I may be preaching to the choir here, but wanted to arm my fellow Kosaks with a rebuttal to the “heritage, not hate” crowd. To ensure historical accuracy, I’ll use the words of the traitors themselves. Spoiler alert: it WAS about slavery.
After the election of Pres. Abraham Lincoln, fearing that their way of life (read: slavery) was under attack, the seven states of the Deep South (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas) seceded from the Union. When the war began with the firing on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, they were joined by four states of the upper South (Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia).
Of the 11 states to secede from the Union, four issued “Declarations of Causes of Secession” to explain their reasons for seceding: South Carolina, Georgia Mississippi, and Texas. A quick read of these documents leaves no doubt about the reasons they chose to betray their country. (Source: American Historical Association)
South Carolina’s Declaration concluded with an invitation to form "a Confederacy of Slaveholding States." Pretty straightforward, I would say. If fact, the very first sentence of South Carolina's "Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union" states that the decision to secede was partly made “in deference to the opinions and wishes of the other slaveholding States.” Again, no effort to hide the real reason here.
Georgia was perhaps even more direct and unashamed of its motives. The state’s Declaration read in part: “The prohibition of slavery in the Territories is the cardinal principle of this organization.” I’m not sure they could make it any clearer.
Referring to the Northern states, which opposed slavery, the document goes on to state “The prohibition of slavery in the Territories, hostility to it everywhere, the equality of the black and white races, disregard of all constitutional guarantees in its favor, were boldly proclaimed by its leaders and applauded by its followers.”
The men who penned the Georgia Articles seemed a bit put off by the fact that, once upon a time, slavery wasn’t frowned upon; but could not stomach the fact that it had gone out of vogue. “While the subordination and the political and social inequality of the African race was fully conceded by all, it was plainly apparent that slavery would soon disappear from what are now the non-slave-holding States of the original thirteen.” The South, it added, “with great unanimity declared her purpose to resist the principle of prohibition to the last extremity.”
Not to be outdone, the state of Mississippi let it all hang out, as if to say, “why are you beating around the bush, people?!” Their Declaration states: "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."
Any question that slavery was the driving force here? To drive home the point of people-as-property, Mississippi stated in no uncertain terms that slaves equal money, saying they had a binary choice: “ the loss of property worth four billions of money, or we must secede from the Union framed by our fathers.”
In penning its succession argument, Texas let their inner racist shine through. “We hold as undeniable truths that the governments of the various States, and of the confederacy itself, were established exclusively by the white race, for themselves and their posterity; that the African race had no agency in their establishment; that they were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race, and in that condition only could their existence in this country be rendered beneficial or tolerable.”
As if that wasn’t racist enough, Texas went on to add, “that the servitude of the African race, as existing in these States, is mutually beneficial to both bond and free, and is abundantly authorized and justified by the experience of mankind, and the revealed will of the Almighty Creator, as recognized by all Christian nations.” Oh, so now they’re blaming God. The very nerve!
On April 17, 1861, provoked by Lincoln raising troops to suppress the already seceded states, Virginia decided it too would secede from the Union, because “Lincoln’s opinions and purposes are hostile to slavery.”
So, about that whole “heritage not hate” idea, or the argument at it wasn't about slavery: The states themselves made it clear that the whole argument is not to be believed. At least they were honest about it.