re: "You may have heard people say the Civil War wasn't about slavery. There's a bit of truth to that . . ."
I'd frame this point a little bit differently. The Civil War WAS about slavery. The articles of secession are very clear on this; so is Lincoln's second inaugural. The claim that the Civil War "wasn't about slavery" typically emerges from or reflects various theories of Confederate apology.
But it's true that the Civil War was about slavery, NOT abolition. It ended with abolition but was neither started nor particularly waged by abolitionists. That's the real distinction these observations point to.
I didn't know about the process described in footnote 4. That's fascinating.
Fascinating summary!
re: "You may have heard people say the Civil War wasn't about slavery. There's a bit of truth to that . . ."
I'd frame this point a little bit differently. The Civil War WAS about slavery. The articles of secession are very clear on this; so is Lincoln's second inaugural. The claim that the Civil War "wasn't about slavery" typically emerges from or reflects various theories of Confederate apology.
But it's true that the Civil War was about slavery, NOT abolition. It ended with abolition but was neither started nor particularly waged by abolitionists. That's the real distinction these observations point to.