By the 50s, there were in effect parties. Northern Dems, Southern Dems, Northern Whigs, Southern Whigs. Sectionalism. It's funny. In all our FR debates, we talk about slavery as a cause of the war. And others talk about tarriffs. Or the evil mercantilists. Or strict constructionists. Or old Justice Taney. We never even get around to old Nat Turner or old John Brown. But we don't often talk about sectionalism itself. We tend to view sectionalism as a secondary condition. Maybe we should look at it as a cause. Stephen Douglas couldn't get enough Democrat votes to win the election because of sectionalism. The South dug its own political grave before digging its military grave.
By the 50s, there were in effect four parties. Northern Dems, Southern Dems, Northern Whigs, Southern Whigs. Sectionalism. It's funny. In all our FR debates, we talk about slavery as a cause of the war. And others talk about tarriffs. Or the evil mercantilists. Or strict constructionists. Or old Justice Taney. We never even get around to old Nat Turner or old John Brown. But we don't often talk about sectionalism itself. We tend to view sectionalism as a secondary condition. Maybe we should look at it as a cause. Stephen Douglas couldn't get enough Democrat votes to win the election because of sectionalism. The South dug its own political grave before digging its military grave.Just repeatin' it. *bump*