John Brown, speaking at his trial for treason in fomenting a “slave rebellion” in 1859: “I am quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think vainly, flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done.”

When this trial was held, only Democrats owned slaves, and they were willing to fight a devastating war in order to not only keep the practice, but to expand it into the western territories; and eventually to Nicaragua and Cuba by filibuster.

Within five years the lives of over 360,000 Union soldiers had been sacrificed in order to free those held in slavery. Adding the 260,00 confederate combat-related deaths brings the total combat related deaths in the American Civil War to over 620,000.

Some researchers have risen the estimate of the total combat related deaths to 750,000! The total civilian casualties during the war are still open to conjecture.

With our current population figure of 340 million that number of 620,000 combat-related deaths would have the equivalent social impact of over six million deaths.

The 1860 Census, total U. S. population: 31.4 million: 620,000 deaths.

The Federal Union: 18.7 million: 360,000 deaths.

The Confederacy: 9.2 million free, 3.5 million enslaved: 260,000 deaths.

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No other country in the history of the world has ever fought such a war, and no other country has ever paid such a price in blood.

After the war:

All resistance to the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments came from the Democratic Party.

And in the Democratic Party controlled south a ‘share-cropper’ system, little removed from serfdom, was instituted. And Night Riders, the KuKlux Klan, Jim Crow Laws, Sundown towns and racial segregation were enforced in order to keep the newly freed slaves under control.

All courtesy of the Democratic Party nationally and locally.

Norman Schell

Greenfield