Why do southern neo-confederates say slavery had nothing to do with the Civil War?

Question

While you guys have opinions from revisionist confederate historians, I have civil war era documents stating otherwise.

The South seceeded from the Union because they wanted to keep their slaves. That was the ultimate cause of the Civil War.

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DECLARATION OF SECESSION, MISSISSIPPI
"In the momentous step which our State has taken of dissolving its connection with the government of which we so long formed a part, it is but just that we should declare the prominent reasons which have induced our course."

"Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun.
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/csa/missec.htm

DECLARATION OF SECESSION, GEORGIA
"The people of Georgia having dissolved their political connection with the Government of the United States of America, present to their confederates and the world the causes which have led to the separation. For the last ten years we have had numerous and serious causes of complaint against our non-slave-holding confederate States with reference to the subject of African slavery. They have endeavored to weaken our security, to disturb our domestic peace and tranquility, and persistently refused to comply with their express constitutional obligations to us in reference to that property, and by the use of their power in the Federal Government have striven to deprive us of an equal enjoyment of the common Territories of the Republic."
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/csa/geosec.htm

DECLARATION OF SECESSION, TEXAS
"In all the non-slave-holding States, in violation of that good faith and comity which should exist between entirely distinct nations, the people have formed themselves into a great sectional party, now strong enough in numbers to control the affairs of each of those States, based upon an unnatural feeling of hostility to these Southern States and their beneficent and patriarchal system of African slavery, proclaiming the debasing doctrine of equality of all men, irrespective of race or color-- a doctrine at war with nature, in opposition to the experience of mankind, and in violation of the plainest revelations of Divine Law. They demand the abolition of ***** slavery throughout the confederacy, the recognition of political equality between the white and ***** races, and avow their determination to press on their crusade against us, so long as a ***** slave remains in these States."

"We hold as undeniable truths that the governments of the various States, and of the confederacy itself, were established exclusively by the white race, for themselves and their posterity; that the African race had no agency in their establishment; that they were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race, and in that condition only could their existence in this country be rendered beneficial or tolerable."
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/csa/texsec.htm

THE CORNERSTONE SPEECH
"The new constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution — African slavery as it exists amongst us — the proper status of the ***** in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution. Jefferson in his forecast, had anticipated this, as the "rock upon which the old Union would split." He was right. What was conjecture with him, is now a realized fact. But whether he fully comprehended the great truth upon which that rock stood and stands, may be doubted."

"Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone rests, upon the great truth that the ***** is not equal to the white man; that slavery—subordination to the superior race—is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth."
- Alexander H. Stephens, VP of the Confederacy, March 21 1861

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?documentprint=76

Answer 1

Both sides used Slavery as the official reason for the Civil War. But, like most wars, it was really over money and money is why the Confederates started the war when they did.

Up until the Civil War, the US government was funded by tariffs. Because it was marginally cheaper for Southerners to buy European goods and bring them back on the ships that took the cotton over, the South ended up paying 85% of the tariffs. The South started the war when they did because new cotton sources in British India and French Egypt were coming on line. The South counted heavily on European Intervention to win the war for them. But cotton was no longer King and cotton prices were falling.

So, by 1861, they were out of time. The only way to keep the rich planters rich and keep all of those expensive slaves a viable labor source was to declare war and stop paying the tariffs. Unfortunately for them, fortunately for America--they miscalculated the North's and especially Lincoln's resolve.

Answer 2

State's rights was the main issue there, which is what they're trying to point out. However, the state right in mind was treatment of African Americans in the southern states. Really, you're both right. The official reason, though, is because the North would not let the south keep their state's rights.

The war was fought by those who didn't start it. It was a rich man's war. Many southerners were dirt poor and didn't own any slaves.

I do like one part in the Mississippi secession that you didn't put, though, that proved amazingly true:

It seeks not to elevate or to support the slave, but to destroy his present condition without providing a better.

Anyway, who are these "neo-confederates" you're talking about? If historians were neo-confederates, wouldn't it be preached that the south won?

Answer 3

Or one side of the same dice. It was really all about 1 group of elites(northern Industrialist) vs another. (the Southern aristocracy). Since the North by 1860 had inadvertently become more stronger and richer than the South,the southern elite couldn't control the federal government like they always had. Now the South was lesser in population and money because all the immigrants and money was now flowing into Northern banks.So they decided the best way to deal with that situation was by leaving the Union and try setting up their own system. It was cotton in the south that helped define what the South always was/is til this very day.

Answer 4

the civil war was fought over state's rights. Robert E. Lee got rid of his slaves long before the war because he thought it was wrong. There were more people in the north than that were in the south so the north had political power. it is like republicans and democrats except it was just north and south. The united states was getting so much money from tobacco and other crops from the south that the north (because they had more political power) decided to get greedy and passed tariffs on exported goods that were extremely expensive. it was kind of like taxation without representation from the American revolution. The south got angry and started to secede and formed the confederation. the end of slavery was just a result of the civil war

Answer 5

even lincoln said that if he could have kept the south from seceeding without freeing the slaves he would have done so. i'm not going to tell you there weren't a lot of bad guys affiliated with the south, there were. but you shouldn't view the north as 'the good guys' either. a lot of bad guys associated with the north. the war was really about money. the north did not want to lose control of the southern ports nor lose such a giant chunk of tax revenue. "freeing the slaves" was just a cover for justification. there had to be a better way to end slavery, one without losing so many american lives. truth being, this was just another war that was fought for reasons that just weren't good enough.

Answer 6

Very good information. Here is more information that would surprise many people (if the history I read is correct).

The South mistakenly believed Lincoln would abolish slavery when he took office. He promised he wouldn't when he campaigned for President, and kept that promise to the slave state that didn't leave the union (Maryland) until very near the end of the war. He complied with the Dred Scott decision even though he hated it (kind of like modern Republican presidents who have to comply with the Roe v. Wade decision even though they don't like it) and returned runaway slaves whose masters lived in Maryland or DC.

Some historians feel a great deal of credit for The Emancipation Proclamation issued near the end of The Civil War goes to Frederick Douglass, the prominent Black leader of the time, for convincing Lincoln to finally abolish slavery through proclamation. Lincoln needed support from Douglass to recruit Black troops to win the war, and Douglass wouldn't get behind the recruiting drive unless Lincoln abolished slavery.

Answer 7

Typical liberal; pick & choose the tasty morsels and lay them out in such a way as to make it appear as if that's all there is, and completely ignore the rest of the facts.

The War Between the States was about far more than slavery, MacGenius, but no matter how many historical facts you're shown you will only believe what you choose to believe.

Now go tape up the holes in your aluminum foil hat before the mind-control waves seep in and soak your brain with unwanted truth . . .

Answer 8

There were territories wanting to join the union. The question was should these potential states be admitted as slave states.As is now ,it was a matter of politics;who should gain power? Lincoln personally didn't give a rat's *** about the plight of the Black population, nor did most of the White population, north and south,sad to say. Lincoln made a suggestion that all the Blacks should be put in a colony in South America with the federal government paying for it; out of sight,out of mind.
YEAH,RIGHT.GOD BLESS AMERICA,where every one is created equal. Oh, the hypocrisy.
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Answer 9

Slavery did have a big role in the Civil War, but not because people wanted to end slavery. It had to do with the political and economic ramifications of slavery.

Economics was number one. The south felt the north was choking them economically. The addition of non slave states and the thought of losing more economic power if slaves were freed was kind of the icing on the cake. Either way the south had no right to secede. They tried, they lost and they have no business flying that stupid flag on any gvt institution. Would you fly a british flag or german flag on your state capital? Why would you fly a flag of a country or attempted country that you defeated in a war?

Answer 10

Don't they teach you guys history anymore? The Southern States attempted to secede from the Union because of States Rights issues, one of them being Slavery. Slavery was not the primary reason or the only reason for the War between the states.