When Abraham Lincoln spoke at his inauguration in March 1861, the mood of the nation was grim. It was a freezing day and the sky was gray. Worse still, no one knew how the newly elected president, a rookie lawyer, would handle the country's biggest problem since its founding: Southern secession. The United States, its greatness and splendor was at stake and was now reduced to nothing more than the absurd "Disunited States of America." Americans were in a state of perplexity and one question remained in their minds: "Did the South have the legal right to secede from the Union?" No, the South did not have the legal right to secede from the Union, due to the longevity of the Union, the solidarity between the states, and the threatening implications that secession entailed. The South seceded illegally for many reasons. First, the original thirteen colonies, Texas, and Mexico all renounced their native and sovereign status to enter the Union, hoping to receive the guaranteed benefits offered by the U.S. Constitution: the life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. All the other states that have petitioned Congress for statehood are not allowed to even think about the idea of ​​sovereignty, because they never held that status and wanted to be part of the glorious Union. Second, the preamble to the U.S. Constitution states that one of the purposes of the new nation was to “form a more perfect Union.” The expression “More Perfect Union” summarizes the incessance and perpetuity of the Union and implies the inseparability of its States. Another piece of evidence, evidently found in the U.S. Constitution, is Article 1, Section 10, which states: "No State shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation." Since the Confederacy... middle of paper ......deration, and finally, the American Constitution. However, a more philosophical analysis can be drawn from the Civil War. In essence, the war challenged the idea that self-government and democracy would prevail over chaos. And in the words of James Buchanan: "Our example of over eighty years would not only be lost, but it would be cited as conclusive proof that man is unfit for self-government." » The legacy of the United States of America was in peril and the Union found itself on a macrocosmic stage, as spectators saw whether the pioneering idea of ​​a democracy would end or endure through difficult times. . The Civil War was a test, and a fragile America actually overcame it, knowing that further obstacles would be inevitable. But there was hope that success was always possible and the American dream endured for generations to come...