why do so many people think the war of northern aggression ( aka civil war), was fought to free the slaves?

Question

that wasnt the purpose at all,what were the real reasons, anyone know?

Answer 1

It was fought over the issue of whether or not States have the right to secede from the Union. The North decided to free slaves in the southern states in order to gain popular support and also appeal to the slaves. Ultimately, the North won and secured the authority of the Union over the individual States.

p.s. the causes of the Civil War are apparently still controversial, even today. Here's a link where you can read different reasons... (It's interesting, but long!)

Answer 2

The real reason was to keep the confederated states from leaving the union of states. Slavery had already been abolished by law. Current slave owners were granted whats known as a 'grandfather clause' in the law. That meant they could keep their slaves for a certain number of years. No new slaves could be purchased. When the southern states left the union, they kept the new anti-slavery law in their constitution ( it is a matter of record for doubters). When the war broke out, the union (USA) was caught by surprise, the south won many early battles. The idea to free the slaves halfway through the war seem advantageous to the north. Lincoln signed into law the 'emancipation proclamation'. It freed only the slaves in the southern states that had not fallen to the north. Northern strategists hoped the freed slaves would rebel against their owners and help the north win the war. Added to that the north attempted to recruited more soldiers with the idea that they would help free the slaves-it worked. Many more young men joined the union army and eventually the north won the war. All the slaves in the northern states were not freed until six months after the war was over. So the idea that the north fought to free the slaves was a war time propaganda that is still with us today. Reconstruction after the war was particularly brutal to most people in the south. Most people lost everything they had to oportunist and investors from the north. The south was litterally pillaged. Many who never owned a slave fell victim to ruthless thieves. Tremendous bitternes has resulted from reconstruction and the 'free the slaves' issue. Most of the victims of this tragedy, about 90% or more of the southern people never owned a slave. There is a lot more to this, but space and time cramp us. America lost more men in that war than all others combined. We almost wiped ourselves out. Yet we recovered to literaly save the world just 65 years later in WW II. All we get for for saving Europe is they spit on us every chance they get. My ancestors have fought in every war this country has been in. I have nephews in Iraq now. I am proud to be an American, and I always will.

Answer 3

the north fought for many reasons, abolitioning slavery was one of them, yes, but they also fought to keep the union together, if you could go back to the civil war and ask the good ol' northern boys why they are doing this, thats the over welming majorities answer.

and a lot of people dont realize that not everyone in the south was for slavery, there were many southern generals that say slavery is wrong, and some northerns that were all for it. but most of the south was for slavery because it helped out there economy greatly. there were so many reasons why that war was fought.
a

also, a lot of people dont know that the The Emancipation Proclamation did NOT free all slaves. it only freed slaves in the southern states, it excluded the border states (states that did not side with neither the north nor south) because lincoln feared that they would get angry and side with the south. many slaves began to leave the south, even though technically since the south had suceeded from the union, The Emancipation Proclamation had no importance in their democratic law system.

Answer 4

The Civil War (history is written by the winners) was about the United States not letting the Confederacy seperate. The most visible issue behind the class differences that led to the formation of the Confederacy *was* slavery, which is why it's often seen as the reason behind the war.

Answer 5

Yes read your history books. It was the industrial revolution and they needed a source of cheep labor. If the North freed the slaves and they went North. Which is in fact what they did.
There was the cheep labor the big business interests were looking for. And by the way it worked. Big businesses has always corrupted the government. allowing overseas cheep labor with the propaganda that somehow it helps the economy.
Actually it just helps rich people get richer.

Answer 6

depends on whose perspective you want to view it from. importation of slaves into the US had been banned in the 1830's. with the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the northern states, slavery was all but abolished in the North.

however, with the invention of the cotton gin, textiles became the cash cow, requiring a larger work force. many farmers in the upper south (MD, VA, KY, WV, TN) had all but ceased their productions of tobacco & rice in exchange for slave breeding. so America was caught in a catch 22 - textiles brought in huge revenue, yet white southerners were concerned with the ever-growing African-American population. riots broke out, insurrection & runaways were becoming the norm.

what the dominant culture was not ready to accept about African-Americans was even though it was forbidden to be educated, many of them were, in spite of the threat of death or capital punishment. they understood the passage from the Declaration of Independance, "all men were created equal..." to mean them, too - & fought for their own liberation during the American Revolution, the War of 1812 & the Civil war.

the deal is, African-Americans were willing to fight with any side that would promise them emancipation from slavery - if the Spanish would hide them out in the territory that is now Florida, they went there. if Britian promised them freedom, they fought against the Colonists. if the Quakers provided a place of refuge, they went there...they were only loyal to one cause - freedom.

abolitionists constortiums arose during the 1830's thru the 1860's, with both whites & Blacks demanding an end to human chattle slavery. the 'sin that did Jezebel in' was when both factions (the North & the South) came to an empass, & the southern states, starting with South Carolina, began seceding from the Union to form it's own Confederacy of States.

Lincoln's initial motivation was to save the Union. if he could have done it & preserved slavery, he was for it. if he had to free the slaves to preserve the Union, he was for that, as well.

he had to rethink his strategy when the Union was losing the war & against his initial resistance to do so, enlisted African-American troops (under European-American leaders) to fight in the Union Army, with the Massachusetts 54th Regiment Army being one of many who lend to the Union winning the war.

so, to dismiss the emancipation of slaves as a factor in the Civil War is fallicious. while it was not the only factor, it should absolutely not be dismissed - otherwise, why were the Emancipation Proclaimation, the 13th, 14th & 15th Amendments created during & immediately after the war - right on through Reconstruction?

do your own investigation of truth. have an open mind when you do so. the whole issue of chattle slavery in America is not a pretty one - but it most certainly is a part of the American story, like it or no & it absolutely was the catalyst for the Civil War.

Answer 7

at first it was about freeing slavery but getting into the war it turns out that it was just differences. another reason why the civil war began was because the north wanted to preserve the union.

Answer 8

They're taught that myth in order to cover up the true reason for that illegal war; economics and the subjugation of the Southern states to a centralized government.

Answer 9

Because it WAS about slavery, at least indirectly. On the surface, it was about secession and states' rights, but why did they want to secede? Because the North kept pressuring them to abolish slavery. And what did the Southern planters want the right to do? To own slaves, mainly.

Answer 10

Because it starts with a C and axl rose said so...