[ought-six]

You said: “The Ohio River didn’t allow access to foreign markets.”

Foreign goods were transported via the Ohio River, the Great Lakes, Northern railroads, etc.

You said: “If the overwhelming majority of the purchasers of the goods were in the South as you claim then why didn’t those goods go to Charleston or New Orleans instead of New York and Boston?”

New York and Boston were closer for ships coming from Europe, and allowed them a quicker turnaround time for bringing goods back to the continent. The quicker the turnaround, the more profits the shipping companies could make. Besides, most of the major importers were in the North, especially New York (hence, many deliveries were made to Northern ports), and they were just middlemen or agents in the transaction. The actual consumer or purchaser of the goods “paid the freight.”

You said: “If that was the reason for the Southern rebellion then why did they secede months before the tariff was passed?”

First, the Morrill Tariff was drafted in 1860, and the Southern members of Congress did not have the votes to stop it. Thus, it was a given that the tariff would become law. It actually became law on March 2, 1861. Seven of the thirteen states or territories seceded AFTER the Morrill Tariff became law (Texas, March 2, 1861; Arizona Territories, March 23, 1861; Arkansas, May 6, 1861; North Carolina, May 20, 1861; Virginia, May 23, 1861; Tennessee, June 8, 1861; Missouri, October 31, 1861 — though the secession was not applicable to the entire state). And, five of those states seceded AFTER Lincoln called for the muster of 75,000 troops for the specific purpose of invading the South.

[conimbricenses]

He must have never learned about the Ohio and Erie Canal system in 6th grade U.S. history.

[Non-Sequitur]

New York and Boston were closer for ships coming from Europe, and allowed them a quicker turnaround time for bringing goods back to the continent.

So you're saying it was cheaper to bring the goods to New York, unload them, pay the tariffs, load them again, and ship them to their customers in the south? All so they could rapidly load goods for export and high-tail it back to Europe? What export goods might those be?

First, the Morrill Tariff was drafted in 1860, and the Southern members of Congress did not have the votes to stop it.

But they did stop it in the Senate in 1860. And could have stopped it again in 1861. And if they knew that they couldn't continue to stop it then why didn't they rebel then? Why wait since the primary cause of the rebellion was there in front of them?