"Never threatened"??
That's not what numerous "Reasons for Secession" documents said, indeed, every such document written before Fort Sumter emphasized slavery.
Further, once war started at Fort Sumter, within a few months slavery again became important, in the form of "Contraband of War", and Contraband lead to various acts of Congress, the Emancipation Proclamation and 13th Amendment.
All of those made absolutely clear to every Confederate that defeat in war meant the destruction of their "peculiar institution."
So whichever way you look at it, Civil War was "all about slavery" for both 4 million African Americans and 5-1/2 million white Confederates.
"Clear, obvious, irrefutable!"
“Never threatened”??
That’s not what numerous “Reasons for Secession” documents said, indeed, every such document written before Fort Sumter emphasized slavery.****
That is certainly what Lincoln said, that is what numerous elections in Northern states in which abolitionists were drubbed said, that is what the Corwin Amendment said. I’ve already laid out numerous times why the Southern states cited refusal of the Northern states to enforce the fugitive slave clause of the constitution violated the compact.
Further, once war started at Fort Sumter, within a few months slavery again became important, in the form of “Contraband of War”, and Contraband lead to various acts of Congress, the Emancipation Proclamation and 13th Amendment.
All of those made absolutely clear to every Confederate that defeat in war meant the destruction of their “peculiar institution.”
So whichever way you look at it, Civil War was “all about slavery” for both 4 million African Americans and 5-1/2 million white Confederates.*****
No it most certainly was not. The EP was a WAR MEASURE. It was intended to weaken the enemy. The Northern Congress declared numerous times as did Lincoln that they were not waging a war against slavery.