What is the author's opinion on the causes of the American Civil War?
It would appear that other than Gizella, most G&M posters on this site have swallowed the 21st century High School version of the causes of the American Civil War like kool-aid in one Big Gulp. REALITY: the South was an Agrarian economy reliant on slave labour in order to be economically viable. The mythology of Southern White superiority was just that, a mythology built to support the slave-based economic imperative - not the other way around. The North was an industrial economy that had evolved to require free - or at least non-slave - labour, although indentured labour was accepted (Go figure. But after all, rember this is the time of Charles Dickens). Gizella is correct. Princess Alceste and the rest of the Greek Chorus Gals & Castratos are simply wrong.  The States War (Civil War) was, like most wars, was fought over economic imperatives. Slavery was very much a secondary, though critical aspect of the complex factors resulting in war. But let's blame Trump - easy, fun & stupid.