Exactly what rights was the South fighting for in the US Civil War?

[bean]

I'm preparing to write a paper on this soon and have to make my mind up whether I think the war was about state rights or slavery. These are the only 4 states rights I can think of, are there anymore? What is your opinion on the issue and why?

- Right to self govern and secession
- Right to property (slaves)
- Right to own economy
- Right to engage in commere

[kienan]

I would say it fought to preserve its right to maintain its own economic system in face of the increased power of the industrial north. So, that meant fighting for self-government and succession (right for states to allow laws that favor their own economic systems, of which ownership of slaves was probably the key right, as it formed the basis of the plantation economy), and low tariffs to facilitate cheap manufactured goods (little industry in the south, the north wanted tariffs to protect its burgeoning industry).

I would say it was more about slavery than states rights. States rights was a convenient means to protect slavery, since slaves states would vote to preserve slavery as the basis of their economic system. For instance, the south supported the Fugitive slave laws that northern states opposed, which would run counter to the notion of states rights.

[bardoul]

You've nailed them pretty good. I totally agree with the confederacy. The north was trying to get rid of slaves because they had nothing to lose from it, getting rid of slaves would have destroyed the southern economy (which it did). The north was trying to institute their way of life on the south and the south would not have that without a war, they stood up for what they believed which i absolutely agree with, not to mention the north finally winning the war was the start of our nation becoming more and more capitalist. When the U.S was founded it was supposed to be a loose union of states because they were tired of being ruled by a monarchy. We are far from that now unfortunately.