I know Fire-Eaters were preaching secession for a long time before it happened, but I know that whenever I hear someone today talking about secession (i.e. Texas) I roll my eyes and scoff. Would most northerners have had the same reaction to secessionist rhetoric pre-secession?
Another question: Was the melting pot of european cultures even properly "mixed" integrated that there was even such a thing as an "average american"?