Yes, because he lost.
Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams (et. al) were traitors to the Crown, but they won, so they are remembered as patriots.
Those great men created a new country of which Virginia was a big player.
Yes, because he lost.
Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams (et. al) were traitors to the Crown, but they won, so they are remembered as patriots.
Keep in mind that after the Gettysburg Address, the War became defined as a war over slavery, not a War of preserving/dividing the Union, hence "defending/protecting" the country is irrelevant.
Those great men created a new country of which Virginia was a big player.
Luigi,
So, in this friendly debate, it all boils down to your point of view: whether or not the Southern States were a sovereign nation when they seceeded. In my view of the historical evidence, they were. in your view, they weren't. You won't convince me, and I won't convince you. In my experiance, when debates get to an impasse like this, its better to agree to disagree. (BTW, I'm not saying this because I don't have an answer to Luigi.) So, Luigi, I commend you on your debate skills.
BTW, it wasn't after the Gettysburg Address (which is one of my favorite historical speeches) that the war became partly about slavery, it was after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on 1 Jan. 1863.