“Once the war was started, these sorts of economic details no longer mattered to me.”
They matter to me, because they refute your inaccurate description of Southern economic production before the war.
To recap:
The reason for secession was the South’s desire to preserve slavery.
The trigger for secession was the election of Abraham Lincoln, which fed fear of the abolitionist foundation of the Republican Party.
The American Civil War began when units of the South Carolina Militia fired upon a Union fort in Charleston harbor.
The Southern production is established by the official records. Yes, the South did produce 72+ % of the total trade value with Europe in 1860.
I cite Thomas Prentice Kettell, but the official records reflect the same numbers. They have been posted in previous threads on this topic.
No they don't, they show that the rigged system was funneling money into Northeastern gentry pockets, but the money was produced by the Southern states.
To recap:
Reminds me of how the left keeps repeating that Trump supporters are Nazis, and January 6 was an "INSURRECTION!" against lawful government.
People will keep repeating their narrative because stupid people embrace repetition.