Quote:No territories assumed statehood freely, and the primary debate at the time was whether they entered as free or slave states.


No issue fueled talk of secession more than a threat to the institution of slavery.


The Civil War would not have been fought had slavery not been an issue. It was the one non-negotiable item.

And the reason why it was non-negotiable was because the northern states had been engaging in economic warfare and destroying the southern economy built on agriculture. I'm not denying slavery was an issue. I'm arguing that Slavery was not the cause of the civil war. The confederate solders didn't march off to die so plantation owners could keep slaves, the hated the north because they believed the north was imposing their traditions, beliefs, and economic burdens on the south.

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