what led leaders of the confederacy to fight for their independence?

Answer 1

They felt that individual states joined the united states, and had every right to leave if they chose.

Answer 2

Lincoln was a Republican. Slavery was already geared to be abolished around 1890, but the Northern folks said that this wasn't soon enough. And, as most everyone has mentioned, it became a matter of State's Rights Vs. Federal. Lee was an instructor at West Point -- as were many of the military leaders of the day and when asked to which side he would offer his services, he said that he should wait and see which side his state of Virginia would fall. He then went home to his wife and together, they prayed in quiet solitude. For his part, when the end came, his plantation was divided and turned into a National Cemetary -- Arlington. He was then stripped of his citizenship.

Answer 3

State's Rights. Does the Federal government have the right to overrule laws passed by the states? This is a fight that is still going on. What determines the limits on the laws of the Federal Government?

Answer 4

In spite of revisionists, they were adamant supporters of states rights & opposed to a strong central government. And discover many of the CSA leaders were elected members of the US Congress. When Robert E. Lee was offered command of the US Army, he replied he would follow his Virginia homeland. At that time, many, many residents identified with their state first. Research the names of the various army groups; they were known by the state they were from (i.e. 1st Massachuetts, The Army of Virginia, 1st Tennessee, ...).

Answer 5

They believed in oppression and that the US government did not have the right to tell them to stop oppressing their people. Thats pretty much what it boiled down to.

Although I'm a born and bred Texan, most other southernors would tell you "Oh it was states' rights" and all that hoopla.

Big reason was slavery. States' rights was just the umbrella it fell under.