[rockrr]

Thanks for the inadvertent laugh. I don't usually bother with pea's posts but your rejoinder to one made me take a peek.

Up and until December of 1860, the political disagreements and Congressional battles were about the balance of power between the agricultural South, and the Mercantilist North and Midwest.

"Mercantilist North"? Yea, off by a hundred years or so!

argument was now between the establishment Union and a progressive South on the verge of economic explosion.

The only reason the south ventured into anything beyond cottage industry was because they had foolishly committed themselves to a disastrous course of action and too late realized that they lacked the capacity to support themselves and their would-be confederacy. Up until 1860 they were happy to outsource virtually every commodity they needed.

[BroJoeK]

rockrr: "The only reason the south ventured into anything beyond cottage industry was because they had foolishly committed themselves to a disastrous course of action and too late realized that they lacked the capacity to support themselves and their would-be confederacy.
Up until 1860 they were happy to outsource virtually every commodity they needed."

Well said.