Slavery was LEGAL at that time! But the secession was about economics and rights ... not about slavery. The South was tired of a bunch of Yankee extremists trying to tell them how to run their own livelihoods and economy. Of Yankees trying to ramrod laws through Congress which were detrimental to the Southern economy. Yet the whole time, the Yankee textile mills in New York and Massachussettes were depending on Southern cotton to be supplied for the making of cloth. So you have the Yankees crying about slavery on one hand, and supporting it with their textile mills on the other. Hypocrisy in action, but then the Yankees were noted for that! And that hasn't changed much over the years!
By the way, as I've pointed out to others before, more abuses of human rights were carried out under the Stars and Stripes than were ever carried out under the Stars and Bars, its a historical fact! Unless you're a proponent of revisionistic PC history!
You sound like some PC driven left winger who doesn't care about 1st Amendment Rights and individual liberties. You would rather we all conform to some State sponsored idea of what is "sensitive" and correct, and "good for society". In a free society some folks will get offended from time to time, they just have to grow thicker skins and quit whining!
The South was tired of a bunch of Yankee extremists trying to tell them how to run their own livelihoods and economy.Simple nonsense.
Southerners controlled the executive and the judiciary branches of the government for decades prior to 1860. They had the power to deadlock the legislative branch.
When they saw that power fading, presaged by the election of a sectional candidate (Lincoln by name), they bolted.
Walt
But the secession was about economics and rights ... not about slavery. "The new (confederate) constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution -- African slavery as it exists amongst us -- the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution." - Alexander Stephens, vice president of the confederacy, March 1861
It appears that the confederate leaders of the time don't agree with your analysis of the cause of the civil war.
By the way, as I've pointed out to others before, more abuses of human rights were carried out under the Stars and Stripes than were ever carried out under the Stars and Bars, its a historical fact! Considering the U.S. has been around for 125 years and the confederate rebellion lasted a little over 4 years that is an easy claim to make and is certainly truthful. Now if you are also willing to admit that the southern people and political leadership were enthusiastic participants in those abuses throughout our history then we will have another area of agreement.