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[quote="kevin"]There really are two questions when looking at the cause of the war.  Was slavery a factor?  Certainly.

I have to disagree that out and out agression by the North was the cause, seeing that the South fired the first shot.  If by agression you mean legislation, or presumed legislation, then I have to agree.

The legislation in question of course was dealing with the issue of slavery, or the right of a state to determine it's course in deciding whether slavery was legal or not within it's boundaries.

It is extremely myopic to think slavery was not therefore an underlying issue behind the cause of the war.  Slavery was a motivating factor for most who fought on the side of the North.  Not necessarily the politicians who drove the war, but those who fought the war.

Likewise, slavery was NOT the motivating factor for most of those who fought on the side of the South.  Most southerners were not slave owners and most southern soldiers were not slave owners.  I believe they were fighting for freedom more than anything else.  Infact, Robert E. Lee was not a proponent of slavery.

It is probably this dychotomy of motivation which leads to the current day arguments.  Those from the South understand their reasons for secession and what motivated their ancestors to fight.  Those from the North have been taught something different.

The United States were founded as individual nation states banding together for common defense.  In short order, those states gave certain rights to a central, federal goverment - a common currency, for instance.  Within 70 years that federal government was exerting enough power over the states that the Southern states saw a threat to their sovereignty.  And they were right.

The issue that brought it to a head was slavery.  There were others issues certainly, however it was this singular issue that forced the hand of the "State's Rights" advocates.  It was Lincoln's steadfast determination to not allow a State to depart the union which meant war.

What were Lincoln's motivating factors?  What were those of the Congressmen who voted for war?

I do not believe they were the same in every case.  Some saw slavery as non-negotiable - such as Salmon Chase and quite likely Lincoln.  Others were more interested in maintaining the wealth of the nation (once again, Lincoln) and fearful of the claim to western territories that would arise if two countries were vying for the same lands west of the Mississippi.

By Northern agression are you referring to the fact the North resisted the Southern effort to simply leave the union peacefully, or to the Northen politics that swept Lincoln into office?[/quote]

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