Was the sectional contention leading up to the Civil War more about slavery or states’ rights?

Question

Was the sectional contention leading up to the Civil War more about slavery or states’ rights?

Answer 1

Much has been made of the issue of slavery as the leading cause of the Civil War. Certainly, slavery was the trigger that caused the secession of the Deep South, but the war itself was fought over a significant, political difference, That difference came down to the following question: Do the states retain their "sovereignty" and thus their right to withdraw voluntarily from the U.S. Constitution?

Answer 2

no

Answer 3

The "State rights" that the south fought for was the right to retain slavery.  

They were also bad losers - They objected to the election of a president that they didn't support - so they wanted to take their ball home and play in a different court.  When they couldn't win the 1860 election by legitimate methods, they wanted to change the rules.  

AND, even more childishly, they wanted to retain the privileges that membership in the United States had bestowed upon them.  Even after the war had started they were insisting that runaway slaves be returned to their owners under the terms of US federal law.  

The war began when Southerners demanded the right to "take over" US federal military installations on Southern soil, Ft. Sumter was just the first of many.

Answer 4

States' rights, because:

1) The South left on the election of Lincoln, who represented the

     North alone.

2) Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation well into the

     Civil War, not at the start.  (The delay means it wasn't that

    important an issue.)

3) The South, in a last-ditch effort to win, offered freedom to any slave who joined the army.

Answer 5

Slavery. The claim by the seceding States was that it was for reasons of States rights but that was not the reality.

Most of the points of contention that lead up to the Confederate States seceding all have to do with slavery, the expansion of slavery, number of free states vs number of slave states and so on. So the reality is that slavery leads to the break up of the Union, that leads to civil war. That's not to say that the war was fought to free slaves because it was not, it was fought to preserve the Union.

There are many instances of slave States (or the federal Government) infringing on the rights of free States in the build up to the war.

A good example was the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. There were certainly very few in the Slave States that would recognize this as a violation of a free States rights. They clearly where not interested in "States Rights" when it was in the interest of preserving slavery and extending the power of slave States over free States.

Answer 6

I would say each has to look at this question from the others point of view. look the South had no want or need to go to war  if you look at each states constitution you will find that South Carolina had the more stringent,  Reason the political leaders under that state were pressuring them to get back monies. now most States under the current law at the time would return slaves cought in the north to southern states less the amount of feeding and housing such slaves. But northern states felt themselves out of moral responsibilty at no point to do so, Wealthy land owners would send reps. north to recover what they deemed propertuy only to find, Well the slave escaped but we want payment for housing your slave for a month. Needless to say this didn't sit well with wealthy plantation owners.

  Now think about it most in the south could'nt read or write all was pretty much word of mouth, my ancestor was a house painter h**l he could'nt support himself let alone own a slave

why would someone fight if they don't even have a dog in the fight Do you know what I mean? No these were men who were by filthy tricks of the wealthy convinced the north was coming to take away there rights and thats not the case .

Northern side: Abraham Lincoln took an oath to defend and protect the union of the United States    Let me say that again To protect and defend the Union of the United States that being said he was doing what any President would have done his duty, whether he believed in the southern cause or not does'nt matter. And he employed the whole of the resources of those United States to do so. Basicly it was a matter of time for the South but they fought and died anyway because most would not be found a coward in the eyes of their fellows and most came from small town h**l even whole families joined together.  So I guess the emancipation proclamation loses it's clout considering it was well after the beginning of the war was never an issue it was about money pure and simple, And many miss informed American be you Johnny Reb that the north was going to invade, or Billy Yank

That the South was a paper Tiger we'll whip them in a day!

It's a sad point in our history but be proud of your ancestor because even though driven by misinformation he answered the call for his beliefs and did his duty either side.

And that is all we can hope to achieve in life to face our own fear and stand up and be counted in the eyes of God defending our families.

Answer 7

An undercurrent of tension was bubbling up to the surface of America in the 1860s and 1850s, with Bleeding Kansas and a growing fear of slave revolts.  States' rights were in play but the only reason that Southern states brought up the secession card was that they disagreed with the way that the Northern states and the government were dealing with disputes over slavery.  However the war was ostensibly declared because of secession and not over slavery in the beginning.