[jmacusa]

They were defending slavery.

[jeffersondem]

“They were defending slavery.”

If the South was fighting for slavery, who was fighting against slavery?

[central_va]

The first 7 states to secede were defending slavery or states rights. You pick. But the next 4 states to secede seceded because a federal Army invading a state(s) or making war on a state(s) intolerable!! Example Arkansas:

"Whereas, In addition to the well founded causes of complaint set forth by this convention, in reselutions adopted on the 11th March, A. D. 1861, against the sectional party now in power at Washington City, headed by Abraham Lincoln, he has, in the face of resolutions passed by this convention, pledging the State of Arkansas to resist to the last extremity any attempt on the part of such power to coerce any state that had seceded from the old Union, proclaimed to the world that war should be waged against such states, until they should be compelled to submit to their rule, and large forces to accomplish this, have by this same power been called out, and are now being marshalled to carry out this inhuman design, and to longer submit to such rule or remain in the old Union of the United States, would be disgraceful and ruinous to the State of Arkansas."