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Originally Posted by Daffodil  That's interesting! I guess my high school was part of that trend, because I remember learning that the civil war was about states' rights. I was left with the impression that it wasn't that the southern states wanted to keep slaves so much that they were willing to go to war over it - it was that they wanted more autonomy than the federal government was willing to give them, and they were willing to go to war over THAT. And that slavery was just the main issue that highlighted their lack of autonomy.
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Well, yes, slavery was the main issue in states rights. It was all about the right of states to decide--about slavery! Racial inequality was a primary value, not a secondary, coincidental issue.
Check out this nifty website, which has reproductions of all of the primary source documents relating to the causes of the US Civil War:
http://members.aol.com/jfepperson/causes.html
In particular, look at the documents of secession of the southern states, here:
http://members.aol.com/jfepperson/reasons.html
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Originally Posted by Mississippi's document of secession
Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization. That blow has been long aimed at the institution, and was at the point of reaching its consummation. There was no choice left us but submission to the mandates of abolition, or a dissolution of the Union, whose principles had been subverted to work out our ruin.
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Yes? The primary source documents do not suggest that slavery is an incidental interest. They were going to war in order to maintain the institution of slavery.
There may have been other causes as well, like trade and tariffs, but the secession documents actually take up the inequality of black people as their reason.
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). When we explore the idea of culture, we look at individual and family histories. In US history, we look at individual and family histories, too, but to a lesser extent-- I'd guess my US history class looks more like what you are thinking when you say a history class.
