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To: CurlyBill
Why then, did Delaware not join the secession? Surely they would have if slavery was the reason. My point still stands.

Delaware would have been part of the "second wave" of seceding states (e.g. Virginia or Tennessee), which reacted after the Confederacy began the war by joining the new nation. Since at that time neighboring Maryland had already been occupied by federal soldiers, there must have been a strong sense amongst the pro-slavery faction in Delaware that their position would be strategically hopeless. Furthermore, there was obviously a strong pro-Union faction in the tiny state, as it sent nine regiments to the federal forces.

41 posted on 06/28/2004 9:45:50 AM PDT by SedVictaCatoni (Forgot the taste of bread? Ate only meat? Gollum invented the Atkins diet.)
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To: SedVictaCatoni; CurlyBill
Even more support: After the secession of the original seven states of the Confederacy, the free states essentially had the sort of congressional supermajority status the country had been so cautious to avoid for so long. Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, and the border states certainly knew that slavery was not safe in the remnants of the Union, yet chose to reject secession.

Furthermore, there was obviously a strong pro-Union faction in the tiny state,

And thus you counter-argue your own point. Delaware knew the fight was one for Union (i.e. political control), and not one against slavery.

55 posted on 06/29/2004 5:52:43 AM PDT by Gianni
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