Rhonda Minden wrote:
Under the Republican Pres Lincoln, they fought to free the slaves, Dems fought to keep them.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. But many people believe it because history is written by the winners of wars, not by the losers.
I won't get into a long explanation of what caused the war, but will point out a few facts:
Slavery was legal in all the states that seceded plus four that remained in the union.
U.S. Grant owned slaves which he kept until slavery was abolished in December 1865, eight months after the end of the war, by the 13th amendment. The four slave states that remained in the union also kept slaves until 12/65.
Lincoln, in his first inauguration address, stated plainly and unequivicably that he had no intention of interferring with slavery in the states where it was legal.
The Corwin amendment, which had easily enough support in congress and by Lincoln would have been passed if the first seven states to secede would return to the union. That amendment would have prohibited any government interference in the practice of slavery in the states where it was legal and further prohibited any future revision to that amendment. If slavery had been the cause of the war, the seceded states would have jumped at the chance to have slavery made legal forever.
The war took the lives of 600,000 people and left untold thousands maimed for life. It resulted in the looting, pillaging, burning, of several states, and the rape and murder of thousands more, all at the orders of a few union generals. If slavery had been the cause, the entire war could have been prevented simply by passing laws outlawing slavery.
The actual cause of the war was money. Too long a story to include here. It would take another thread.