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OK my 2 cents.... if as stated above
The main reason i have a problem with the therory that the Civil War was fought over slavery is if only 30.8% or 7.6% of the population owned slaves that means if you use the higher percentage that 69.2 % of the population did NOT own slaves , either they did not have the means or just didnt own them , I have heard on PBS and HIS channel ect. that only 1 out of 10 soilders had slaves. If this is true why did the other 69.2 % fight ? Must of been for some other reason then IE the war was not entirley a slavery issue , one factor yes i will give you that , having said a rich plantation owner is gonna have totally different reasons for fighting then a poor dirt farmer. To quote the blue and grey "IM fitin becas you all is down here"
I don't think anyone makes the argument that every individual fought for slavery. The argument is why did the south secede in the first place. What other main reason was there for the south to secede than their loss of power in Washington, and the threat that that would cause to slavery? The rich plantation owners, which you mentioned, were the ones in power in the south, thus they were the ones who felt their way of life was threatened the most. If you want to blame one entity, they're the ones.
Still 25% of families in slave holding states benefitted from slavery. Nearly half of the families in South Carolina and Mississippi had slaves and those were two of the first states to secede. The slave states that DIDN'T secede, made up four of the lowest 5.
From the diary of James B. Lockney, 28th Wisconsin Infantry, writing near Arkadelphia, Arkansas (10/29/63): "Last night I talked awhile to those men who came in day before yesterday from the S.W. part of the state about 120 miles distant. Many of them wish Slavery abolished & slaves out of the country as they said it was the cause of the War, and the Curse of our Country & the foe of the body of the people--the poor whites. They knew the Slave masters got up the war expressly in the interests of the institution, & with no real cause from the Government or the North."
Last edited on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 04:28 pm by