But why did South Carolina and the other Deep South states secede?
I have read that. There are actually quotes by Lincoln that support that view. Of course, Lincoln was on record as supporting secession too.
There was also a statement - made by Lincoln at Gettysburg - that implied the war was fought by the North for the purpose of equality. It was understood at the time Lincoln was referring not to equality between men and women, but equality between free men and slaves. This was controversial in the North and South.
And too, the North had imposed confiscatory taxation on imports which had a disparate impact on the South. For some reason the South didn't like confiscatory taxation.
To say Southern soldiers, some of which owned slaves, were fighting to preserve slavery is like saying U.S. soldiers in the Jim-Crow era army went ashore on D-Day “to preserve segregation.”
Self determination. In addition, the largest contributing factor was ending the north raping them financially. This is why the north wanted to "preserve the union". They had a cash cow that they were taking advantage of and didn't want to give it up. The South had a right to chart it's own coarse and had decided to do so. They had no plans to invade the North or tell the North what to do. The North forced it's will upon the South through the provocation at Ft. Sumter and the following military invasion and 12 year occupation. Those are the facts. North good, South Bad. Yea, right.
The vast majority of the Confederate Army were everyday people who did not own slaves but they were brave and courageous enough to DEFEND their homeland against foreign invaders. That their children would wish to honor their courage on a plaque is a noble act of remembrance. The true cowards are those who would today deny them that right.
if you read the original Confederate constitution, it said "to preserve slavery" so that IS why they fought the war.
“But why did South Carolina and the other Deep South states secede? “
For the same reason that the British North American colonies seceded from the United Kingdom. Independence and self-government.
Charles Francis Adams Jr wrote eloquently about it in his “Shall Cromwell Have a Statue?” essay.
And being the heir of John and John Quincy Adams, as well as a Union officer he can hardly be dismissed as a Confederate apologist.