Cause of The War for Southern Independence aka Civil War

A lot of discussion about slavery and the reasons that caused the Civil War have been going around lately, so I thought I would share this article I have posted on Rebel With A Clue.

The Civil War was a war of aggression against the South. The Northern states had the majority of the industrial capabilities and depended on raw products from the South to survive. The Southern states grew tired of high tariffs and over taxation without sharing in the revenue received by the Northern states from Southern products.

The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 was the beginning of the secession of seven states in the South. South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceded from the union and formed The Confederate States of America. The Confederate states were able to trade directly with other nations with a much lower Confederate tariff. Rather than fairly compete with the low Confederate tariff by lowering the federal tariff, The Lincoln Republicans and their Northern financial backers chose instead to destroy the Confederacy by force.

One of the first things Jefferson Davis did after assuming office as president of the Confederate States of America was to send a peace delegation to Washington, D.C., in an effort to establish friendly ties with the federal government. The Confederacy offered to pay the South’s share of the national debt and to pay for all federal installations in the Southern states. Lincoln rejected all Confederate peace offers and insisted that federal armies would invade the Southern states if they didn’t renounce their independence and recognize federal authority.

The Confederate government attempted to negotiate the withdrawal of a small federal garrison that occupied Fort Sumter, South Carolina, on December 26, 1860. Lincoln decided not to withdraw the garrison. Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Lincoln issued a call-up of 75,000 troops to put down what he claimed was a "Rebellion" in the South. Four more Southern states joined the Confederacy Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Lincoln sent federal armies into the South. Kentucky and Missouri joined the Confederacy even though their efforts to secede had failed.

Slavery was not the issue for The War of Northern Aggression (aka Civil War), Lincoln himself stated "The war is being fought for the Union, not slavery". He also stated during his First Inaugural Speech on Mar.14th, 1861 "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."

The Confederacy did not want to go to war. Simply put The War for Southern Independence was fought by The South to preserve their God given right to govern and defend themselves as provided under the Constitution. The North losing the Southern States and allowing them their independence would mean economic disaster for the North. This would never be tolerated and would be stopped by whatever means necessary! The war was not fought to end slavery, The war was fought because Lincoln refused to allow the South to go in peace.