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description=The root cause of the American Civil War is perhaps the most controversial topic in American history. Even before the war was over, scholars in the North and South began to analyze and interpret the reasons behind the bloodshed.;

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f overview war of 1812 war of 1812 battle map battles battles battles fort mchenry new orleans tippecanoe york all war of 1812 battles search by type search by type search by type maps biographies articles videos video map primary sources all types uss constitution in 4 minutes watch video civil war civil war civil war popular content popular content popular content civil war overview civil war facts trigger events civil war reasons for secession slavery in the united states north and south civil war casualties civil war battle map battles battles battles gettysburg vicksburg antietam shiloh bull run fort sumter appomattox court house all civil war battles areas of interest areas of interest areas of interest women in war medal of honor the gettysburg address civil war leaders photography in the civil war the emancipation proclamation united states colored troops all areas of interest search by type search by type search by type animated maps maps biographies articles videos video map 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opportunities recent preservation victories recent preservation victories recent preservation victories victory week 2026 more than 200 acres saved across 5 battlefields a milestone preservation victory at the petersburg breakthrough an historic victory at gaines mill and cold harbor preserved forever three properties across virginia and mississippi speak out speak out speak out urge congress to reauthorize battlefield acquisition grants help save princeton the battle that saved the revolution help ensure a new visitor center for vicksburg protect mid atlantic battlefields from massive data centers all opportunities donate donate donate give to the trust memorial special occasion gifts legacy giving more ways to give donor advised funds support education membership membership membership join renew color bearers gift membership membership benefits hallowed ground magazine our work main menu our work recognition recognition recognition the steadfast donor wall the 25 year club donor wall seminary ridge donor wall recent victories hall of fame preservation champions what we do what we do what we do mission programs how we work faqs preservation awards recognition news events community benefits economic benefits environmental benefits who we are who we are who we are introduction history board of trustees staff accountability contact follow us work with us work with us work with us become a sponsor careers requests for proposals rfps youth engagement saved land browse interactive map view active campaigns search search donate join see all results breadcrumb home learn the reasons for secession a documentary study my library civil war article the reasons for secession a documentary study updated october 3 2023 december 9 2013 mass meeting endorsing the call for secession charleston south carolina library of congress prints and photographs division share to google classroom added by 1239 educators john pierce the root cause of the american civil war is perhaps the most controversial topic in american history even before the war was over scholars in the north and south began to analyze and interpret the reasons behind the bloodshed the scholars immediately disagreed over the causes of the war and disagreement persists today many maintain that the primary cause of the war was the southern states desire to preserve the institution of slavery others minimize slavery and point to other factors such as taxation or the principle of states rights these charts show how many words were devoted to the issues raised in each state s declaration as a percentage of the whole context refers to procedural language and or historical exposition that is not connected to a specific argument these charts show how many words were devoted to the issues raised in each state s declaration as a percentage of the whole context refers to procedural language and or historical exposition that is not connected to a specific argument in 2011 at the outset of the sesquicentennial a pew research center poll found that americans were significantly divided on the issue with 48 saying the war was mainly about states rights 38 saying the war was mainly about slavery with the remainder answering both equally or neither don t know one method by which to analyze this historical conflict is to focus on primary sources every state in the confederacy issued an article of secession declaring their break from the union four states went further texas mississippi georgia and south carolina all issued additional documents usually referred to as the declarations of causes which explain their decision to leave the union this word cloud shows the 50 words used the most in the declarations of causes this word cloud shows the 50 words used the most in the declarations of causes two major themes emerge in these documents slavery and states rights all four states strongly defend slavery while making varying claims related to states rights other grievances such as economic exploitation and the role of the military receive limited attention in some of the documents this article will present in detail everything that was said in the declarations of causes pertaining to these topics slavery 1 each declaration makes the defense of slavery a clear objective read more mississippi our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery the greatest material interest of the world its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth these products have become necessities of the world and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization that blow has been long aimed at the institution and was at the point of reaching its consummation there was no choice left us but submission to the mandates of abolition or a dissolution of the union whose principles had been subverted to work out our ruin texas the servitude of the african race as existing in these states is mutually beneficial to both bond and free and is abundantly authorized and justified by the experience of mankind and the revealed will of the almighty creator as recognized by all christian nations south carolina those union states have assumed the right of deciding upon the propriety of our domestic institutions and have denied the rights of property established in fifteen of the states and recognized by the constitution they have denounced as sinful the institution of slavery they have permitted open establishment among them of societies whose avowed object is to disturb the peace and to eloign the property of the citizens of other states georgia that reason was the north s fixed purpose to limit restrain and finally abolish slavery in the states where it exists the south with great unanimity declared her purpose to resist the principle of prohibition to the last extremity 2 some states argue that slavery should be expanded read more georgia we had acquired a large territory by successful war with mexico congress had to govern it how in relation to slavery was the question then demanding solution northern anti slavery men of all parties asserted the right to exclude slavery from the territory by congressional legislation and demanded the prompt and efficient exercise of this power to that end this insulting and unconstitutional demand was met with great moderation and firmness by the south we had shed our blood and paid our money for its acquisition we demanded a division of it or an equal participation in the whole of it the price of the acquisition was the blood and treasure of both sections of all and therefore it belonged to all upon the principles of equity and justice texas the controlling majority of the federal government under various pretenses and disguises has so administered the same as to exclude the citizens of the southern states unless under odious and unconstitutional restrictions from all the immense territory owned in common by all the states on the pacific ocean for the avowed purpose of acquiring sufficient power in the common government to use it as a means of destroying the institutions of texas and her sister slaveholding states 3 abolitionism is attacked as a method of inciting violent uprisings read more georgia for twenty years past the abolitionists and their allies in the northern states have been engaged in constant efforts to subvert our institutions and to excite insurrection and servile war among us these efforts have in one instance led to the actual invasion of one of the slave holding states and those of the murderers and incendiaries who escaped public justice by flight have found fraternal protection among our northern confederates mississippi abolitionism advocates negro equality socially and politically and promotes insurrection and incendiarism in our midst it has enlisted its press its pulpit and its schools against us until the whole popular mind of the north is excited and inflamed with prejudice texas the people of non slave holding states have formed themselves into a great sectional party now strong enough in numbers to control the affairs of each of those states based upon an unnatural feeling of hostility to these southern states and their beneficent and patriarchal system of african slavery proclaiming the debasing doctrine of equality of all men irrespective of race or color a doctrine at war with nature in opposition to the experience of mankind and in violation of the plainest revelations of divine law they demand the abolition of negro slavery throughout the confederacy the recognition of political equality between the white and negro races and avow their determination to press on their crusade against us so long as a negro slave remains in these states they have through the mails and hired emissaries sent seditious pamphlets and papers among us to stir up servile insurrection and bring blood and carnage to our firesides 4 mississippi and georgia point out that slavery accounts for a huge portion of the southern economy read more mississippi we must either submit to degradation and to the loss of property worth four billions of money or we must secede from the union framed by our fathers to secure this as well as every other species of property georgia but they know the value of parchment rights in treacherous hands and therefore they refuse to commit their own to the rulers whom the north offers us why because by their declared principles and policy they have outlawed 3 000 000 000 of our property in the common territories of the union put it under the ban of the republic in the states where it exists and out of the protection of federal law everywhere states rights 1 the states argue that the union is a compact one that can be annulled if the states are not satisfied with what they receive in return from other states and or from the federal government read more south carolina we hold that the mode of its the federal government formation subjects it to a third fundamental principle namely the law of compact we maintain that in every compact between two or more parties the obligation is mutual that the failure of one of the contracting parties to perform a material part of the agreement entirely releases the obligation of the other and that where no arbiter is provided each party is remitted to his own judgment to determine the fact of failure with all its consequences georgia our constitution wisely gives congress the power to punish all offenses against the laws of nations these are sound and just principles which have received the approbation of just men in all countries and all centuries but they are wholly disregarded by the people of the northern states and the federal government is impotent to maintain them 2 the states argue that the north s reluctance to enforce the fugitive slave act of 1850 mandating that fugitive slaves be returned to the south means that the compact is no longer satisfactory read more south carolina in the state of new york even the right of transit for a slave has been denied by her tribunals and the states of ohio and iowa have refused to surrender to justice fugitives charged with murder and with inciting servile insurrection in the state of virginia thus the constituted compact has been deliberately broken and disregarded by the non slaveholding states and the consequence follows that south carolina is released from her obligation texas the states by solemn legislative enactments have deliberately directly or indirectly violated the 3rd clause of the 2nd section of the 4th article the fugitive slave clause of the federal constitution and laws passed in pursuance thereof thereby annulling a material provision of the compact designed by its framers to perpetuate the amity between the members of the confederacy and to secure the rights of the slave holding states in their domestic institutions a provision founded in justice and wisdom and without the enforcement of which the compact fails to accomplish the object of its creation ...