The presidential candidate Nikki Haley faced criticism this week for avoiding the question about the cause of the Civil War during her campaign in New Hampshire. When asked about it, she joked that it was not an easy question and mentioned other topics such as government, freedoms, capitalism, and individual liberties. When the questioner pointed out that she hadn’t mentioned slavery, she asked, “What do you want me to say about slavery?” The next morning, she clarified in a radio interview that the war was indeed about slavery but that she was trying to reframe it in modern terms.
This incident highlights the contested nature of our historical facts, especially when it comes to the Civil War. There have been efforts by some Republican-led states, including Florida under Governor Ron DeSantis, to restrict the teaching of what they consider “woke views” of slavery and race in schools. This controversy has made discussing the history of race a sensitive topic on both the political right and left.
It is important to acknowledge that there are individuals who do not believe slavery was the cause of the Civil War. This was evident during a recent discussion on Abraham Lincoln, where a caller on C-SPAN claimed that the war was about states fighting over money, not slavery. While such claims are not uncommon, it is crucial for us to arm ourselves with factual knowledge.
The evidence clearly shows that slavery was a central cause of the Civil War. Southern states rejected Lincoln’s election as president because he belonged to the antislavery Republican Party. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, and the Confederates initiated the war by firing the first shot at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. The leaders of the Confederacy explicitly named slavery as their cause, and their defense of the institution grew stronger over time.
After the war, former Confederates tried to obscure these facts and portrayed their war heroes as defenders of their states rather than supporters of slavery. Organizations like the United Daughters of the Confederacy also worked to downplay slavery’s role in the war. Historians have debated various aspects of the lead-up to the war, but ultimately, the United States fought a war over slavery.
It is evident that some people question the historical record due to present conflicts rather than genuine doubt about the past. Conservatives may feel that slavery is weaponized by progressives in current debates over race and equality. However, it is important to remember that Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, recognized slavery as a great wrong and believed in the country’s responsibility to rectify it.
Discussing and understanding the history of slavery and the Civil War is crucial for our collective understanding of the past and its implications for the present. It is essential to approach these discussions calmly and armed with factual evidence to counter doubtful claims. The end of slavery is an integral part of our nation’s legacy, and it should be acknowledged and discussed openly by all.
Steve Inskeep, co-host of NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “Up First,” is the author of “Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America.”
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