48th Miss.
First Sergeant
- Joined
- May 11, 2016
- Location
- North Carolina
I am not a scholar by any stretch on this topic nor any dealing with the Civil War. I am but an interested party, one with many questions, few answers but a willingness to learn. While on another thread today I began to wonder. Why would the South allow the Federal Government to build and own Fortifications on their land. It seems that from the beginning there was suspicion among the Signers and Debaters of all the Founding Documents and their revisions. Compromises where made for political and unity reasons. We needed each other to gain our Independence from British rule and begin our Great Experiment in Self Governance. Among others the 3/5ths compromise comes to mind and the 20 year moratorium on changes to the Slave issue. Clearly non wanted the other to have an advantage. During the ratification debate one side basically wanted a stronger central Government to meet the needs that the Articles of Confederation did not meet while others wanted a weaker central Government and more State control. Either way there were suspicions. Naturally we would need coastal defenses as indicated by the War of 1812. We needed protection from those wishing to prey on the new country but where did the fear of Government over reach go when it came time to fund and build these forts? A quick search netted a few like Ft Sumter and others in Florida and Louisiana. All coastal, all needed for protection but why did the State not build them, as it was the door to there land first? Was there ever a debate to Lease the land to the Federal Government, if even for a dollar, so the State could maintain outright ownership? Today if the Federal Government funds it then they have a lot of say in the matter and certainly I want to stay out of that as it pertains to BLM and Education and the like. Did the South figure that since the States were Sovereign that anything the Federal Government did to improve there lot in life and relieve their financial burdens and responsibilities was fine since the improvements could not be removed? How many Forts Coastal or Inland were build after the Slavery issue started to gain steam? After the Missouri Compromise and the Kansas Nebraska Act? After the first thoughts or Secession? After even some Northern States toyed with the idea of secession, I believe early on? Anyway there it is Folks. I would appreciated the help of the good scholars on the forum in addressing these questions. They seem basic enough and should not bring any to boil like some subject that seem to occupy us on other more lofty threads. I thank you in advance for the forthcoming education and of course I will make an effort as well to find some contributions with the limited resources I have