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Was the Civil War Caused By Slavery?
Was the Civil War Caused By Slavery?
Here’s The Scoop
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley recently found herself at the center of controversy over her comments regarding the causes of the U.S. Civil War, sparking a heated discussion on the foundational issues that led to the nation’s most divisive conflict.
Haley suggested the Civil War was rooted in disputes over “how government was going to run — the freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do.”
Her stance drew immediate criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, including President Biden, who stated unequivocally, “It was about slavery.”
Haley later clarified her position, acknowledging that slavery was indeed the spark for the Civil War but emphasizing the broader question of government’s role in individual lives.
“If it required clarification of saying, yes, the Civil War was about slavery, I’m happy to do that,” Haley said.
She argued that the true lesson of the Civil War extends beyond slavery to the enduring fight for individual freedom and government’s role in safeguarding those rights.
As Haley defended her nuanced view of the Civil War’s causes and implications, her comments have reignited a debate over the historical understanding and interpretation of the war that tore America apart.
This discussion goes beyond academic discourse, touching upon how Americans perceive their history and the lessons they draw from it for the future.
In light of this renewed debate, we ask you, our readers: Was the Civil War caused by slavery, or are there broader issues at play concerning government control and individual freedoms? Is Haley’s perspective a revisionist take on history, or does it offer a more comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted causes of the Civil War?
Your opinion is critical in this discussion about historical interpretation, the legacy of the Civil War, and the ongoing battle over how we understand America’s past. Vote now and let us know where you stand on this contentious issue.
What do you think? Let us know by participating in our poll, or join the discussion in the comment section below!
1PatriotForever
December 30, 2023 at 6:18 am
It was a two edged sword. Some used to teach it was the Industrial North against the South, but it was a combination of all things related to MAN and the CONSTITUTION in General. All men were created Equal, except in the south and the north, because then it became the rich against the poor. But the reality: The South r the Liberal DEMOCRATS wanted slavery and the North wanted to provide everyone a way to prosper with the American dream. The problem is “man” and some want to rule and some want to create. You will find the rulers in Guvmunt and the creators in business….but then if they get big enough they want to govern as if they are un the GUVMUNT
Pierce Smith
December 30, 2023 at 6:26 am
+I am inclined to believe that although the Civil War was caused by slavery, the real issue is government control of the populace. All one has to do is look at the current situation, Government is definitely trying to rein in what people do, and what they do with their money. In essence government is trying to play god.
PHILIP CARMONA
December 30, 2023 at 6:27 am
The civil war be cause the war of 1776 was won against the
British . The power structure move to Africa and Asia after war and famine of 80 years stronger tribes send the weaker into slaves
Roger Lucheta
December 30, 2023 at 6:30 am
There were two events involved – first secession, then the war. One of Lincoln (the sodomite’s) great propaganda tricks was the conflate the two.
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Slavery was certainly one of the driving factors in SECESSION, and was so declared in several articles of secession (which, by the way, were modeled on the Declaration of Independence). However, there is no reason why secession should lead to war. When Britain seceded from the European Union, did a war break out? Indeed, the Confederate constitution explicitly stated that the new country would seek a friendly relationship with the “Old Republic”
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Lincoln’s first inaugural plainly stated that he had no intent of interfering with slavery where it was established, and that armed force would only be used to collect the taxes. if we merely take him at his word, it is plain that while slavery was part of the cause of SECESSION, war, itself, came about because the North wanted to continue to milk the South as a cash cow, and not about slavery. Notice that US Grant’s wife – Julia – owned four slaves until the end of the war, and had one slave with her when she visited him in Corinth, Mississippi.
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Let’s consider the Cuban Missile crisis, and compare it to the situation facing the South with Fort Sumpter. Was Kennedy justified in going to the brink of nuclear war because a foreign power had an armed base 90 miles from the US? Was South Carolina justified in asking a foreign power to remove its armed base in one of its harbors? Remember that the US constitution implies that a federal military base can be placed in a state only with the approval of that state (the same clause that provides for the district of columbia)
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And a little considered aspect of secession. Once that the southern states were out of the old union, the remaining union states would no longer be bound by the fugitive slave laws and constitutional provisions. that means that an escaping slave would only need to cross the Mason-Dixon line – NOT go to Canada.
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BTW, notice that the major battles of the war were almost all fought on Southern soil. Consider the battle of Bull Run. What was a northern army doing in Virginia? they were invading, of course!!
Denise
December 31, 2023 at 6:13 pm
Secession wasn’t legal or recognized, so of course the army wasn’t invading. Virginia was still part of the United States, even if they didn’t think that they were.
WILLIAM M LEGGETT
December 30, 2023 at 6:38 am
I AGREE WITH 1PATRIOTFOREVER, ALSO THE SOUTH PRODUCED ALL THE COTTON, CORN ETC. IT WAS SENT NORTH TO THE FACTORY TO MAKE CLOTHING MATERIALS ETC.
THEN SENT BACK TOTHE SOUTH AT A HIGHER $$$$$$ AMOUNT.
Filmaker
December 30, 2023 at 8:25 am
Slavery, while not the only item of discord between the North and the South, was the one non-negotiable one. Efforts to contain it to the areas it presently existed were met with efforts to expand it where it did not. ‘Bleeding Kansas’ was well named. One of the major reasons for Seccession was to insure slavery would not be removed from the South by an increasingly more Northern oriented Federal government. As to the Civil War, it was Confederate troops that opened fire on Fort Sumter, a Union fort.
Bruce
December 30, 2023 at 8:29 am
History states that the industrial North literally controlled the agricultural South as far as trade and economy as noted in other comments. Slavery came into the headlines to pique the Norths interest after 3 years of horrible human loss of life and exorbitant cost, hence Presidents Lincolns Proclaimation of Emancipation to keep owning other people from happening again.
Randy Varnadore
December 30, 2023 at 9:34 am
All though slavery might have been the “straw that broke the camels back” the Civil War was essentially a battle fought because of an unbending disagreement over “states rights”.
Phil
December 30, 2023 at 11:31 am
The civil war war caused by the disagreement over state’s rights,the expansion westward and then slavery. Also the election of Lincoln wasn’t in the interest of the southern states. Lincoln initially didn’t plan to bring up slavery, he just wanted the revenue of the southern states. The excessive death count of the war on both sides is eventually what finally got Lincoln to bring up slavery as a talking point for more support of the people for ending the war.
Denise
December 31, 2023 at 6:15 pm
The disagreement over states’ rights was due to the fact that the Southern states wanted to continue to keep slavery legal. They tried to secede in order to keep slavery. Luckily, it didn’t work.
Patricia Ann Moody
December 31, 2023 at 9:40 pm
How could “ANYONE “, say that the Civil War”, was Not fought over “SLAVERY”? The south only cared about their Luxury Plantations being built by “SLAVERY “, & how those billionaires made their “ALMIGHTY DOLLARS “, on those abused , whipped, people of color! With No EMPATHY, How RUTHLESS can RICH Humans be! SICK! Yes Abraham Lincoln, saw through the Political LIES! So he had to END this , one way, & one way only, A CIVIL WAR!!! To this day, there is Still RACISM! & a contempt for The North , for Winning the War!!!
Erleebird
December 30, 2023 at 11:33 am
The Civil war was fought basically to stop the southern states from seceding from the Union. The slavery issue compounded this!
NorthTexas78
December 30, 2023 at 11:39 am
The Civil War Started As a State’s Right Issue. The North Kept Clamping Down on the South’s Economy, Basically The High Price of Cotton Because The North Did Not Make Any. The South Was Wining All The Battles for Nearly Two Years and the North Got Discouraged with Large Groups of Men Wanting To Quit, Ans Agreeing With The South That They Had a Right To Leave The Union. Abraham Lincoln Then Turned The Battle Cry From “State’s Rights” into “Free The Slaves”.
Ron C
December 31, 2023 at 6:13 pm
Next it will be taught that there are no states rights and never were any, that the federal government has always been dictatorial and outside of the bounds of constitutional dictates.
It is revisionist to say the war was over slavery and only slavery! And it is also very ignorant of this nation’s history!
trucker
December 31, 2023 at 7:38 pm
the war was about states rights slavery was growing out of favor even in the south and whites was not the only ones to own slaves some free blacks that owned farms also owned black slaves also the small farmers did not have slaves could not afford them and the few that did treated them good because it was better to keep them healthy and working then having them laid up hurt or sick and still feeding them was better to have sharecroppers
Scotty P
January 1, 2024 at 7:35 am
Let’s be clear “up front”… No! While slavery was horrible, it definitely did NOT CAUSE the Civil War! It was a “feel good” reason for the North to engage with the side that they did – uOT it was caused (as MOST bad things are – by MONEY. The North wanted industrialization, while the South wanted cheap labor for farming. Slavery, while HORRENDOUS did NOT cause the war. I always love the support of the blacks for the Confederates (Democrats), the Dems started the KKK and fought against every Civil Rights Bill and integration for goodness sake!! I guess “loading up on free stuff”, was a bigger draw than “FREEDOM” was. Abe was no choir boy though, he struggled against his party and was eventually FORCED to give the Emancipation Proclamation and free the slaves – when questioned about it later – he said “They aren’t ready for freedom”!
Herb De Groft
January 1, 2024 at 8:06 pm
It was “the economic issues”…. Stupid. And the Emancipation Proclamation was only pertinent to the seceding states, period. It was precipitated, too, by
the North’s recruitment problems in the 1st part of the conflict after devastating losses were incurred. If I remember correctly, Lincoln did not have a “pro or con” slavery plank in his campaign platform. Nevertheless, slavery was and is to this day an abomination in violation of “every” religion’s God’s law.
Steven Woodruff
January 2, 2024 at 10:01 am
Like every war ever the base cause was economics. England exploited the colonies, the industrialized North versus the agricultural South. In Viet Nam it was OK to bomb the hell out of peasants with AK47s but don’t touch the oil tanks in Hanoi or foreign ships in Hai Phong harbor.