[rockrr]

From my reading, it appears the Declaration of Independence was a unilateral action by the colonies and was not based on the mutual consent of Britain. Or the votes of Spain, or Portugal, or Canada, or anyone else in the international community.

The Colonists didn't secede from British rule - they openly rebelled. And as a last resort and only after exhausting every other remedy.

The southern slavers chose violent insurrection as their first recourse.

they chose poorly.

[jeffersondem]

“The southern slavers chose violent insurrection as their first recourse.”

Problem identified: you are weak on American history.

If you knew about the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the omnibus Compromise of 1850, or the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 you would not make the mistake of writing about “violent insurrection as their first recourse.”

The southern sons and grandsons of the founding fathers wanted to preserve their birthright union. They embraced peaceful compromise. Repeatedly.