I myself didn't realize it was incorrect until a few years ago when I learned the reality in the North was very different from what we had been taught."
Sorry, but I can't answer for the schools you attended.
I was never taught Northerners opposed slavery only for moral reasons, but that is where opposition began -- in churches, the "Third Awakening" iirc.
I was also taught Northern workers opposed slavery for obvious economic reasons, and I learned our political divide over slavery lead, eventually, to Civil War.
There's nothing in that narrative I find false today, so I question entirely your feelings of betrayal & anger.
I just don't believe the source is what you here claim.
DiogenesLamp: "The hated black people.
They hated the idea of black people living among them.
They also hated the idea that black people might take a job away from them.
They weren't moral at all.
They were just as nasty and vicious as we have all been led to believe the Southerners were."
And all that is exactly what I'm talking about, I don't believe a word of your explanation.
I think it's pure Democrat projection -- you look at your own feelings and then project them onto people you never met, know nothing about, have no understanding of who they were or what they felt, but in your mind they must, must be evil because otherwise, who can you blame for your own feelings?!
And it's certifiable lunacy, so if you can't straighten your own mind out, you really should get professional help for it, FRiend.
Nobody here believes all Southerners were "nasty and vicious," that's ludicrous, but some were, and most defended slavery right up to the bitter end.
In 1860, in Northern states like Pennsylvania, New York & New Jersey there lived hundreds of thousands of freed blacks, who nobody pretends lived in a racist-free paradise, but relatively speaking, none ever returned to slavery and "Southern hospitality" voluntarily, so far as I know.
DiogenesLamp: "My problem is people trying to feed me bullsh*t. Usually when someone is covering up the truth, it's not because they have your best interest at heart."
Sure, but slavery was not b*llsh*t, it was the real thing, about as close to a living hell as we can imagine, and Confederates fought long & hard to defend it.
Confederates don't get a free-pass for that, but you are NOT to blame for their misdeeds, FRiend.
Nor do you need to defend them by making ludicrous accusations against Northerners you never met and know nothing about, except that they were abolitionists.
DiogenesLamp: "Fifth Amendment: 'No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces'..."
During the US Civil War Congress defined "due process" relating to rebels' slaves (Contraband of War) in such laws as the 1861 & later Confiscation Acts.
DiogenesLamp: "The assertion that the citizens of the state were "unlawful" citizens is asinine.
At this time, the States defined who were their citizens, not the Federal government."
In 1865 many, many Southerners had officially declared themselves non-citizens and had waged a long, bloody war to prove just how non-citizen they were.
Non-citizens don't get to vote, nor did criminals.
That left a large group of newly enfranchised citizens who were more than delighted to ratify the 13th, 14th & 15th Amendments.
There was no coercion, or intimidation, bribery or blackmail required, at that time.
However... less than 10 years later, all those previous non-citizens again became citizens and then there was plenty of coercion, intimidation, blackmail & terrorism applied to those previous voters for most of the next 100 years!
FRiend, I'm sooooooo sorry if the truth hurts your snowflake feeeeeeeeeeelings! It shouldn't.
DiogenesLamp: "But if you believe in depriving people of their rights is correct and proper, then I don't see where we can reach an agreement on this topic."
FRiend, if you fantasize that non-citizens should have the same rights as fully franchised citizens, then you truly did have a sick, warped "woke" education.
What are you even doing on Free Republic?
DiogenesLamp: "I will point out that I made mention of the same issue on "Instapundit", and Law Professor Glenn Reynolds responded to my comment saying that Law school Academics find the ratification of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments "problematic" because there was no authority to strip citizens of the right to vote."
But they weren't citizens!! They had declared themselves to be non-citizens and fought long & hard to prove their non-citizenships.
As with any criminals, they were then forced to endure a period of probation before being readmitted to the company of civilized human beings.
In the mean time, the real Southern citizens "took care of business" -- 13th, 14th & 15th Amendments.
Sorry, snowflake, if the truth hurts, but you do need to get over that.