Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again. The Civil War began because of two things: tariffs, politics, and Lincoln's totatlitarian ways.
Lincoln ran on the Morrill Tariff, said two weeks before his inauguration that no other issue was as important. As for the politics part, the newly formed pro-tax, anti-states rights Republican Party wanted to stop the spread of the Democratic Party out west and ending slavery was part of that.
As for Lincoln's dictatorial tendencies, he centralized the government of this country like no one before, and no one since. He fulfilled his mentor Henry Clay's vision of a huge federal government and massive taxation, and "American System" endless pork projects.
It must also be pointed out that he utterly botched the seriousness of the war, almost had to abandon the White House right after the very first major battle, and set in motion a bloodbath that would amount to six million dead Americans in today's numbers.
This is a man who is praised by communists (the 3000 Americans who went to Spain to fight for the communists during the Spanish Civil War called themselves the Abe Lincoln Brigade), praised by Hitler.
He was a dictatorial politician, locking up anyone who spoke out against the war even in areas where the war was unpopular with virtually everyone. Suspension of habeus corpus, destruction of civilians in the south, women and children faced with a scorched earth campaign by his top generals. This was never, ever about slavery. It was about collecting taxes (he threatened war over the tariff, not slavery, in his first presidential speech), locking up the west for the Republicans, and federalizing the country.
That's three, but then you're the king of 2+2=the south paying tariffs on exports.
As for Lincoln's dictatorial tendencies, he centralized the government of this country like no one before, and no one since.
Care to cite some examples? I'd say that Wilson, both Roosevelts, and LBJ did far more to centralize power.
You call Lincoln a dictator, but what kind of dicatator puts himself up for reelection--a reelection that he might well have lost, were it not for some military successes.
It must also be pointed out that he utterly botched the seriousness of the war, almost had to abandon the White House right after the very first major battle, and set in motion a bloodbath that would amount to six million dead Americans in today's numbers.
Jefferson Davis failed to understand what war meant as well, DID have to abandon his capital, and, by ordering the firing on Sumter, set in motion the bloodbath that would follow.
This is a man who is praised by communists (the 3000 Americans who went to Spain to fight for the communists during the Spanish Civil War called themselves the Abe Lincoln Brigade), praised by Hitler.
Hitler also praised highway construction. Does that make Eisenhower a Nazi favorite?
He was a dictatorial politician, locking up anyone who spoke out against the war even in areas where the war was unpopular with virtually everyone
Do you have any idea how unpopular Lincoln was in some quarters? If he'd locked up everyone who spoke against him, as you claim, he'd have to lock up millions.
This was never, ever about slavery.
According to the Declarations of Causes, Stephens' Cornerstone Speech, and hundreds of other original southern sources it was.
Yeah, and they fought along side the George Washington Brigade. Who knew that Washington was a commie, too?