Hmmm, it's still a tough topic to discuss. For a non american it's not a regular historical topic to think about. Our schooling doesn't mention the american civil war at all. So my interest comes in from another channel. Keep in mind english is not my native language so certain things I write could be interpertated as if I wont understand, but I do, it's just hard to write in such a way that makes everything clear.
When I was about 6 or 7 this TV series broadcasted, North & South, with Patrick Swayze. You surely know about it. Well, my parents watched it and while I as a young boy have always been into history I watched along. At that age the battles ofcourse were of interest but I also caught some of the non-combat scenes. What intriged me the most was that a huge world power like the United States commited civil war. That was...bizar. So at that point I became interested into this conflict. Beeing in the 80's as a youngster it's very hard to find information about this conflict. In the library I managed to find various books that educated me.
I've studied the conflict during my teenager years. What most non-americans think is that the civil war was about slavery. Many of the things a non-american can view or read do give that impression. However, upon further studying I learned that the american civil war was not about slavery at all. This conflict was about the southern states not beeing satisfied with the management of the "states". From what I know the country's representatives were based on how many citizens each county/city had. When comparing the northern states to the southern states it's easy to determine the northern states had advantages. The south stated it should have equal rights compared to northern states. This could be pointed out as a point that started growing disbelief in the equalness of the union. I must admit that I do not know everything inside out. Perhaps Pickett's analysis of a gentleman's club could be helpfull to understand the distrust in the simplest way.
Anyway, some of the southern states didn't agree the way the north had, in their opinion, too much control over the continent. I guess with emotions going on, eventually states decided to withdraw from the Union. The "states" were still considered as individual countries at that point so withdrawing from an alliance would be viable. The northern states didn't expect, and ofcourse didn't like this dividing of the nation.
The rest is, I guess, common history. From the firing at Fort Sumter till Appomatox. When asked me to distinguise both sides, I'd have to say the southern states were in their full right to withdraw from the union. The southern states' reason to fight against the northern enforcement is in my opinion fully understandable, and as the person that I am, I cannot blame them at all. It is what I would do. As for the Union, I feel they fought due to them not wanting to accept a split in the continent. Lincoln's campaign that this conflict was about slavery is in my opinion 1 of the weakest political campaigns one could ever think of. Neither northern or southern people had any real interest in the freedom of slaves. Sure, the north had abandoned slavery, but that doesn't mean the general opinion against a "black" man changed much over the years. I guess when you asked most northern soldiers why they choose to take up arms against the south they would answer that they did it because their nation asked them to. Patriotism got them to fight for their side, not slaves. The southern soldiers fought for nothing else either, and added to that the disagreement on how the north denied them certain "equalness".
Once again I have to state that I dont quite know the political inside outs and reasons for this conflict. Not that I dont want to, but just because I feel I have not paid enough attention to that specific part yet. It's hard to say who was right and who was wrong, neither do I want to. I guess all I can say is I can understand the motivations from either side. When a conflict ends the looser is always wrong and the bad side. The winner is always right and the hero. I feel that in the aftermath and the way history was written that many are educated the wrong reasons this conflict was fought about and that in the end, from a neutral persons view, there was no right....or wrong.
All in all, everything about, in and around it, makes this conflict 1 of the most interesting conflicts in history. And that's why I love it so much, and perhaps because I have american blood in my vains
