16. The Civil War Was Only About States’ Rights
The notion that the Civil War was fought solely over “states’ rights” is a persistent myth. While the concept of states’ rights was certainly invoked, primary Confederate documents and declarations make it clear that the right they most fervently defended was the preservation of slavery. For example, Mississippi’s secession document explicitly cites slavery as the central cause. The rhetoric around states’ rights served as a means to justify and protect the institution of slavery, making it the war’s core issue—not just abstract governance.
