What is the South?

[djm]

Wouldn't it be fine to bring back slavery? I know people are knocking themselves out to appear politically correct and say the war wasn't about slavery, but really, it was. Stop and think about it. Wouldn't America be so much greater if they brought back slavery? And this time, if someone chooses to abolish slavery a second time, maybe they could do it right, so that you wouldn't have 150 years of social turmoil, poverty, racism, etc.

djm

[Jack]

Wouldn't it be fine to bring back slavery? I know people are knocking themselves out to appear politically correct and say the war wasn't about slavery, but really, it was. Stop and think about it. Wouldn't America be so much greater if they brought back slavery? And this time, if someone chooses to abolish slavery a second time, maybe they could do it right, so that you wouldn't have 150 years of social turmoil, poverty, racism, etc.

djm

It's fitting your comment comes from a person in Canada.

[missy]

I know people are knocking themselves out to appear politically correct and say the war wasn't about slavery, but really, it was.

djm

No - politically correct would be saying the ONLY reason for the Civil War was slavery. That is what many kids are taught in school now.
Do some reading. Especially agricultural vs. industrial economies present at the time. Especially the constitutionality of state rights and seceding. Especially the political reasons for the Emancipation Proclamation.

[burnsbyrne]

For northern Ohioans "The South" begins at Columbus.

[Jack]

For northern Ohioans "The South" begins at Columbus.

This is true. Every time I've been to Clumbis, the locals call it Clumbis.

[Walden]

Every time I've been to Clumbis, the locals call it Clumbis.

Is there another way to pernounce it?

[BrassBlower]

Every time I've been to Clumbis, the locals call it Clumbis.

Is there another way to pernounce it?

I was almost full-grown when it occurred to me that "Fayetteville" contains no "D".

[cowtime]

East Tennessee/West North Carolina (Cowtime's neighborhood) since they were pro-union.

I think it would be more accurate to say this area was divided. Some families were pro-union and some were not. Many chose to not get involved at all unless absolutely necessary. I know of no kin on my mom's side -Southwest Virginia-who fought for either side. Both my dad's great grandaddy's fought for the Confederacy-Yancy Co. Boys- and they were both from Western North Carolina.

[brianormond]

-To a Detroiter, the "south" starts in southern Ohio counties along the river because thats where a strong accent begins and thats where the hills begin.
This may be an Appalachian mountain accent as distinct from a southern accent, but many of us won't know the difference. Mountain people from eastern Kentucky speak differently from Louisville people.

My brother's childhood buddy from Louisville used to say in effected drawl "I was bred in old Kentucky but now I'm just a crumb."

[Flyingcursor]

East Tennessee/West North Carolina (Cowtime's neighborhood) since they were pro-union.

I think it would be more accurate to say this area was divided. Some families were pro-union and some were not. Many chose to not get involved at all unless absolutely necessary. I know of no kin on my mom's side -Southwest Virginia-who fought for either side. Both my dad's great grandaddy's fought for the Confederacy-Yancy Co. Boys- and they were both from Western North Carolina.

I'd love to read a book about all that. Has there traditionally been a sharp distinction between the two states in that region or have most people considered themselves a single cultural unit based on geography?
I mean what has been the greater source of identity, state or mountain?

[peeplj]

Wouldn't it be fine to bring back slavery? I know people are knocking themselves out to appear politically correct and say the war wasn't about slavery, but really, it was. Stop and think about it. Wouldn't America be so much greater if they brought back slavery? And this time, if someone chooses to abolish slavery a second time, maybe they could do it right, so that you wouldn't have 150 years of social turmoil, poverty, racism, etc.

You have it backwards.

That is the way they teach it in schools now, and that's the "politically correct" thing to believe, that the war was only over the issue of slavery.

In fact, slavery was only one of many issues, many of which revolved around the balance of power between the states and the federal government. There were also economic and social reasons that didn't directly involve slavery.

Even the North's opposition to slavery isn't as pure-hearted as it is made to appear today: as new states were brought into the Union as slave states...well, they would have slaves in them, and the vast majority of slaves were black. The Northerners didn't want blacks living any closer to them then they already were. With the exception of a few abolitionist groups, Northern whites were extremely pronounced in their distaste for living in close proximity with those of other race. They never wanted there to be a chance that blacks would be permitted in the North in greater numbers.

--James

[Meadhbh]

It's a state of mind.

Good answer!!

Hmmmm.....I grew up hearing that "The South" consisted of the states South of the Mason Dixon line that were also part of the original thirteen colonies.....



...but that leaves out much that I would consider to be the "South".

Ummmm....it's a state of mind....yeah...that's it.

[Sliabh Luachra]

I know people are knocking themselves out to appear politically correct and say the war wasn't about slavery, but really, it was.

djm

No - politically correct would be saying the ONLY reason for the Civil War was slavery. That is what many kids are taught in school now.
Do some reading. Especially agricultural vs. industrial economies present at the time. Especially the constitutionality of state rights and seceding. Especially the political reasons for the Emancipation Proclamation.

That is NOT what kids MY class are taught. Nor do I know any teachers that would teach that. I'm suprised at you Missy. Usually, you aren't so misinformed. With all due respect, maybe you better check into some real classrooms before you go casting aspersions.

Mark

[peeplj]

I know people are knocking themselves out to appear politically correct and say the war wasn't about slavery, but really, it was.

djm

No - politically correct would be saying the ONLY reason for the Civil War was slavery. That is what many kids are taught in school now.
Do some reading. Especially agricultural vs. industrial economies present at the time. Especially the constitutionality of state rights and seceding. Especially the political reasons for the Emancipation Proclamation.

That is NOT what kids MY class are taught. Nor do I know any teachers that would teach that. I'm suprised at you Missy. Usually, you aren't so misinformed. With all due respect, maybe you better check into some real classrooms before you go casting aspersions.

Mark

In every public "real classroom" I've been in, slavery was the only reason focused on as a cause of the Civil War.

I didn't start finding out more of the real story until I started hitting a few college classrooms, which got me curious, which got me talking to some older folks to see what they remembered their parents and grandparents having said.

--James

[Congratulations]

I know people are knocking themselves out to appear politically correct and say the war wasn't about slavery, but really, it was.

djm

No - politically correct would be saying the ONLY reason for the Civil War was slavery. That is what many kids are taught in school now.
Do some reading. Especially agricultural vs. industrial economies present at the time. Especially the constitutionality of state rights and seceding. Especially the political reasons for the Emancipation Proclamation.

That is NOT what kids MY class are taught. Nor do I know any teachers that would teach that. I'm suprised at you Missy. Usually, you aren't so misinformed. With all due respect, maybe you better check into some real classrooms before you go casting aspersions.

Mark

FWIW, until I took my advanced placement US history class (the highest level history class at our school), I was always taught that the civil war as over slavery. All the students who didn't take that class were taught exactly as missy describes.