American Civil War: Reason?

[Acriku]

Ok guys, I have debated with this in school and wanted to see your thoughts. Everyone has been told that the Civil War was fought over slavery right? Well contrary to popular belief aforementioned, that is not necessarily the case. Some say the main reasons were difference of economy, the secession of the South, and/or Abe Lincoln becoming president. Some say slavery was the main reason. But is it really? Some say the north and south were just fighting over the reasons above (excluding slavery) and during the end some people said the north were fighting slavery, so the north agreed and said "we are heroes, fighting over slavery from those despicable rebels". Thoughts?

[Inoculator9]

I think slavery was just a difference of opinion that people used to glamorize the north. I of course support union, but I seriously doubt that slavery was the only reason.

[TMA_1]

the reason why in my opinion was for state power. The federal government was taking away the freedom to hold slaves. The states tried to tell the federal government that it was nto fair. that the power should be held by states. so states, one by one, started to seperate and eventually they formed the confederacy of states. It was because their whole economy was based on cotton and to a lesser extent other crops like tobacco. The slaves were their power for money that came from europe. They seperated from the union for monitary and state power reasons in my opinion. slavery was just the fulcrum of it.

[Inoculator9]

That sums it up perfectly.

[Baron_carl]

I must say that I believe that civil war breaks out because of difference of opinion on different matters not just on slavery.

[quoudam72]

I agree with TMA_1, slavery was a part of but really it was about preserving the Union.

[nampigai]

The entire southern economy was based or slave labor, and the northern states was industrializing. However as I recall Lincoln first decided to make slavery illegal in the end of the civilwar, but I'm not sure.

[quoudam72]

Lincoln didn't do squat for African-Americans the US' 14th Amendment did (this is not directed at anyone just making a statement).

[DjCiD]

I believe Lincon supported it and made statements that any slave who would leave and fight for the North would be free at the end of war time...

but dont quote me on that....

[TMA_1]

Actually abraham linoln wanted to send the slaves back to an american controlled part of africa. The idea would cost too much though so he decided to let them have freedom. Eventually though it was taken away by crop sharing and jim crow laws though.

[Acriku]

Abraham Lincoln said no more slave states, and yet then he said the states that were there had the choice of being free or state, to get both sides' votes. It all comes down to politics, *sigh*.

[Anathema]

The following is as I learned.

The northern states were developping their industry- but England already had an established industry, and produced stuff cheaper. To protect their industry, the northern states wanted to implement import fees.

However, the southern states were strongly against import fees, because they didn't produce many things themselves (save cotton).

And of course, because the southern states thought Lincoln was going to outlaw slavery (though from what I've learned, I thought Lincoln initially didn't intend to).

[Inoculator9]

I've heard similar things aswell.

[ethan]

the reason why in my opinion was for state power. The federal government was taking away the freedom to hold slaves. The states tried to tell the federal government that it was nto fair. that the power should be held by states. so states, one by one, started to seperate and eventually they formed the confederacy of states. It was because their whole economy was based on cotton and to a lesser extent other crops like tobacco. The slaves were their power for money that came from europe. They seperated from the union for monitary and state power reasons in my opinion. slavery was just the fulcrum of it.

perfect reason.

[quoudam72]

Lincoln was committed to keeping slavery out of the new western territories. Southerners saw this commitment as a threat to their way of life, for they knew that to survive as an institution, slavery would need to expand into new lands. In his inaugural address on March 4, 1861 to a nation divided (divided by the issue), he was determined to maintain the Union, but he would not make any concession to the South on the question of slavery. Lincoln did not make concessions to the abolitionists either. He stated that he had no intention of ending slavery where it already existed, or of repealing the Fugitive Slave Act. His true intent was to stop slavery from spreading.

[Devastator_Mech]

Yes, that was indeed the case. As I said in another subject, why would Americans or anyone do anything that has no benefit/s?

[quoudam72]

Well the biggest benifit is that the Southern States (Confederate States as they were called) are not a country today. The war was fought to keep America united (industralism and slavery were without a doubt important factors). One of the biggest things about the War between the States is that it did address the issuse of African slavery but it did not make a decision about African slaves.