x to DiogenesLamp:
"No serious historian says that most Northerners went to war to free the slaves, but few would agree that the war was all about Northern greed.
There are a host of motivations in between those to extremes that you don't take into account. " Well said, thanks for a great response!
Slavery was very important to some Northerners, and more as the war progressed.
Others were simply outraged that Southern slavers wanted to destroy their Union.
Slavery was very important to some Northerners, Absolutely. It was putting gold in their pockets, and they wanted business to continue as usual.
That Secession business couldn't be tolerated because it was about to interrupt the money flow.
and more as the war progressed.
As the propaganda machine cranked up, sure. Arresting thousands of dissidents tends to get everyone else on the bandwagon. Wilson did the same thing in World War I.