On Dec. 20, 1860, South Carolina voted to secede from the Union. A few days later they wrote a document called the Declaration of Causes. The overriding theme of this was document was the Federal Government infringing upon their rights to hold slaves. Statements were used such as: "they (Federal Government) have denounced as sinful the institution of slavery", "elected a President of the United States whose opinions and purposes are hostile to Slavery", and condemned the Republican Party for taking a position that "a war must be waged against Slavery until it shall cease throughout the United States."
This is their words, not mine.
To argue that the war was not about slavery would be to argue that the powers in South Carolina did not believe what they wrote. The main reason they left the Union is clear. Slavery.
This is their words, not mine.
To argue that the war was not about slavery would be to argue that the powers in South Carolina did not believe what they wrote. The main reason they left the Union is clear. Slavery.