Scramblin' thru... Antebellum America
Time to Grow Up, America...

The 13 disheveled colonies had won the American Revolution... and now reigned as the one true "America" in the Northern Hemisphere (never mind Canada... or Central or South America). But there was work to be done. No time to relax. It was time to roll up our sleeves and jump in feet first and fire up this whole "nation building" thing. Granted, there were a few "issues" lurking in the shadows... things the Founding Fathers thought would be wise to just ignore and let future generations handle. (It's the same reason why aerosol spray and plastic water bottles are so popular today... not my problem, right?!)
Thanks, Jefferson...
Nevertheless, the period of time in American history from the end of the American Revolution until the secession of South Carolina and the start of the Civil War is known as "Antebellum America". The word antebellum is Latin for "before the war" and refers to all the "stuff" that happened before the Civil War. From 1784-1860, America went through some serious growing pains... you know, the whole "Bambi walking on ice" awkward phase... and coupled this with the overly dramatic, preachy, racist, self-loathing moments you expect during your teenage years... and wound up sounding just as whiny as a particular country band that sports the same name.
Thanks, Jefferson...
Nevertheless, the period of time in American history from the end of the American Revolution until the secession of South Carolina and the start of the Civil War is known as "Antebellum America". The word antebellum is Latin for "before the war" and refers to all the "stuff" that happened before the Civil War. From 1784-1860, America went through some serious growing pains... you know, the whole "Bambi walking on ice" awkward phase... and coupled this with the overly dramatic, preachy, racist, self-loathing moments you expect during your teenage years... and wound up sounding just as whiny as a particular country band that sports the same name.
Lady (America) Antebellum
The Civil War lasted from 1861-1865 and produced 1,136,594 casualties. This is more than all prior wars combined, ranking it as the deadliest war ever waged by Americans. (Granted, Americans shooting Americans has a tendency to "pad" the stats.)
Naturally, having slaves made our cries of being "enslaved by King George III" sound incredibly ridiculous, but Americans have a short memory, so we glossed right over that. Slavery was a very divisive issue during Antebellum America, and it eventually caused the Civil War. The issue of states' rights - the ability of a state to break its ties with the Union and secede - further compounded the situation by testing the strength of the Federal Government.
Can a state secede if it no longer wants to be a part of the United States?
Nope, not anymore. (Sorry California. Sorry Texas.) But, it took four years and over 1.1 million casualties to settle the secession issue.
Ironically, the seeds of secession were planted by the very men who helped create the country. The fabric of the Union ultimately tore with the formation of the Confederacy, but slavery, states' rights, and secession were far from just Civil War issues. These issues embedded themselves in the minds of the public and conflicts over them flared up on numerous occasions prior to 1861.
Without a doubt, America was already fighting its "Civil War" long before blood was shed at Bull Run.
Naturally, having slaves made our cries of being "enslaved by King George III" sound incredibly ridiculous, but Americans have a short memory, so we glossed right over that. Slavery was a very divisive issue during Antebellum America, and it eventually caused the Civil War. The issue of states' rights - the ability of a state to break its ties with the Union and secede - further compounded the situation by testing the strength of the Federal Government.
Can a state secede if it no longer wants to be a part of the United States?
Nope, not anymore. (Sorry California. Sorry Texas.) But, it took four years and over 1.1 million casualties to settle the secession issue.
Ironically, the seeds of secession were planted by the very men who helped create the country. The fabric of the Union ultimately tore with the formation of the Confederacy, but slavery, states' rights, and secession were far from just Civil War issues. These issues embedded themselves in the minds of the public and conflicts over them flared up on numerous occasions prior to 1861.
Without a doubt, America was already fighting its "Civil War" long before blood was shed at Bull Run.