Opinion of Franklin Pierce

[SPC]

The Ostend Manifesto, Kansas-Nebraska Act, and Gadsden Purchase lower my opinion of him, although by modern standards he was fairly decent.

[SPC]

It's impossible to be even an average president if you actively support people who are rebelling against the government because they want to have the right to own other people. Do you disagree with this?

[SPC]

It's impossible to be even an average president if you actively support people who are rebelling against the government because they want to have the right to own other people. Do you disagree with this?

Their rebellion wasn't fought purely on the basis of owning people.

Neither was the Confederacy's.

[SPC]

It's impossible to be even an average president if you actively support people who are rebelling against the government because they want to have the right to own other people. Do you disagree with this?

Their rebellion wasn't fought purely on the basis of owning people.

Neither was the Confederacy's.

Uh, yeah it was. And don't give me that states' rights crap. The "states' rights" in question were the rights of the states to legalize owning people.

Key here is your use of "purely." I wouldn't deny that it was a contributing factor, but considering that 4 of the 11 states seceded after Lincoln promised not to interfere with Southern slavery, simplistically saying that slavery was the sole reason for secession is intellectually dishonest.

[SPC]

Washington and Jefferson did not rebel against the British to protect slavery.  How did anyone get the idea that they did?  The 13 Colonies did not break away from Britain because the British were perceived to be threatening the tyrannical institution.  Jefferson actually wanted to include language in the Declaration of Independence blaming King George III for slavery.

As for the South in the Civil War, preserving the way of life based on slavery was the prime reason for secession.

That may not have been their reason, but the Americans success had the practical effect of prolonging slavery.

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