The Reasons for Secession: A Documentary Study

[Chris]

An interesting approach to the causes of secession. The study looks at secession declarations and counts words dedicated to each reason. It at least admits to multiple reasons. The problem is there's no analysis of the structure of the documents wherein one cause is subsumed under another. That is, while slavery is an issue, with many words dedicated to it, it is in these documents subsumed under states' rights and constitutional issues. The study misses that.

The Reasons for Secession: A Documentary Study

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.



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....

[carolina73]

It was all about State's Rights.

The State's right to make slavery legal was just one of those.

Taxation without Representation returned because of tariffs that allowed Northern Industries to charge exorbitant prices to the Southern customers. Congress targeted these tariffs to allow this. The Northern states gained a large population advantage over the South.

Lincoln's election was more of a trigger than a reason.

[RMNIXON]

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

I can think of many causes but I shall start with Open Borders and out of control illegal immigration.

[RMNIXON]

It was all about State's Rights.

The State's right to make slavery legal was just one of those.

Taxation without Representation returned because of tariffs that allowed Northern Industries to charge exorbitant prices to the Southern customers. Congress targeted these tariffs to allow this. The Northern states gained a large population advantage over the South.

Lincoln's election was more of a trigger than a reason.

There were many economic factors involved including the fact that with a high population and industry labor in the North was a terrible condition to be in. The Southern States were doing quite well on raw goods exports but needed to buy manufactured goods from the North. Different economies and many conflicts of interest that had little to do with the principle of emancipating slaves as the right and moral thing to do.

[Chris]

It was all about State's Rights.

The State's right to make slavery legal was just one of those.

Taxation without Representation returned because of tariffs that allowed Northern Industries to charge exorbitant prices to the Southern customers. Congress targeted these tariffs to allow this. The Northern states gained a large population advantage over the South.

Lincoln's election was more of a trigger than a reason.

Yea, I think if you read the documents, it was about states' rights and slavery was a part of that.

[Captdon]

It was all about State's Rights.

The State's right to make slavery legal was just one of those.

Taxation without Representation returned because of tariffs that allowed Northern Industries to charge exorbitant prices to the Southern customers. Congress targeted these tariffs to allow this. The Northern states gained a large population advantage over the South.

Lincoln's election was more of a trigger than a reason.

Every state that seceded said it was about slavery.I think they would know. The other issues didn't get them to do it. As time goes on the Southerners want to get away from the slavery reason.

[Captdon]

Yea, I think if you read the documents, it was about states' rights and slavery was a part of that.

Oh, come on, Chris, if it wasn't for slavery the War would never have happened.

[Chris]

Oh, come on, Chris, if it wasn't for slavery the War would never have happened.

Not saying slavery wasn't a part of it.

[carolina73]

There were many economic factors involved including the fact that with a high population and industry labor in the North was a terrible condition to be in. The Southern States were doing quite well on raw goods exports but needed to buy manufactured goods from the North. Different economies and many conflicts of interest that had little to do with the principle of emancipating slaves as the right and moral thing to do.

But that is the point. Lincoln did not want to free the slaves and start or aggravate the war. He did it to make it a war of morals to keep England from stepping in.
The Emancipation Proclamation was almost 2-1/2 full years after Lincoln was elected.

[carolina73]

Every state that seceded said it was about slavery.I think they would know. The other issues didn't get them to do it. As time goes on the Southerners want to get away from the slavery reason.

That is what they say today not then. But I am also not denying that the State's Right to have slavery was a major issue for them.

The secession talk today is on the same issue. State's Rights being lost based on overreach of the Federal Government against the Constitution. The Northern population became unbalanced with the South. The North South Balance was gone.

Virginia went from the largest state to the fifth and largest in the South in just 70 years. The 2nd largest was Tennessee as #10.