How many people honestly believe that the civil war was fought solely over the issue of slavery?

Question

If you dont believe that it was, what was the reason that the confederate states and the union army fought this war?

Answer 1

If you do I feel so sorry for ya.

Answer 2

It wasn't fought strictly over slavery...and that is a fact. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863...two years after the war was even started. I once read where Lincoln actually was reluctant to sign the proclamation. Something else to consider, there were a lot of Union Army soldiers that did not like the slaves either. Slavery was something that was around since the birth of the nation, so it was actually the Northern States that changed it's mind on the issue.
The Civil War was mainly fought over territory and politics. The CSA (Confederate States of America) wanted to secede from the Union because of many political differences. Slavery just happened to be one of the big ones. They basically formed their own government complete with a president, Jefferson Davis, and cabinet, a constitution, and capital city, originally Montgomery AL and then Richmond, VA. In lay mans terms, this pretty much ticked off the USA. There are plenty of other reasons for the war, slavery just happens to be the one that is most recognized. Politics and economic differences are probably the main reasons, though.

Answer 3

To argue that the Civil War was fought over slavery is like arguing that World War II was fought because Hitler massacred Jews- it takes a very strong issue and forces it to center stage without understanding the true cause.

The main reason was that certain "states" decided they would prefer self government. That is, they should be free to rule themselves, and not answer to a central government. That is why the two sides were called "The Union" and "The Confederacy".

In fact, both sides had factions for and against slavery. To say the north was against and the south was for slavery would be an uninformed mistake.

Answer 4

Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest (who made his fortune in the slave trade), the cavalry genius, said it best: "If we ain't fighting for slavery, then what in hell are we fighting for?" Confederate states' rights were all about preserving slavery in the South and also expanding it into new territories, the latter to shift the balance of power in Congress to the pro-slavery side. There never was any state right to secede from the United States and commit an act of war against her, as South Carolina did at Fort Sumter. Slavery was a cancer, which had to be destroyed in order to save our country.

Answer 5

didn't you go to school, dumbass. it was about politics, trades, relations. the confederate states wanted each state to regulate themselves instead of a federal government, like the union. when and only when the union all but completely won the war, lincoln declared the slaves were all free, even in the south. you should be LUCKY it happened that way. the war had NOTHING at all do to with slavery, until the very end. maybe, if you would have paid attention in school, instead of gangbanging all day like a stupid n*gger, you would have learned something.

Answer 6

The reason was states rights and export taxes.

Further, it wasn't a 'civil war' , that's a misnomer.

War was declared in 1861, the slaves "in those states still in a state of rebellion (only)" were emancipated in 1863. Why the time lapse?

Because the Brits were about to attack and Lincoln used slavery as a PR tool to keep the Brit public from supporting the war.
Happy Juneteenth.

Answer 7

I do not believe it was fought solely because of slavery. There was the issue of the Federal government infringing upon the States government.

Answer 8

State's rights. People like to say it was fought over slavery because that's so much more dramatic. Slavery was/is used as an excuse and a scapegoat.

Answer 9

From my last history class, Lincoln's main concern wasn't to free slave's, (he had some himself)but to keep the confederate from becoming independent, and to keep the nation united at all cost. because slavery was the main issue dividing the north and south, it was what the fight became about.

Answer 10

well it was not fought solely over the issue of slavery. it was fought over the battle between states rights and federal rights.

Answer 11

It wasn't about slavery, it was about taxes. Taxes paid on goods brought into this country from foreign countries. This tax was called a tariff. Southerners felt these tariffs were unfair and aimed toward them because they imported a wider variety of goods than most Northern people.