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Question: When the Civil War broke out, Why did Pres!. Lincoln chose not to make the conflict a struggle over slavery!?
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Lincoln was an opponent of lavery, but most Americans were not willing to fight to end it!. Lincoln said, at the time, that if he could preserve the Union without freeing a single slave, he would do so, and if to preserve the Union, he would have to free all slaves, he would do so, as well!. In short, he was more concerned about the threat of the country coming apart, initially, than about the issue of slavery!. Once the war was on, then emapnispating slaves in the "enemy) southern states was a strategic deision, one designed to force the South to invest lots of manpower watching over slaves!. It also allowed the Union forces to employ black soldiers, but he did not free the slaves held in border states such as Maryland, because those states were supporting the Union!. Ultimately, Lincoln felt that the war was over the preservation of the Union, and slavery was a side issue!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The civil war was during 1865, i dont know the second part!. But i know that lincoln wanted to end slaveryWww@QuestionHome@Com

You need to read the attached article from Wikipedia about the Civil War!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/American_Ci!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

At that time, I believe that two slave states still remained with the union!. To make the war officially over slavery would probably cause those stated to secede from the union!. Preserving the union was a cause that more people were willing to dies for than to end slavery!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

some of the border states were on 'the fence' at the start of the war and were 'slave states', but had not formallay seceded!. Maryland comes to mind!. To keep them in the fold, so to speak, the initial reason for the struggle did not include slavery!. After Antietam, when the course of the war was not in doubt, then the Emancipation Proclamation was issued!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because he needed the border states to stay loyal to the union!.And making the war about slavery would have hurt the chances of some states remaining loyal to the union!.Www@QuestionHome@Com