Could rampant land speculation have caused the Civil War?

originally posted by: matafuchs
Why do you think it's so your land that you don't have to pay tax? Who doesn't pay tax? Smart People

Have you ever lived in a place which runs on a shoestring?

originally posted by: matafuchs
a reply to: Solvedit
Why do you deserve not to pay taxes? Becuase the US was founded on the principle we were being taxed too much.

Not. The US was founded in part because the British wanted to tax the colonists but not give them any representation in Parliament.

Can it be they considered the colonies one homogenous expense and revenue source?

Can it be they did not want a self-governing nation of townsfolk who did not need a king?

Can it be that in pursuit of this goal they filled the place with people who would be a tax liabilty, whom the other colonists did not want to be held responsible for?

For example, what if when the Royal Navy cleared pirates out of the Atlantic in 1710-1720, their accessories who were not guilty of capital crimes were sent here? Can it be the pressure caused some of the pirates to come here instead of losing their lives in battle or punishment? Can it be the productive colonists truly hated their tax revenue going to navy patrols to keep the pirates off the high seas?