"Slavery was but a side issue in the War of Northern Aggression. The South was much more concerned about the erosion of states' rights and their ability to choose their own path."
***
I'm a Southerner (NC born and bred, the state that provided more Confederate troops than any other) and I have to say the whole slavery/Jim Crow era was an huge embarrassment to us.
You can couch this in States' Rights all you want but if it weren't for the slavery issue, there would have been no Civil War. The South was ready to destroy the Union to keep slaves -- even though our Declaration said that all men are created equal and that slavery was clearly unconstitutional. Let's not try to hide this huge ugly elephant in the room.
BUT...I'm not ashamed to be Southern. Hardly. There are many wonderful things about Southern culture, not least of which is food and hospitality. In particular for me is the finest pork BBQ in all the world they make in Eastern NC. The South nearly destroyed the country in the 19th century but I am convinced we will save the country here in the 21st.
Only one in eight (12%) in the entire South owned a slave. My guess is that your family were part of the 88% that truely believed the fight was to preserve States' Rights. On that point, you can remain proud.
Zhangliqun,
I am a Southerner who was also born and bred in NC. I agree with your comments. There are a lot of wonderful, caring people in the South.
By the way, we do have the best pork BBQ! I absolutely love the South. I lived in three other states after undergrad, but NC stayed in my heart. These other states did not impress me. I missed that Southern hospitality and down-to-earth temperament that is so characteristic of North Carolinians. So, I moved back a few years ago. Also, the geography of NC is so beautiful. I love to brag about NC. *smile*
Joy
Speaking of the Civil War, that comment will start another one on this thread in a matter of moments.
Regarding your other comments, there are a few die hards here who cannot for the life of them recognize that the slavery issue was the knife edge that split the Union. Other economic and political factors were of course also important, but without slavery there would have been no abolitionist movement, without the abolitionists there would have been no Republican Party, no Republicans and Lincoln becomes an historic footnote as an objector to the Mexican American War and, reputedly, quite an orator. Finally, no Lincoln = no (or little chance of) secession.
At that point the legitimate debate becomes whether the southern States had every right to secede. Philosophically I tend to agree they did and that's coming from the great grandson of a Union Army veteran from the slave yet Union State of Kentucky. But the "War of Northern Aggression" and slavery are bones that some dogs simply won't give up gnawing on and "Best Barbecue" is another (pun intended).