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Originally Posted by MAXUM
Actually, it was the south that fired the first shot on Ft Sumpter.
That said, who fired the first shot isn't what set the whole thing in motion. It was a decision by the federal government to create a policy that directly affected the livelihood of many. At the time this was considered unacceptable by those in the south. I believe to this day slavery was an abomination and needed to be ended. Was fighting a civil war over it the right resolution? Hard to say but history is what it is!
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As you point out, it was the South that fired the first shots.
But there was not "a decision by the federal government" to abolish slavery at that point. Certain states announced succession on fear of such a decision, then Lincoln decided to resupply the US fort, and it was this decision (to resupply the fort) that led to the war. The Emancipation Proclamation came several years later.
I agree it's not really fair to Monday Morning Quarterback something like this. But like you, I think slavery was completely reprehensible.
On a personal level--my family goes back hundreds of years in the deep South. I don't think my ancestors owned slaves, but I know they fought for the South in the Civil War. It always puzzles me when people today somehow try to make excuses for the South (not saying you've done this), stuff like "I'm proud of where I come from...it's about tradition...". A person can be grateful to their ancestors and also readily agree that in some ways they were really f'ed up. Imagine a whole society where "livelihood" depended on slaves