if you think that's bad, my mother was still holding onto the fact that we were Orangemen-- even made me wear orange on St. Patrick's Day. And that's what--a 300 year old conflict?

While GA had a hard time getting enough votes to secede in the first place, it was the last state readmitted. I don't think Sherman sat to well. Probably didn't like Mr Peabody, either.

History is written by the victors with discrepancies debated and questioned.

The whole point of the civil war was to "Preserve the Union." The confederacy challenged this preservation. Slavery was a huge subplot and probably the most important one. But Griff got it, the war was about preserving the Union. But getting rid of slavery was a huge perk in our nation's history.

What holidays weren't made up?

Birthdays.

Birthdays are made up. The date chosen is based on a standard method, but that method and the celebration is made up. Especially for people born on Feb 29.

The first one isn't made up. Well, the first one is, but the 0th one isn't.

The event isn't made up, but the holiday is. Just like the spring equinox is an astronomical event, but the Feast of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a holiday.

hmmm... The "holiday" just says "this event happened on this day" which is a statement of fact, if you're standing right there, and the kid pops out, you don't have to look at a calendar, it just happens. Of course, I'm ignoring the fact that nobody celebrates 0th birthdays, as far as I know.

(from the bellyflop thread)Not directly, at least.The point of the 50/50 split was to prevent the "other side" from getting too much power in the Senate. The South was worried that if there were too many free states, there would be a federal ban on slavery. Or even an Amendment, as that too is based on state count.

- Acceptance of new states hinged on their position on slavery. That is a MAJOR issue. -

Right, the Civil War wasn't "to free the slaves". But slavery was at the base of most of the economic and cultural differences that caused the split between North and South. Claiming that slavery was a minor issue is as off-base as claiming that it was the only issue.

Sure they do, by passing out cigars, donuts, tax exemptions and hearty congrats... and the kid gets a tit.

If it's just a statement of fact, then it's not a holiday.

The economic differences were agricultural vs industrial which made them look at trade from an entirely different perspective and cultural differences were all over the ball park. There were plenty of southern farmers, eager to follow the stars and bars, that never owned a slave. In 1860, a male slave would bring thousands of dollars which made it a rich man's game.

June 19th, two months after the end of the war, was the last official public posting and reading of the proclamation. That's when they feel the proclamation was in effect nation wide. Of course that's a little nebulous, but I think that's the reasoning.

Both sides had plenty of small non-slaveholding farms. The economic differences were between the wealthy powerhouses- industrial vs plantation.
It wasn't the poor men making the 50/50 statehood deals. It wasn't the poor men who formed the CSA government.