Mr. Purvis, we will have to agree to disagree.

I have to question your sources and think that your library and research may be limited to a lot of internet and post 1960s, that is certainly biased. I guess I need to start copying and mailing all of my resources with the evidence that counters your position. I am one that believes that closer to the events, sifting through newspaper articles, diaries, and family history, of those that lived it, than a liberal arts educated Academia nuts, that have been sold on the great Northern myth which is just as dangerous as the lost cause myth. the Viewing of the war through late 20th Century to the present by using the current sociopolitical, ideologies. You obviously not read very much contemporary writings or letters. I have read many letters of union soldiers who stated, they were not fighting for "No Darkie, I am fighting to preserve the Union." Please do not take offense with my quotation of a letter that I read. those are not my word, those are his. I have read the contemporary letters and sources hear in Arkansas, that units were formed to quell the reported yankee hordes invading from Missouri. Arkansas rejected the 1st secession convention because the majority felt that the Union was more important than slavery, but when the 2nd Convention, occurred in the wake of the firing on ft. Sumter and Lincoln's call, the Governor of Arkansas in his response sums up what many of the people in Arkansas felt, and still feel. My paraphrase they would rather have to fight than put up with tyrants and idiots way up North in Washington DC, because they don't have a clue of what is best for the State of Arkansas, and they would not put up with being bullies trying to subjugate their sister states.

You need to read about Governor Elisha Baxter and his service. Governor Baxter served shortly in a 30 day Volunteer unit of States Troops formed specifically for the defense of Arkansas from the expected and considered impending invasion from Missouri. Later on Governor Baxter, served in a an Arkansas Volunteer Mounted Infantry regiment as its Commander it was a Union unit. He had a change of heart, when he found the Confederacy to be just as bad or worse than the Republic and Lincoln.

I am sure I have read many of the same resources, and I am sure you have all the statements of the States I have, I have read the official statements of the States and their secession conventions. I have studied the Confederacy's Constitution. Big disconnect of the ruling class of rich and educated Planters, businessmen with Slaves, and a significant investments to lose. the Same people who judge Southern planters, are the New Jersey and New England businessman who have turned a blind eye, to the plundering of foreign nations, by friends and family members of the President.

To put it in backwoods Arkansas Vernacular. It AIN"T all that Simple. For the planters or today's businessman. The political climate then is as muddled as today.
I have also read accounts, letters both and North and South who denounced the war as being waged by the New England Businessmen, to get rich. The South viewed them as hypocrites, because some of their families had become wealthy participating in the slave trade, and New England ship builders being wealthy building slave ships.
The Moniker "War of Northern Aggression" was not a political statement or a phrase dreamed up by "Lost Cause" enthusiasts.
My Human Geography and Economic Geography studies, included research of the economic differences, political view points, cultural background and mindset of the geographical regions of the US. (I have a Bachelor's of Science in Geography/Sociology, and a Master's in Social Work, 60 graduate hours in counseling, 18 Hours Military Science, Engineer Officer Basic Course, Engineer Officer Advanced Course,)
State and National Park, Living History and Historical Organizations, including some seminars by Shelby Foote and Ed Bearss, I knew Edward Gerdes because of his friends in my unit at Jonesboro, had the privilege of speaking with him a few times, and my short article about a local skirmish, he liked and had posted. I worked as a Park Interpreter at a Park related to Native Americans. I learned first hand how biased, inaccurate, and politically self serving many of the resources are, and have discovered the same in Civil War resources. Especially in research from 1980 to 2021.

There seems to be a clear anti-South sentiment, and blame of the South, and the Confederacy, and a dangerous focus, almost, obsessive importance of the importance of Slavery as the only cause of the War. I have read articles and have heard historians discussing the 911 Attack, and the Global War on Terrorism from 2001 to 2011. I can assure you there were many factors besides being Anti-Muslim, and battle for oil. I can say in confidence, that I, and the soldiers I served with in Ira, did not fight for oil or because we hated Iraqis. I have the honor, of having a dear friend in Iraq, who I consider a brother, because he was there when we needed him, he put his life in my hands, and I put my life in his hands. i have others that I left behind and have know contact, that I know that we would pick up where we left off.

I think historians are treating early war on Terrorism unfair and biased with sociopolitical ideas and ideologies, and an inaccurate view, and then have the audacity to say we are wrong because we are not professional historians.

however, I have read many resources that put slavery in perspective and why I stated it had nothing to do with the war it had everything to do with the war.
Slavery is where the Political, Financial, Regional, and Sociological and political ideology all collided. Lincoln's call for the 75,000 soldiers to be furnish by the States was to put down the Rebellion. He did not say to end slavery.

Sir,

You are more than welcome to post any source that you feel proves the war was fought over slavery. I will do the same. To be honest, you have no idea what my sources are, but rest assured none of them list slavery as the cause of the war.

I have to question your narrative, anyone can write and post anything they believe is the cause of the war and provide no proof. I note already you are contradicting your own narrative. So if Lincoln wasn't fighting to "free the slaves" how could the South be fighting to "keep the slaves?"