This is a very good article to read.
www.daveblackonline.com...
Can this be a society of equality between people of different backgrounds and different colors, different races? That question is still not really
answered. As long as that question still remains to agitate our country, as long as there are people who feel aggrieved because they are the
descendants of slaves and they have not fully shared in the blessings of liberty that our Constitution promises to everybody, the history of slavery
will be relevant to the present society. Not because we're going to relive that history, but because if we don't understand it, we will never really
know how the country got to the condition it is in now, on the eve of the 21st century."
- Eric Foner, historian
Civil War Facts:
More than three million men fought in the war.
Two percent of the population—more than 620,000—died in it.
The chance of surviving a wound in Civil War days was 7 to 1
The first organized ambulance corps were used in the Peninsular campaign and at Antietam.
Lincoln did not believe that whites and blacks could live together in peace. He had planned to relocate the entire black population of the United
States to Central America.
www.legendsofamerica.com...
I find this a strange statement coming from a man that turned down being in charge of the union army is the war was all about slavery.
"So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced that Slavery is abolished. I believe it will be greatly for the interest of the
South. So fully am I satisfied of this that I would have cheerfully lost all that I have lost by the war, and have suffered all that I have suffered
to have this object attained."
-- General Robert E. Lee
Paradoxically, the cotton gin, a labor-saving device, helped preserve the weakening arguments for slavery, since cheap (slave) labor was needed to
pick cotton. Later, the 20th century invention of the cotton-picker reduced the labor-intensive demands of cotton farming, and brought unemployment to
many poor Southerners.
en.wikipedia.org...
You may also want to check into the economy of the north at the time of the civil war you may find that many enlisted in the Union army so they could
bring in money for the family since unemployment was high and jobs were scarce.
I believe there were many reasons this war was fought and slavery was not the first one and used when it was needed.