Next time you think about where the steady erosion of our rights and big government started.
Think about the Civil War and the Confederate flag...
You can trace the top of the hill to that point. From there the snowball started growing!!

At the very beginnings of the Republican Party!!

Same to you buddy Im still not sure what we were disagreeing about

At least we were able to do it in a "CIVIL" manner!!

A little word play for you!!

Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, mama, what have I done here!

It's not as simple as that, actually. There were many African Americans who owned slaves, both black and Native American.

Mirror, I understand you're a history major. But, the thing is, history is not as simplistic as you want it to be. No one is denying that slavery was reprehensible, nor that it was a contributing factor to the civil war. But, it was not the ONLY factor and realistically, it was a minor thing.

I don't know what you plan on doing with a history degree but if you plan on actually using it, you might want to consider learning how to research more than one source of information. Textbooks can be an excellent beginning of knowledge but they are severely constrained in that they have to offer the most information in a small space. They are often way too simplistic and even more often, leave very key pieces of information out because of space constraints. Because of this, people who limit their knowledge to only what they learn in a textbook are limiting themselves and tend to look at issues in a very narrow-minded way.

I am fron Maryland. Maryland 's secession would have Washington behind enemy lines & given Baltimore's shipyards to the south. Securing Maryland was the first milatary campaign. The 1st causalties of the war were in Baltimore in April. 1st Manassas (Bull Run) was in July!

You started a great thread!

You posted an interesting topic that (so far) has prompted an interesting and civil discussion.

I understand what you are saying but I must disagree with you about the issue of slavery being the minor factor for the Civil War. Im saying that it was the MAIN factor for the Civil War. Maybe not the only factor but it was the MAIN factor. Not rascism, Im talking about human slavery. That was the main factor. It was a states rights issue to the South because these states wanted the right to own slaves for the explotation of slave labor in the cotton industry. It was an economic reason to the non-slave states because the South had an unfair and evil economic advantage over them due to the slave labor.I maintain my position that slavery was the primary issue of the factors leading to the Civil War because all of the other issues you and other keep bringing up stem from the core issue of slavery.

It was the main factor because the Union polititians made it so. Just like Bush's WMD. They had to have a cause that the people would stand behind, a cause so passion filled that they would attack neighbors & be willing to die for it. A cause that would demonize the "enemy".

Logical fallacies, got to love them.

Just as the history books teach us, slavery was the primary factor. All of the other issues stem from this central issue. Just as I have already explained.

I understand what you are saying but I must disagree with you about the issue of slavery being the minor factor for the Civil War. Im saying that it was the MAIN factor for the Civil War. Maybe not the only factor but it was the MAIN factor. Not rascism, Im talking about human slavery. That was the main factor. It was a states rights issue to the South because these states wanted the right to own slaves for the explotation of slave labor in the cotton industry. It was an economic reason to the non-slave states because the South had an unfair and evil economic advantage over them due to the slave labor.I maintain my position that slavery was the primary issue of the factors leading to the Civil War because all of the other issues you and other keep bringing up stem from the core issue of slavery.

I understand what you are saying but I must disagree with you about the issue of slavery being the minor factor for the Civil War. Im saying that it was the MAIN factor for the Civil War. Maybe not the only factor but it was the MAIN factor. Not rascism, Im talking about human slavery. That was the main factor. It was a states rights issue to the South because these states wanted the right to own slaves for the explotation of slave labor in the cotton industry. It was an economic reason to the non-slave states because the South had an unfair and evil economic advantage over them due to the slave labor.I maintain my position that slavery was the primary issue of the factors leading to the Civil War because all of the other issues you and other keep bringing up stem from the core issue of slavery.

so the fact that there are documented black slave owners dosent even cross your mind mirror,, but that might mean that your wrong about something and we cant have that now can we

Not all slaves were black either. The 1st slaves in this country were Indians.

I understand what you are saying but I must disagree with you about the issue of slavery being the minor factor for the Civil War. Im saying that it was the MAIN factor for the Civil War. Maybe not the only factor but it was the MAIN factor. Not rascism, Im talking about human slavery. That was the main factor. It was a states rights issue to the South because these states wanted the right to own slaves for the explotation of slave labor in the cotton industry. It was an economic reason to the non-slave states because the South had an unfair and evil economic advantage over them due to the slave labor.I maintain my position that slavery was the primary issue of the factors leading to the Civil War because all of the other issues you and other keep bringing up stem from the core issue of slavery.

The Indians did not have natural immunities to the illnesses brought to this continent by the Europeans.They were nearly driven to the brink of extinction by illnesses.

but you are the one that says no matter what a confederate is racist. people can have something and make it mean almost anything,, good or bad. its what is explained that gives it the real meaning that it should have. should i feel bad that im southern, and have respect for a rebel flag cause they got off their asses and did something to protect their way of life, hell no. and since slavery has been around for thousands of years, and still continues to this day, and no one man will change that, that means any nation that allows slavery should be dealt a swift and devistating blow by truly good countries like ours right?

True , but they were still bought & sold as slaves as soon as Europeans came to the new world. We are off topic