October 02, 2016 Sunday

Bedtime Story



From Declaration of Independence To Killing Each Other in a span of mere 84 years

The 13 tiny colonies on the east coast of America went on war against the Kingdom of Great Britain somewhere in the 1760s.

The issue was simple, money or rather taxes.

Both America and the Indian Subcontinent had become what can be aptly called enforced trading partners roughly about the same time, the early 1600s.

But the American Colonies protested much early (1760s) against unfair trade practices/economic exploitation whereas the subcontinent continued to be fed upon for a much longer time (till late 1930s).

These 13 colonies who considered themselves sovereign states decided both to unite and form a single independent nation-the United States of America in 1776.

Yet barely 84 years had passed when they were at each other’s throat.

Can you guess what the reason was?

Yes Sir, once again it was resources. But this time it was human resources or slavery.   

The seven southern states or the Confederacy (South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas) whose economy depended upon cotton agriculture and plantation depended upon the cheap black slaves.

The northern states or the Union under President Abraham Lincoln did not need the slave labor as they were largely industrialized and urbanized with enough manpower.

So they had the luxury of being enlightened and abolishing slave trade.

That hurt the interests of the southern state agonizingly bad.

So they decided to cast off and secede their own way.

Just like our Kashmir or Russia’s Chechnya, no way the country was letting them off the hook.

The only way was force through war!   

The American Civil War is said to be the first truly industrial war in the sense that technological progress such as railroads, steamships, telegraphs and mass-produced weapons were used in an unprecedented scale.   

It was Americans killing Americans on an industrial scale that was presided by that most unfortunate leader Abraham Lincoln.

Pray tell me Sir, what can be more unfortunate than a leader of a huge nation having to wage war against not a small band of mutineers, naxalites, terrorists, subversives but HALF of his nation!

Stay tuned to the voice of an average storytelling chimpanzee or login at http://panarrans.blogspot.in/

Good night mon ami and my fellow cousin ape.

The 13 colonies that formed the original United States (just a thin strip along the east coast)

Declaring themselves independent in 1776 in Philadelphia 

After merely 84 years of formation, in 1861 they go to deadly war over the question of owning slaves