Lincoln's defenders want the ACW to be 100% about slavery, but that is too simplistic. There were important economic factors, foreign policy factors and also important factors relating to constitutional interpretation.
It was not a simple matter and I would argue that the eventual outcome (a powerful central government, with a greatly diminished role for state governments) was the wrong road to go down.
Thanks. After I posted that I saw that I had screwed up the details — but, as you appear to recognize, the overall point stands.
Lincoln’s defenders want the ACW to be 100% about slavery, but that is too simplistic. There were important economic factors, foreign policy factors and also important factors relating to constitutional interpretation.
It was not a simple matter and I would argue that the eventual outcome (a powerful central government, with a greatly diminished role for state governments) was the wrong road to go down.
The worst aspect of the whole Civil War was the expansion of a central Federal Government. The South was 100% correct on this issue....and it was the main issue of the whole war
Few realize that many in the North did not want the war, either. The NYC riots are a perfect example.