Yes, it was. 100%. If the North hadn’t wanted to get rid of slavery, the South would never have seceded.
Say what you will, but I cannot go a thousand feet in any direction from my home without seeing a historical marker about a troop movement, a line of fortification or a home that was used as a HQ or hospital in the War Between The States. The Southern States fought because the South was invaded by Northern Armies of oppression and subjugation.
My Great Grandfather fought in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain which is five miles from my house. It really bothers me when armchair warriors ascribe malicious motives to people in another time you could not possibly have any knowledge of.
higgmeister, in case you do not know, the slave states were doing subjugation and oppression to the slaves. It is amazing that the slavers of north west Georgia thought it was OK to do oppression and subjugation to the slaves yet it was not OK for the Union armies to do the exact same thing to the Slavers. One other thing...the Cherokee Tribe was living in north west Georgia and was co-existing with the whites. And look at what the slavers did to the Cherokee. Subjugation and oppression. Stole their land. As a West Rome Chieftain I too know about the history of North West Georgia.
The desire to own other human beings as property—not to mention actually codifying slavery as a Right(!) in the founding documents which were establishing a new government—cannot be construed as anything other than a "malicious motive".
The fact that many middle class, non-slave-owning Southerners were manipulated into shedding their blood so that wealthy elites could buy, sell, rape, and kill other human beings—without incurring any legal liability—is a crying shame.
That is not to cast aspersions on your ancestor(s). They doubtless fought honorably and bravely—something to be proud of—but the cause for which they fought—and "right of property in negro slaves" which was codified into the Confederate Constitution—should certainly be sufficient to induce sober-minded reflection...