The argument that the Civil War began primarily as a southern fight to defend liberty and the right of self-government is unsatisfactory because:

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The argument that the Civil War began primarily as a southern fight to defend liberty and the right of self-government is unsatisfactory because it ignores the fact that southern leaders in 1860-1861 used slavery to justify secession and war. The secession documents of the southern states explicitly stated that the defense of slavery and white supremacy were key reasons for leaving the Union, and southern leaders acknowledged that their fight was about preserving a system of slavery that denied liberty and self-government to African Americans.

The Argument That the Civil War Began Primarily as a Southern