Section: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

In the previous sections, we established the motives and intentions of the Framers of our Constitution as well as the fact that secession was a legitimate and constitutional right. Furthermore, we established that the U.S. government of 1861 denied that secession was a right and declared willingness to wage a bloody war to prove it.  In the process, the Constitutional Union they ostensibly sought to "preserve" was destroyed and replaced with an empire ruled by elitists in a central capitol.

"The sword is mighty, but principles laugh at swords.  Overwhelming force may crush truth to earth but, crushed or not the truth is still the truth."  --John S. Tilley,The Coming of the Glory

The previous sections were necessary to support the conclusions reached in the analysis that follows.  We're now prepared to evaluate the ultimate question, a question about which there remains a good deal of misunderstanding ---some caused by deliberate and malicious propaganda and some by benevolent ignorance----and the answer to which leads to many significant points that are relevant to the present 21st Century, the third century of American independence. [Please read this last paragraph again.]  The ultimate question is....

Why was there a war?  The answer in simplest terms is... because Lincoln and his government chose not to allow the southern states to leave in peace.  But let's resist the temptation to over-simplify.

All the wars of human history can be boiled down to three causes which often overlap:

• Envy/Greed: One party desires to take something (territory, water rights, gold, wealth) someone else has
• Distrust/Fear: One party fears the other party or parties (militarily) and decides to attack first
• Arrogance:  One party believes the other party inferior or contrary to their beliefs (religion, slavery, oppression, lack of technology)

All the above came into play in the war in question.  Let's evaluate the causes of the War for Southern Independence by breaking it down to key questions and corollaries.  Each link below will take the reader to an analysis of each question before returning here to proceed.

• Who started the war?
• Why did the United States choose war?
• Why not negotiate peace?
• Why did the Confederate States fight the war? Why secede?
• Was the Secession an act to perpetuate slavery?
• What was Jefferson Davis' rationale? What did other secessionists think?

....under construction

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