monsterballads

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The Civil War was primarily about slavery, but the situation in the North was more complex than a simple divide. While the Northern states are often seen as "free" states, slavery persisted in some form in parts of the North, particularly in border states and areas with gradual emancipation laws. Here’s why:
Gradual Emancipation Laws: States like New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania passed laws in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that gradually freed enslaved people, often only after they reached a certain age or served additional years. For example, New York’s 1799 law freed children born to enslaved mothers after 1817, but only when they turned 28 (for men) or 25 (for women). This meant slavery lingered legally in some Northern states well into the 1840s.

Border States: States like Maryland, Delaware, Missouri, and Kentucky—Union states during the Civil War—permitted slavery. These border states had significant economic and social ties to the South, and slavery remained entrenched. For instance, Maryland had about 87,000 enslaved people in 1860. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation (1863) only applied to Confederate territories, so slavery continued in these Union states until the 13th Amendment in 1865.

Economic and Social Factors: In the North, slavery was less central to the economy than in the South, but it still existed in industries like agriculture, shipping, and domestic service, especially in the early 19th century. Some Northerners held onto enslaved labor for economic convenience or social status, even as public sentiment turned against it.

Political Compromise: The North’s tolerance of slavery in border states was partly a political strategy to keep those states loyal to the Union. Lincoln prioritized preserving the Union over immediate abolition, avoiding actions that might push border states to join the Confederacy.

Moral and Cultural Hypocrisy: While many Northerners opposed slavery in principle, some were complicit in its economic benefits (e.g., through trade with the South or owning slaves themselves). Abolitionism grew stronger over time, but it wasn’t universally embraced in the North, where racism and economic self-interest often diluted anti-slavery sentiment.

In short, the North wasn’t uniformly "free" of slavery due to gradual laws, economic ties, and political calculations. The Civil War’s core issue was the South’s dependence on and defense of slavery as an institution, but the North’s complicity in slavery’s persistence reveals a messier reality. By 1860, about 10-15% of the North’s population lived in states where slavery was still legal, though the numbers were far smaller than in the South.

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Jack and Jill is lyrically amazing

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She was eighteen, had a California dream
Gettin' out was just a matter of time
He just turned twenty, makin' decent money
Drivin' nails into railroad ties
Boy meets girl, girl's plans changed that summer into a hell of a fall
No, they didn't have it all together, but together they had it all
They had it all

[Verse 2]
Love did what it does, wasn't even six months
Ain't ever leavin', shinin' on her left hand
But that worse or for better, forever together
Started runnin' out of sand

[Pre-Chorus]
He was gone on the road, she was home all alone
That lonely took a toll on her heart
Came home early one night to surprise her
To find her lost in someone else's arms

[Chorus]
This is the story of Jack and Jill
How their whole world came tumblin' down
Heartbreak kills, Jill got on the pills
And Jack couldn't get off that Crown
They found their peace somewhere underneath
The roots of a sycamore tree
Yeah, Jack and Jill went downhill
And ended up on one in Tennessee
In Tennessee

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In my opinion, Chelsea's is getting the same tier of bands that used to frequent the Spanish Moon.

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Who the hell is Benson Boone?

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I can't imagine such a major band having such consistently shitty sound. How does that happen?

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