That’s a good call, Huck. I’ve been reading about American history backwards, and I’m right about the turn of the 20th century. I’ll probably agree with you much more as I get through the Civil War and the era of Lincoln.
In my view, Lincoln was correct. The common reaction to Lincoln from libertarian/small government/states’ rights people is to decry Lincoln. I don’t. Not that I welcome the events of that era. I simply view the Constitution as a centralized, supreme, consolidated system. The problem wasn’t Lincoln (if you view his actions as a problem.) The problem was the Constitution that created the centralized system.
As an aside, my favorite period to read about is the pioneer era. From Lewis and Clark up to the 1870s. The mountain men, the plains indians, Kit Carson, the gold rush, the mormons, etc. Amazing time.