Part 14
NINE states approved the draft constitution, out of the original 13, of the United States of America in 1787. The Federal Government began operations in March 4, 1789. The union increased with 11 new states, thereafter, e.g. Ohio 1805, Louisiana 1812, Maine 1820 etc., to Texas and California on 1845 and 1850, respectively. Arizona 1912, the 49th and 50th state, Alaska and Hawaii in the 1950s. New states may be admitted into the union by an act of the Federal Congress. No new states may be erected with-in the jurisdiction of any other state, nor any state formed in conjunction of 2 states or parts of a states sans consent of state legislatures concerned.
The American Civil War (1861-65), described by historians as one of the “most horrific”, with 640,000-750,000 casualties with undetermined civilian deaths, was an amalgamation of issues. At the core, a conflict of socio-cultural values, political ideals, and economic well-being, manifested in the prime propellants of an increasing territory, shifting power towards Western frontiers, Southern agriculture vs. Northern industrial economy, slavery (legal even after 1776 in 13 founding states to persons of African ancestry), ‘Abolitionist Movement’ to end slavery, Abraham Lincoln’s election on “emancipation” for the “negros”. The most fundamental question – the role of government? Sovereign states freely joining a union pushing for more state rights versus greater Federal control? Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, 11 states e.g. Florida, Alabama etc. seceded (Dec. 20, 1860) from the union, makes the case, “The bill of rights of states subsequent admission into the union 1789, undeniably recognizes in the people the power to resume the authority delegated for purposes of government…secession…is justified upon the basis states are sovereign…acknowledge our right to self-government”. Lincoln’s decision to fight than let the states secede, as he saw it, was a sacred duty to preserve the union, at all cost. Hence, the substantive power of state sovereignty, is a closed issue, settled by union victory in a bloody civil war.
