the war certainly did not begin about slavery...but it certainly ended about slavery...

may i recommended a book to you all...

"the battle cry of freedom", by james mcpherson...

it is the best single volume on the subject that i have ever read...the first 100 or so pages provides a history of the growing conflict over slavery, during the 50 years before the war...

after reading that, one realizes that an intense hatred by many in the north and south had grown to a point where they were ready to get it on, so to speak...it explains to me why vast armies on both sides were so quickly formed by eager volunteers...

keep it simple and keep it safe...