No, sorry. The Civil War WAS indeed about slavery.

I find it fascinating that we, as a country, apparently are re-litigating the Civil War (aka The War of Northern Aggression as our Southern brethren like to say). Some of the discussions I have heard in the last week are just astounding to me. Whew...

I would like to point out that, for anyone who is really in doubt about what that terrible war was really about, you should go read the Declaration of Secession of the various states. I have read three of them; Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina. The one from SC (and remember that SC seceded before Lincoln even took office) includes the phrase "A geographical line has been drawn across the Union, and all the States north of that line have united in the election of a man to the high office of President of the United States, whose opinions and purposes are hostile to slavery." 

The declaration from Miss., all it talks about is slavery.  Here is a taste (my emphasis).  

"Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery - the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product, which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization. That blow has been long aimed at the institution, and was at the point of reaching its consummation. There was no choice left us but submission to the mandates of abolition, or a dissolution of the Union, whose principles had been subverted to work out our ruin."

That really leaves little room for alternative explanations.  There really isn't any doubt about why the South seceded from the Union. None at all. It was about "states rights" only as it related to slavery. Period. The Confederacy took up arms against the United States of America in order to preserve slavery. If you go read the quote above, this is not an open question....

I just find it fascinating that no one is ready to move on from what should have been settled 150 years ago. That's just amazing to me.