Confederacy on Tape

[soul_warrior]

Stating slavery wasn't an issue has got to be one of the more ignorant statements I have read on these forums in the past 52 months.

slavery was, afaik, not THE reason, but A reason.

the real reason was economic and political.

Today we recognize slavery as a moral issue. But in the early nineteenth century, it was seen as an economic issue first, moral issue second. A series of legislative actions, most notably the Missouri Compromise of 1820, had been enacted by Congress to put limits on the propagation of slavery, but compromise with northern and southern interests was always kept in mind. The South had an economic interest in the spread of slavery to the new territories so that new slave states could be created and the South's political influence would remain strong. The North had an interest in limiting the spread of slavery into the new territories for both purposes of controlling Southern political power AND support of the moral issue.
full article here

the south, being an agrarian economy, needed slaves.
the north, industrialized, needed educated employees, with motivation to work well and cheap.

slavery being abolished was a wonderful side effect.

personally, i consider the post civilwar abolition to be of equal importance to post WW2 women's liberation.
like slaves became free after the war, women, following the war time production needs and resulting jobs they held, started to leave the homestead and persuing their own agendas.

 

[sabo]

Firstly I think you have to seperate what the southern soldiers fought for from the reasons the war was fought, as the two are undoubtedly different issues, as they usually are in any war.

The reasons a private soldier fights are often absolutely nothing like the reasons his country or cause is fighting.

Exactly, in simpler terms most soldiers fight because other people are shooting at them. It's a 'kill or be killed' mentality. You're fighting for yourself and your buddies. Ala Veitnam, the majority of US soldiers didn't think they should even be there.