Knoxville News Sentinel
What caused the Civil War? Most say slavery because that is what history books have been teaching for years.
It is true that the South did fire the first shot, but ask yourself why. President James Buchanan in his last days of office seemed to ignore the issue. When President Abraham Lincoln came to office he did nothing to prevent the war. He was not sworn in until March 4, 1861. He slipped into Washington in late February because of death threats. There were three peace commissioners trying to get an audience with Buchanan and then with Lincoln with no avail. Instead Lincoln was secretly planning to send reinforcements to Fort Sumter and Fort Pickens in Pensacola Bay.
There were many events taking place leading up to the firing on Fort Sumter. So what was the cause of the war? Was it taxes, tariffs, state rights, slavery, greed, corruption, ambition and hatred? All of these were factors leading to the war.
There is an answer! The North fought for the right to rule another section of the country and thus collect taxes. The federal government would collapse without Southern tax dollars or new taxes the Northerners would have to pay.
The South has no ambitions to conquer other portions of the country. So why did the South fight? Because the South was invaded! The power to rule and collect taxes has been one of the primary causes for wars throughout the history of this world.
Sam S. Forrester
Knoxville
