Causes of the Civil War

The following causes are from the various Declarations of the Immediate Causes which Induce and Justify the Secession for Georgia, Mississippi, Texas and South Carolina, the only four states whose causes for leaving the Union thus settinging the stage for the Civil War that I have been able to find. These are from the University of Tennesee's site (link below).

Here is the start of Georgia's Declaration:

The people of Georgia having dissolved their political connection with the Government of the United States of America, present to their confederates and the world the causes which have led to the separation. For the last ten years we have had numerous and serious causes of complaint against our non-slave-holding confederate States with reference to the subject of African slavery. They have endeavored to weaken our security, to disturb our domestic peace and tranquility, and persistently refused to comply with their express constitutional obligations to us in reference to that property...

Here is the start of Mississippi's:

Declaration of the Immediate Causes which Induce and Justify the Secession of the State of Mississippi from the Federal Union.

In the momentous step which our State has taken of dissolving its connection with the government of which we so long formed a part, it is but just that we should declare the prominent reasons which have induced our course.

Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization. That blow has been long aimed at the institution, and was at the point of reaching its consummation. There was no choice left us but submission to the mandates of abolition, or a dissolution of the Union, whose principles had been subverted to work out our ruin.

South Carolina's:

Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union

The people of the State of South Carolina, in Convention assembled, on the 26th day of April, A.D., 1852, declared that the frequent violations of the Constitution of the United States, by the Federal Government, and its encroachments upon the reserved rights of the States, fully justified this State in then withdrawing from the Federal Union; but in deference to the opinions and wishes of the other slaveholding States, she forbore at that time to exercise this right. Since that time, these encroachments have continued to increase, and further forbearance ceases to be a virtue.

Texas:

A Declaration of the Causes which Impel the State of Texas to Secede from the Federal Union.

The government of the United States, by certain joint resolutions, bearing date the 1st day of March, in the year A.D. 1845, proposed to the Republic of Texas, then a free, sovereign and independent nation, the annexation of the latter to the former, as one of the co-equal states thereof,

The people of Texas, by deputies in convention assembled, on the fourth day of July of the same year, assented to and accepted said proposals and formed a constitution for the proposed State, upon which on the 29th day of December in the same year, said State was formally admitted into the Confederated Union.

Texas abandoned her separate national existence and consented to become one of the Confederated Union to promote her welfare, insure domestic tranquility and secure more substantially the blessings of peace and liberty to her people. She was received into the confederacy with her own constitution, under the guarantee of the federal constitution and the compact of annexation, that she should enjoy these blessings. She was received as a commonwealth holding, maintaining and protecting the institution known as negro slavery-- the servitude of the African to the white race within her limits-- a relation that had existed from the first settlement of her wilderness by the white race, and which her people intended should exist in all future time. Her institutions and geographical position established the strongest ties between her and other slave-holding States of the confederacy.

South Carolina mentions the 'rights of States' only within the context of slavery.

The word "tax" or variations of that does not exist a single time in the 7950 or so words in the documents. Not a single one uses "tariff" or "tariffs" EVEN ONCE. However, the word "slave" and variations thereof ("slaves", etc.) is used an astounding 82 times. [Full text in bottom link below.]

These are the causes straight from the horses mouths.

What other documentation is there for things other than slavery being the cause of the Civil War? Even the so called "State's Rights" argument goes back to just one thing: the right of states regarding slavery. If you disagree, then please show me the Uncle Tom's that were written about State's Rights, please show me the Nat Turner type revolts over taxation, please show me the anti-taxation societies that arose, please show me the State's Right's societies that clamored for greater State's Rights, please show me the actions of all of these other causes that you say caused the Civil War. Please show me how the Civil War would have started because of these had there been no slavery or threat to start restricting it or move toward abolishing it.

There are many historical documents, so maybe this information exists somewhere, but I haven't come across it yet. But the fact that even a casual read doesn't turn up these things makes me wonder how important any other cause could have been.

Civil War Links

1. Monitor and Merrimack, day 1
2. Monitor and Merrimack, day 2
3. Slavery Caused the Civil War
4. More Civil War Causes
5. Civil War Declarations of Causes of Succession of the southern states