[negative]

Well, first of all the basic idea that the Civil War was fought over slavery is absolutely false. The main cause of the Civil War was the polarization between north and south-caused by the institution of slavery. The main cause for the Union during the Civil War was to hold the Union together. It didnt become a slave war until 1862-When Lincoln freed slaves in states he couldnt control. Why didnt he free the slaves in the border states? Why were there protests daily in the North against emancipation?

Lincoln passed this proclamation for two purposes. One was to make sure the South would not be aided by Brittain. Two, it also gave him more soldiers to send to war. Remember the Union was more antiwar than the south all the way through 1864. If Sherman didnt capture Atlanta, the SOuth would have won-but thats a different discussion.

Wasnt it Lincoln who said "If I could save the union by freeing none of the slaves I would do it; if I could save the Union by freeing some slaves and enslaving others I would do it; It I could save the union by freeing all the salves, then I would do that also" or something along those lines. Also, the typical Southern soldier never owned slaves. Lincoln's wife (Marry Todd or something) owned slaves, and her family had made millions in the slave trade.

The Civil War was not a war over abolitionism or whatever, it was a war over the different ideas in the country. Slavery is wrong-dont get me wrong-but I dont think it was the main cause of the Civil War.