bars Forever - The urge for recognition
On the eve of the American Civil War of 1861 to 1870, the United States was divided into two very distinctive regions: the North with a growing industrial and commercial economy and an ever expanding population; the South with a settled plantation system and an expanding cotton economy, which is dependant on slavery.
With these fundamentally different economics, it comes to no surprise that tension would arise between the industrialized North and the agricultural South. Particular the subject of slavery (on which the southern economy was based) was the cause of many crises and ultimately the secession of the southern states from the union.
Before the 1860s, compromises were made to balance the number of “free states” and “slave states” so that there would be no majority faction in the senate. But this “peaceful” coexistence of two different regions was shattered due to increased hostility toward slavery in the northern states and the sectional ideologies in the South. The rise of tensions between the North and the South made it unlikely, if not impossible, that any compromises should be made in a gentlemanly way, like it was done in the past.
During the 1850s sectional tensions intensive rapidly. With the establishment of the United States Republican Party in 1854, northern antislavery forces gained more powers and thus leads to more problems with the pro-slavery South. The new party opposed the expansion of slavery in the Western territories. Although only a small share of Northerners favored measures to abolish slavery in the South, the Republicans were able to mobilize popular support among Northerners and Westerns who did not want to compete against slave labor if the system were expanded beyond the South. The Republicans won the support of many ex-Whigs and Northern ex-Democrats. Meanwhile, the profitability of cotton, or "King Cotton," as it was touted, solidified the South's dependence on the plantation system and its foundation: slave labor. A small class of slave barons, especially cotton planters, dominated the politics and society of the South.
Southern secession was triggered by the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was a moderate in his opposition to slavery. He pledged to do all he could to oppose the expansion of slavery into the territories (thus also preventing the admission of any additional slave states to the Union); but he also said the federal government did not have the power to abolish slavery in the states in which it already existed, and that he would enforce Fugitive Slave Laws, which stated that any slaves found in the northern territories could be returned to their southern slave owners. The southern states expected increasing hostility to their "peculiar institution"; not trusting Lincoln, and mindful that many other Republicans were intent on complete abolition of slavery.
Union President Abraham Lincoln
In addition to Lincoln's presidential victory, the slave states had lost the balance of power in the Senate, due to the admission of Kansas as a “free State” instead of a slave state, and were facing a future as a dwindling minority after decades of nearly continuous control of the presidency and the Congress.
Upon the election of Abraham Lincoln leaders of South Carolina declared their secession form the Union. Once the election returns were certain, a special South Carolina convention declared "that the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other states under the name of the 'United States of America' is hereby dissolved." They had long been waiting for an event that might unite the South against the antislavery forces, Lincoln presidential victory was the perfect opportunity for this to happen.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis
By February 1, 1861, six more Southern states had seceded. On February 7, the States of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas formed the Confederate States of America, with Jefferson Davis as their first president. With the shelling of Fort Sumter on April 12 by Beauregard Forces and the secession of four more states (Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia) began what will be known as the American Civil War of 1861 to 1870. The stage is set for a war that will change the course of history.
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After my fatefull incident with the lake and Rose of AAR disk
o , I have decided to create another AAR. I will try to make this AAR a joy to read not like the other one, but due to me not being a native speaker their will be some unavoidable gramma mistakes. I am very sorry for that. Well, I hope you like it.
STARS AND BARS FOREVER
On the eve of the American Civil War of 1861 to 1870, the United States was divided into two very distinctive regions: the North with a growing industrial and commercial economy and an ever expanding population; the South with a settled plantation system and an expanding cotton economy, which is dependant on slavery.
With these fundamentally different economics, it comes to no surprise that tension would arise between the industrialized North and the agricultural South. Particular the subject of slavery (on which the southern economy was based) was the cause of many crises and ultimately the secession of the southern states from the union.
Before the 1860s, compromises were made to balance the number of “free states” and “slave states” so that there would be no majority faction in the senate. But this “peaceful” coexistence of two different regions was shattered due to increased hostility toward slavery in the northern states and the sectional ideologies in the South. The rise of tensions between the North and the South made it unlikely, if not impossible, that any compromises should be made in a gentlemanly way, like it was done in the past.
During the 1850s sectional tensions intensive rapidly. With the establishment of the United States Republican Party in 1854, northern antislavery forces gained more powers and thus leads to more problems with the pro-slavery South. The new party opposed the expansion of slavery in the Western territories. Although only a small share of Northerners favored measures to abolish slavery in the South, the Republicans were able to mobilize popular support among Northerners and Westerns who did not want to compete against slave labor if the system were expanded beyond the South. The Republicans won the support of many ex-Whigs and Northern ex-Democrats. Meanwhile, the profitability of cotton, or "King Cotton," as it was touted, solidified the South's dependence on the plantation system and its foundation: slave labor. A small class of slave barons, especially cotton planters, dominated the politics and society of the South.
Southern secession was triggered by the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was a moderate in his opposition to slavery. He pledged to do all he could to oppose the expansion of slavery into the territories (thus also preventing the admission of any additional slave states to the Union); but he also said the federal government did not have the power to abolish slavery in the states in which it already existed, and that he would enforce Fugitive Slave Laws, which stated that any slaves found in the northern territories could be returned to their southern slave owners. The southern states expected increasing hostility to their "peculiar institution"; not trusting Lincoln, and mindful that many other Republicans were intent on complete abolition of slavery.
Union President Abraham Lincoln
In addition to Lincoln's presidential victory, the slave states had lost the balance of power in the Senate, due to the admission of Kansas as a “free State” instead of a slave state, and were facing a future as a dwindling minority after decades of nearly continuous control of the presidency and the Congress.
Upon the election of Abraham Lincoln leaders of South Carolina declared their secession form the Union. Once the election returns were certain, a special South Carolina convention declared "that the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other states under the name of the 'United States of America' is hereby dissolved." They had long been waiting for an event that might unite the South against the antislavery forces, Lincoln presidential victory was the perfect opportunity for this to happen.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis
By February 1, 1861, six more Southern states had seceded. On February 7, the States of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas formed the Confederate States of America, with Jefferson Davis as their first president. With the shelling of Fort Sumter on April 12 by Beauregard Forces and the secession of four more states (Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia) began what will be known as the American Civil War of 1861 to 1870. The stage is set for a war that will change the course of history.
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After my fatefull incident with the lake and Rose of AAR disk
o , I have decided to create another AAR. I will try to make this AAR a joy to read not like the other one, but due to me not being a native speaker their will be some unavoidable gramma mistakes. I am very sorry for that. Well, I hope you like it.
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