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#StatesRights - a 
:
Growing up in Texas, I frequently heard the argument about how important it was that states have their individual rights to set their own policies within the state.
:Growing up in Texas, I frequently heard the argument about how important it was that states have their individual rights to set their own policies within the state.
The holy grail is that a state should be able to nullify federal law within its borders.
Here's the current TEXAS governor advocating for this a few years back: https://www.texastribune.org/2016/01/08/abbott-calls-states-amend-us-constitution/
Here's the current TEXAS governor advocating for this a few years back: https://www.texastribune.org/2016/01/08/abbott-calls-states-amend-us-constitution/
In school we were explicitly taught that the Civil War was about
States Rights
Tariffs
Sectionalism
NOT absolutely not, your answer was completely wrong if you said so, over slavery. This is slowly changing.
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/16/668557179/texas-students-will-soon-learn-slavery-played-a-central-role-in-the-civil-war#:~:text=Texas'%20Board%20of%20Education%20voted,learn%20about%20the%20Civil%20War.&text=in%20the%20war.-,The%20state's%20previous%20social%20studies%20standards%20listed%20three%20causes%20for,slavery%20as%20the%20only%20cause.
States Rights
Tariffs
Sectionalism
NOT absolutely not, your answer was completely wrong if you said so, over slavery. This is slowly changing.
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/16/668557179/texas-students-will-soon-learn-slavery-played-a-central-role-in-the-civil-war#:~:text=Texas'%20Board%20of%20Education%20voted,learn%20about%20the%20Civil%20War.&text=in%20the%20war.-,The%20state's%20previous%20social%20studies%20standards%20listed%20three%20causes%20for,slavery%20as%20the%20only%20cause.
Of course one might ask, what specific #StatesRights did the Confederacy care about?
The right to own slaves. In fact they cared more about this than the principle of #StatesRights. Lots of evidence to support this:
The right to own slaves. In fact they cared more about this than the principle of #StatesRights. Lots of evidence to support this:
1) The Fugitive Slave Act required states where slavery was illegal to assist in the capture and return of escaped slaves.
The free states' rights to set their own laws were irrelevant.
The free states' rights to set their own laws were irrelevant.
2) when studying why the US seceded from England, we read the Declaration of Independence.
When learning why the Confederacy seceded, we never read their declarations. They are explicit about the "natural state" of African slaves, but not #StatesRights: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/declaration-causes-seceding-states
When learning why the Confederacy seceded, we never read their declarations. They are explicit about the "natural state" of African slaves, but not #StatesRights: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/declaration-causes-seceding-states
3) The most substantive change of the Confederate constitution from the US Constitution was the explicit requirement that all states protect slavery.
https://jjmccullough.com/CSA.htm
https://jjmccullough.com/CSA.htm
But, the mythology of #StatesRights continued (or rather was invented) after the war. I heard it so many times.
But just as back then the Southern states were willing to throw out states rights when it came to getting slaves back...
But just as back then the Southern states were willing to throw out states rights when it came to getting slaves back...
Today we see that again, #statesrights is not a principle they believe in, but rather a rhetorical flourish used to justify doing what they want.
It's cast aside as soon as the need to control other states emerges.
It's cast aside as soon as the need to control other states emerges.
To be clear, Texas' governor 4 years ago proposed an amendment that would prohibit Congress from regulating any activity “that occurs wholly within one state”.
Today, Texas is suing 4 states asking the Supreme Court to overturn their elections because Trump didn't win.
Today, Texas is suing 4 states asking the Supreme Court to overturn their elections because Trump didn't win.
So when they don't get what they want, they have no problem trampling all over the rights of other states.
