“Civil War was fought over the issue of slavery”
Slavery was at the root of the conflict.
And after it was all over, sharecropping actually worked out better for the plantation owners.
Money was at the root of the conflict. Yes, Slaves produced the money, but so long as that 200 million dollars per year of slave produced money went through New York and Washington, there wasn't going to be a war.
What started the war was when the South made it clear that their money was going to stop flowing through New York and Washington DC.
Suddenly everyone became outraged about slavery in the same manner that Captain Renault was shocked to find out that gambling was going on in the casino.