06-25-2015, 02:59 AM
(06-25-2015, 02:21 AM)Devils Advocate Wrote: In broader terms, the entire civil war has been misrepresented, to say the least, in our history books.
It was not a war for states rights. It was about slavery but not in the sense we've been taught. Unfortunately many of you's will gloss over or outright ignore this but it's important information that's been omitted from the class room. You are about to graduate from history 101 and move on to H102.
After the war ended congress passed The Reconstruction Act, claiming the Southern states were under unlawful governments essentially declaring war and placing them under Martial Law and dividing them up into 5 military districts which still stand to this day. The bill was then vetoed by President Johnson, but over ruled by congress dubiously, Northern States even removing a NJ senator and counting 30 absent votes as 'yah's' to secure the 2/3's necessary for ratification.
from Johnson's veto message
The cotton gin and industrialization would've made slavery obsolete. The 'rebel' flag represents more, as I only barely touched upon. It's been demonized because TPTB don't want you to know what really happened.
You mean the same Andrew Johnson that was a known white supremacist who said and I quote: "This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men."
But though he especially despised wealthy plantation owners, he was a firm believer in the institution of slavery, and he himself was a slave owner. "If you liberate the negro, what will be the next step?" He once asked in typically outrageous form. "It would place every splay-footed, bandy-shanked, humpbacked negro in the country upon an equality with the poor white man." "You can't get rid of the negro except by holding him in slavery."
Another good quote: "To think," said an editorial in the New York World, "that one frail life stands between this insolent, clownish creature and the Presidency."
I'd say it's safe to say he sympathized with the south. Interesting President though.
