I failed to realize that James Buchanan lack of actions or what actions he did take aided in the start of the Civil War. I also didn't realize that United States didn't control the other forts in the harbor.
In many ways, Buchanan probably responded to the crisis in the same way that many previous presidents might have. Some things that stick out though are that he was a northern that didn't stand for the union after push came to shove, he had a real crook as his secretary of war, and his administration was essentially feuding with itself over how to respond to the crisis.
I love this calm and dispassionate analysis of source documents. The Civil War is often emotionalized, but this video allows the outside observer to judge events in a more rational manner. I think it's easy to feel bad for the Southern underdog, and have gripes with the Federal government. But when it comes down to it, the Civil War started because Southern Elites were worried that they would lose their slave based economy, and the common southerner was roped into the conflict to fight on their behalf. And as easy as it is to say, just balkanize, talking about New Orleans being the mouth of the Mississippi River, and the threat of being divided against each other, like European nations are even to this day in the EU, shows why the Civil War was necessary to fight, and to win. Heck, even if the South won independence, that wouldn't have been the last war between North and South, and the South always had less people, and less industry. There would have been another war, and another, until the South ran out of men or capitulated.
Thank you! A really fascinating argument against slavery at this time, made by Lincoln himself, was that if one group could be enslaved, then other groups could also be enslaved. It was a duty to eliminate all slavery to protect everyone from it. In a sense, the southern slave economy was a threat to the whole country, because it could be turned on any group at any time. Yes, it's easy to see the United States and the Confederacy having future conflicts over the continent, much like European powers.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian Exactly right. Slavery was also a big overall burden on the US economy and prevented it from reaching its highest potentials of national prosperity moving forward. It's absolutely no coincidence that in 1871, just several years before abolishing the whole institution, the US finally surpassed Britain as the world's largest economy, and has remained so ever since. It was the best decision to get rid of that half free, half slave hybrid of a republic, especially with all that territory westward that hadn't been settled yet. European powers would've continued to take advantage of the divisiveness.
I couldn't imagine being stationed at one of those cut-off forts. For months these people stationed there had bought food from nearby markets, attended church and local events. Now they are surrounded by hostility and the people they were just interacting with are now enemies. They probably hoped it might be a short affair but as the weeks went on they would soon realize they are cut off with little hope of escape or reinforcement.
I really enjoy how you show everything on the maps and even show the topographical maps. Seeing the terrain certainly helps me to understand why certain decisions were made
I spent every summer camping at Fort Pickens for 15 years as a kid. I'm also a civil war buff. Why the confederates didn't take Fort Pickens in 1861, i do not understand......
civil War? War is not civil nor it waged by civil Forces; War is a military Act waged by military Forces; There is civil or military; to get to War one must go through military in the dictionary;
@@JeffreytheLibrarian We have our slang in the North too. Growing up in New Jersey, we didn't say y'all. In NJ, NY it's you's guys, instead of y'all. Not sure of the proper spelling of you's.
Well done. My great grandfather was stationed at Fort Pickens in 1864. During the period between the secession of SC and the firing on Sumter, there was a 4 month opportunity to settle accounts. Or at least start negotiations. After all the US government funded so much in the Southern infrastructure. But the southern plantocracy was pleased with their ultimatum. Fire Eaters. They then sent delegates to all the other slave states to argue slavery was worth sucession, which kind of undercuts the often heard claim that the war wasn't about slavery.
I imagine it must have been very surreal to be stationed at a place like that. I think a lot of folks were imagining (even though reality was showing otherwise) that the issue would resolve itself.
The steamer Star of the West had supplies and soldiers below deck which broke the agreement South Carolina had with Lincoln to not send reinforcements to Sumter and not to transfer troops to the fort. Lincoln forced the firing on Sumter by Southern forces.
I think a lot of folks, however, would argue that the Star of the West operation was James Buchanan actually trying to do something positive for United States soldiers who were besieged.
Buchanan was still president when they fired upon the Star of the West. Rebel forces were doing everything they could to dissolve the union asap before Lincoln's inauguration.
You may be right. However, they were "out" enough that: A) They raised armies against the United States. B) They did not participate in the election of 1864. C) They established a separate government with a president, congress, and constitution.
@JeffreytheLibrarian sure, they raised armies to engage in rebellion against the USA. And sure, they chose not to participate in the elections of 1862 or 1864. That violated the Constitution's requirement to provide a republican form of government for the people of the state and suppressed rights of US citizens to participate in said elections. And sure, they violated the Constitution by making treaties with other states. Again, they never "left." They never ceased being part of the USA, no matter what they delusionally believed. They were in rebellion. But we can say that these states were temporarily beyond the control of the federal government in terms of the enforcement of the Constitution. That, of course, eventually changed as the federal government put down the rebellion and restored order with governments in compliance with the Constitution. Calhounians and neo-confederates will make the "two countries" argument based on the theory that "secession" (unilateral withdrawal) was a constitutional right, which just isn't true, but such delusions shouldn't be entertained let alone given the appearance of legitimacy.
Robert Toombs, Secretary of State for the CSA said of attaching Fort Sumter, "Mr. President, at this time it is suicide, murder, and will lose us every friend in the North. You will wantonly strike a hornet's nest which extends from mountain to ocean, and legions now quiet will swarm out and sting us to death. It is unnecessary; it puts us in the wrong; it is fatal." He was right.
I failed to realize that James Buchanan lack of actions or what actions he did take aided in the start of the Civil War. I also didn't realize that United States didn't control the other forts in the harbor.
In many ways, Buchanan probably responded to the crisis in the same way that many previous presidents might have. Some things that stick out though are that he was a northern that didn't stand for the union after push came to shove, he had a real crook as his secretary of war, and his administration was essentially feuding with itself over how to respond to the crisis.
They should’ve removed the troops from the fort
This is fantastic. Would love a series of the entire war like this
It's coming. I will keep making them.
It’s always a treat when you post videos, thank you, my morning started out great! 🥰🎃
Thank you, I really appreciate that!
I’ve started listening to a Civil War podcast a few weeks ago and one of the episodes covers this topic, so thank you for helping me visualize it!
Thank you for this breakdown of the final steps to the Civil War.
Much appreciated!
Hey very great channel, please keep up the good work on the civil war series
I will keep them coming. Thanks for watching!
Excellent video
Thank you!
I love this calm and dispassionate analysis of source documents. The Civil War is often emotionalized, but this video allows the outside observer to judge events in a more rational manner.
I think it's easy to feel bad for the Southern underdog, and have gripes with the Federal government. But when it comes down to it, the Civil War started because Southern Elites were worried that they would lose their slave based economy, and the common southerner was roped into the conflict to fight on their behalf.
And as easy as it is to say, just balkanize, talking about New Orleans being the mouth of the Mississippi River, and the threat of being divided against each other, like European nations are even to this day in the EU, shows why the Civil War was necessary to fight, and to win.
Heck, even if the South won independence, that wouldn't have been the last war between North and South, and the South always had less people, and less industry. There would have been another war, and another, until the South ran out of men or capitulated.
Thank you! A really fascinating argument against slavery at this time, made by Lincoln himself, was that if one group could be enslaved, then other groups could also be enslaved. It was a duty to eliminate all slavery to protect everyone from it. In a sense, the southern slave economy was a threat to the whole country, because it could be turned on any group at any time. Yes, it's easy to see the United States and the Confederacy having future conflicts over the continent, much like European powers.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian Exactly right. Slavery was also a big overall burden on the US economy and prevented it from reaching its highest potentials of national prosperity moving forward. It's absolutely no coincidence that in 1871, just several years before abolishing the whole institution, the US finally surpassed Britain as the world's largest economy, and has remained so ever since. It was the best decision to get rid of that half free, half slave hybrid of a republic, especially with all that territory westward that hadn't been settled yet. European powers would've continued to take advantage of the divisiveness.
Nice work, JtL!
Thank you!
Great video! Love this breakdown.
Thanks!
I couldn't imagine being stationed at one of those cut-off forts. For months these people stationed there had bought food from nearby markets, attended church and local events. Now they are surrounded by hostility and the people they were just interacting with are now enemies. They probably hoped it might be a short affair but as the weeks went on they would soon realize they are cut off with little hope of escape or reinforcement.
Good job! Our history, although not always pretty, it is ours and can not be changed. If only we can learn.
Thanks for watching!
The same is true all around the world...
I really enjoy how you show everything on the maps and even show the topographical maps. Seeing the terrain certainly helps me to understand why certain decisions were made
more census videos please
Thank you for the recommendation. More to come!
I spent every summer camping at Fort Pickens for 15 years as a kid. I'm also a civil war buff.
Why the confederates didn't take Fort Pickens in 1861, i do not understand......
January 1861, was a busy month.
Like
BS! We didn't build these....WORLDWIDE Star forts all look basically the same and are WAY older than claimed by currently 'historians'!
This sounds a lot like MAGA or Tea Party and or Trumpys
civil War? War is not civil nor it waged by civil Forces; War is a military Act waged by military Forces;
There is civil or military; to get to War one must go through military in the dictionary;
Love it!! Keep em' coming!! Btw I really like how you use maps to show us the layout of Towns and Cities and positioning of troops.
Thank you! More to come!
Beaufort Arsenal is a Church with a Courtyard and is shaped like a fortress. I live 5 miles from it.
I watch moments like this and wonder if the involved parties would do anything differently if they knew what tragedy was coming down the road
I think some folks knew they were playing with fire. However, many were pretty sure there would be no bloodshed.
They didn't know, and didn't care. Ignorance and arrogance. It's happening in front of our eyes at this very moment.
As I'm watching this I can't help but thinking that we're getting close to this situation again.
Another great UA-cam
Thanks, Jeff
Thank you!
If they took over the airfield, we'd all say Y'all.
It's a good thing the Wright Brothers were from Ohio. That way us northerners could preserve an ambiguous "you" for both singular and plural.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian We have our slang in the North too. Growing up in New Jersey, we didn't say y'all. In NJ, NY it's you's guys, instead of y'all. Not sure of the proper spelling of you's.
Well done. My great grandfather was stationed at Fort Pickens in 1864. During the period between the secession of SC and the firing on Sumter, there was a 4 month opportunity to settle accounts. Or at least start negotiations. After all the US government funded so much in the Southern infrastructure. But the southern plantocracy was pleased with their ultimatum. Fire Eaters. They then sent delegates to all the other slave states to argue slavery was worth sucession, which kind of undercuts the often heard claim that the war wasn't about slavery.
I imagine it must have been very surreal to be stationed at a place like that. I think a lot of folks were imagining (even though reality was showing otherwise) that the issue would resolve itself.
The steamer Star of the West had supplies and soldiers below deck which broke the agreement South Carolina had with Lincoln to not send reinforcements to Sumter and not to transfer troops to the fort. Lincoln forced the firing on Sumter by Southern forces.
I think a lot of folks, however, would argue that the Star of the West operation was James Buchanan actually trying to do something positive for United States soldiers who were besieged.
Buchanan was still president when they fired upon the Star of the West. Rebel forces were doing everything they could to dissolve the union asap before Lincoln's inauguration.
This was great!
Thank you!
No states were ever "out" of the USA. In reality, there were areas of the country in which open rebellion existed.
You may be right. However, they were "out" enough that:
A) They raised armies against the United States.
B) They did not participate in the election of 1864.
C) They established a separate government with a president, congress, and constitution.
@JeffreytheLibrarian sure, they raised armies to engage in rebellion against the USA. And sure, they chose not to participate in the elections of 1862 or 1864. That violated the Constitution's requirement to provide a republican form of government for the people of the state and suppressed rights of US citizens to participate in said elections. And sure, they violated the Constitution by making treaties with other states. Again, they never "left." They never ceased being part of the USA, no matter what they delusionally believed. They were in rebellion. But we can say that these states were temporarily beyond the control of the federal government in terms of the enforcement of the Constitution. That, of course, eventually changed as the federal government put down the rebellion and restored order with governments in compliance with the Constitution. Calhounians and neo-confederates will make the "two countries" argument based on the theory that "secession" (unilateral withdrawal) was a constitutional right, which just isn't true, but such delusions shouldn't be entertained let alone given the appearance of legitimacy.
"war of Northern aggression" my a..
Robert Toombs, Secretary of State for the CSA said of attaching Fort Sumter, "Mr. President, at this time it is suicide, murder, and will lose us every friend in the North. You will wantonly strike a hornet's nest which extends from mountain to ocean, and legions now quiet will swarm out and sting us to death. It is unnecessary; it puts us in the wrong; it is fatal."
He was right.
That's exactly what it was. Don't lie to yourself.