As a history teacher in Mississippi, I've heard all their arguments. "It was about states rights! It was about the economy! It was about freedom from tyranny!"

Ya just gotta keep the thought going. It was about a state's right to do what? The economics of what? The freedom of whom?

April 09, 2026 - 16:39 UTC

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But not a state’s right to outlaw slavery within its borders!
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Fellow history teacher from Texas. Tell them the whole entire fight for Texas independence occurred because Anglo settlers couldn’t keep enslaved people once they set foot into Texas, given that Mexico had abolished slavery in 1829.
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Grew up in Texas and I never learned that until I left. Texas history was always remember the Alamo and Freedom!
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And when I took Texas History in 7th grade, they never mentioned that at ALL. I was taught that settlers would be required to convert to Catholicism and that's a big reason why we fought for independence.
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Popular deflections include that “Lincoln was a racist, too!!!” and/or didn’t really care about abolishing slavery.
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This is going in my little notebook of advice to remember.
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I always tell them that, yes, states' rights were part of it. Mississippi was very much AGAINST them and was upset that northern states were allowed to resist enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act.

"[The US government] has nullified the Fugitive Slave Law in almost every free State in the Union,"
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"So, did the Confederate Constitution allow states the right to decide for or against allowing slavery?"
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I went to school in the 1950s and 60s in the north (Wisconsin) and I can tell you that even there the slavery/racism part was definitely soft pedaled in favor of states' rights, etc.
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