They were rebelling. Look it up. It's in all the history books.
They posed no threat to Washington, until Washington made war on them.
Shooting up a fort and forcing it to surrender is an odd way of demonstrating peaceful intent.
They were seceding AS THEY WERE PROMISED they would be able to do.
Promised where?
I have said it often, the civil war (the first, and last I hope) was more about states rights than anything else.
State's right to do what?
Just like January 6 was an "insurrection!" When you control all the levers of communications, you can put lies into the history books.
Promised where?
Declaration of Independence. It is quite clear on the point.
State's right to do what?
Run their own trade and economics. They already had the right to continue slavery in the Union, (and would have continued to do so in the Union) so we know it isn't that.