Template:Civil War and slavery

The Confederate states seceded from the Union primarily to protect slavery.

The Southern states believed that the institution of slavery, the underpinning of their economy, was under attack from abolitionists in the North. This is reinforced by the statements made by many Confederate leaders at the time of secession, including Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens. It was only after their defeat that "states' rights" was cited by the South as the primary reason for secession. This is the consensus of historians, scholars, and other reliable sources. This is also the consensus of the editors on this talk page, where the issue has been discussed numerous times.

Please do not request that "slavery" be demoted or removed from the causes of the war. Your request will be denied, and you may be blocked from editing if you persist in doing so.