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Post-Civil War America was under martial law for all intents and purposes. This led to a misapprehension of the legitimate relationship between Washington and the States. Federal power was flexed, and forever fixed in the American mind via vast Armies marching under a U.S. flag from State to State. America had a new national identity. The world still refered to America as “The States,” but the American People now saw themselves as U.S. citizens first, State citizens hardly at all. This national identity made us ripe for a national statism, which occurred as you said, 50 years later. If we had avoided war, and maintained the jurisdicitonal integrity of the States, regardless of any national iteration, the progressive movement would have been dead on arrival. The Civil War prepared America for the yoke of national statism.

Nonsense.

“Citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.” — George Washington, 1796

BTW: notice how I didn’t ding you on your obviously unintentional misspelling of ‘jurisdictional’?

Post-Civil War America was under martial law for all intents and purposes. This led to a misapprehension of the legitimate relationship between Washington and the States. Federal power was flexed, and forever fixed in the American mind via vast Armies marching under a U.S. flag from State to State. America had a new national identity. The world still refered to America as “The States,” but the American People now saw themselves as U.S. citizens first, State citizens hardly at all. This national identity made us ripe for a national statism, which occurred as you said, 50 years later. If we had avoided war, and maintained the jurisdicitonal integrity of the States, regardless of any national iteration, the progressive movement would have been dead on arrival. The Civil War prepared America for the yoke of national statism.

Well stated.

HMS Surprise: "This national identity made us ripe for a national statism, which occurred as you said, 50 years later....
The Civil War prepared America for the yoke of national statism."

First of all, you need to remember that no Confederate soldier -- zero, zip, nada -- was killed directly by Union forces until after the Confederacy formally declared war on the United States, on May 6, 1861.
Until that declaration of war there was still the possibility of a negotiated settlement.
After the declaration, there could be only Unconditional Surrender.

Second, note rockrr's response in post #127.
You could just as easily blame George Washington as Abraham Lincoln, but blaming either is ridiculous.

The real blame belongs to the Progressives (Marxists) beginning about 100 years ago, and those most definitely include Southern Democrat Progressives like President Woodrow Wilson, plus all those long-serving Southern Democrat Congressmen & Senators who were only too happy to raise up our taxes and send money back home from the Federal feeding trough.

So don't blame Lincoln, blame your own ancestors as much as anyone.