Civil War Causes
From: “Benji Tucker” [benji.tucker04@gmail.com]
Date: Jun 19, 2018
Subject: Civil War Causes
To: [hk.edgerton@gmail.com]Dear Mr Edgerton,
I’ve found a lot of interest in your points about the causes of the civil war and many other things. Your primary sources back up what your saying as well. I’m wondering how you would respond to someone who said the civil war was mainly over slavery due to these points:
- “The Declaration of Causes” of seceding states mention that slavery is a large part of their choice to secede
- A South Carolina newspaper said the issue before the country was “the extinction of slavery.” They also called upon the south to act upon preserving the institution
of slavery.- The Confederate Vice President, Alexander Stephens, said in his Cornerstone speech in 1861, Our new government is founded upon exactly [this] idea; its foundations
are laid, its cornerstone rests upon the great truth, that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery — subordination to the superior race — is his natural
and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.- The civil war was fought over states rights… to have slaves.
- The idea that the few people own slaves so it couldn’t be about slavery argument has no merit
- Southerners all aspired to have slaves one day
- Lincoln said he believed that the country could not endure permanently half slave, and half free.
There’s many primary sources on both sides of the civil war causes debate that are very contradictory to one another. How can I fully make up my mind about this topic
if different sources are contradictory to others as so? I appreciate your dedication to teaching Confederate Truths and I hope you can further educate me and help me have
a definite answer to the questions I listed.Thanks,
Benji Tucker
