[central_va]

Does anyone seriously believe that thousands of Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio farm boys (not to mention the Irish in the cities) would have enlisted, marched South, fought, bled, and died to free the slaves?

A lot of idiotic Freepers believe that, DoodleDawg poop being one of them.

[DoodleDawg]

A lot of idiotic freepers don’t believe it was about slavery. You all know who you are.

[BroJoeK]

quadrant: ""Does anyone seriously believe that thousands of Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio farm boys (not to mention the Irish in the cities) would have enlisted, marched South, fought, bled, and died to free the slaves?"

central_va: "A lot of idiotic Freepers believe that, DoodleDawg poop being one of them. "

No, only your side is confused on this question.
Everyone else well understands that Civil War began as a response to Confederate aggressions against, and declaration of war on, the United States.
In 1861, abolition of slavery in the South was not on the political table, so to speak.
Everybody North and South understood that was a verboten subject, which could not be politically raised or advocated, no matter how much some Northerners might desire it.

But once Civil war began, freedom for Confederate state slaves was a huge military advantage, which happened to fit perfectly with Radical "Black Republican" abolitionist ideology.
And so, by 1863 abolition did indeed become a Union objective, for which many Northern boys enlisted, fought & died.

And, I'm certain you already know that, just can't quite bring yourself to say it, right?