Quote:If you study the history of pre-secession/pre-Civil War propaganda in the southern states, the issue and fear of the eventual abolishment of slavery by the Federal government provided the final push towards secession.

 

Every other grievance southern states had could have been negotiated and settled with legislation, but the one single right certain states held dear enough to go to war over was that of owning slaves. Eric is correct, most southerners were too poor to own any or more that a few slaves, but as usual it was the big plantation owners that had the most to lose, and held the greatest amount of influence.