The fact is that by the time that Ft. Sumter was bombarded that people in the North and South alike just wanted a fight. People in both the North and South were led to believe, by rabble rousers and trouble makers, that it was going to be a quick and fairly painless fight, and both believed they would be victorious when it was all said and done. Both North and South simply wanted to teach one another a lesson that the opposing side would never forget. Emotions gave way to reason. Reality gave way to fervor, and by the time they realized what kind of mess they really got themselves into, it was too late. History proves once again that it is much easier to start a war than to end a war.
The run-up to the Civil War was very long with lots of attempts at political compromise. A lot of effort was put into trying to keep a balance between free states and slave states. As long as this balance was in place, then there was a Union. As it became more and more obvious to the South that this balance couldn't be sustained over time, the movement toward succession began. Lincoln's election tipped the balance. I think you're right that everyone thought it would be a short war, but it came down to war. The South rebelled. The only way to strike down that rebellion was to crush the nascent Confederate government. That government showed its intention to not be crushed by firing the first shots. Who knows what Lincoln's government would have done had those shots not been fired. They would have have probably tried to arrest the rebel leaders and shots would have been fired by someone. I don't think it was "easy" to start the Civil War.
@emmgeevideo You are right, it wasn't easy to start the Civil War per say but perhaps it was inevitable? A union is hard to maintain, be it between a man and a woman, between states or nation states. Inevitably conflicts of interests will emerge, especially as that same union grows. There will be inevitable conflicts of interests along cultural, geographical, political and/or economic lines. Perhaps it was a bit naive of our Founders to presume that any union would last without conflict? Perhaps it has been equally naive of the generations that have come along since the Civil War to presume that there would be no more talk of secession ever again or that there would be no more civil wars in the future?
Two interesting facts about Franklin Pierce... He is the only president that lost his own party's nomination for reelection... (Correction : Franklin Pierce and Barbara Bush are related) Barbara Franklin. Who later married George Herbert Walker Bush. My mind is slipping
This was not possible, as Pierce lost 3 sons, none of whom survived to adulthood. The writer is in error, perhaps she was a grand niece or something along those lines?
Nothing to do with the subject...just a little something to make you smile. Some thirty seven years ago my daughter's kindergarten class was celebrating Presidents Day with cherry cupcakes and fun facts. My little one, Meagan, eagerly related to me with sweet naiveté some of the facts they had learned about George Washington and "Egg and Ham" Lincoln. Out of the mouths of babes!😉
The fact is that by the time that Ft. Sumter was bombarded that people in the North and South alike just wanted a fight. People in both the North and South were led to believe, by rabble rousers and trouble makers, that it was going to be a quick and fairly painless fight, and both believed they would be victorious when it was all said and done. Both North and South simply wanted to teach one another a lesson that the opposing side would never forget. Emotions gave way to reason. Reality gave way to fervor, and by the time they realized what kind of mess they really got themselves into, it was too late. History proves once again that it is much easier to start a war than to end a war.
The run-up to the Civil War was very long with lots of attempts at political compromise. A lot of effort was put into trying to keep a balance between free states and slave states. As long as this balance was in place, then there was a Union. As it became more and more obvious to the South that this balance couldn't be sustained over time, the movement toward succession began. Lincoln's election tipped the balance.
I think you're right that everyone thought it would be a short war, but it came down to war. The South rebelled. The only way to strike down that rebellion was to crush the nascent Confederate government. That government showed its intention to not be crushed by firing the first shots. Who knows what Lincoln's government would have done had those shots not been fired. They would have have probably tried to arrest the rebel leaders and shots would have been fired by someone.
I don't think it was "easy" to start the Civil War.
@emmgeevideo You are right, it wasn't easy to start the Civil War per say but perhaps it was inevitable?
A union is hard to maintain, be it between a man and a woman, between states or nation states. Inevitably conflicts of interests will emerge, especially as that same union grows.
There will be inevitable conflicts of interests along cultural, geographical, political and/or economic lines.
Perhaps it was a bit naive of our Founders to presume that any union would last without conflict? Perhaps it has been equally naive of the generations that have come along since the Civil War to presume that there would be no more talk of secession ever again or that there would be no more civil wars in the future?
Two interesting facts about Franklin Pierce... He is the only president that lost his own party's nomination for reelection... (Correction : Franklin Pierce and Barbara Bush are related) Barbara Franklin. Who later married George Herbert Walker Bush. My mind is slipping
This was not possible, as Pierce lost 3 sons, none of whom survived to adulthood. The writer is in error, perhaps she was a grand niece or something along those lines?
@@paulbolcik4444 mind is slipping
🎉
Build The Wall !! Haha, some things never change.
Nothing to do with the subject...just a little something to make you smile. Some thirty seven years ago my daughter's kindergarten class was celebrating Presidents Day with cherry cupcakes and fun facts. My little one, Meagan, eagerly related to me with sweet naiveté some of the facts they had learned about George Washington and "Egg and Ham" Lincoln. Out of the mouths of babes!😉
Pierce had a very close relationship with jefferson davis. He would have been a good choice to help save the day
WAIT A MINUTE ! So what did the ex-Presidents have to say AFTER the war was ended ? I'm not much impressed by Pierce so far.