Charles Beard, a noted historian said that the American Civil War was a conflict between industry and agriculture. Alexander Stephens, a southern statesman said that the war was about states rights. Horace Greeley, a northern newspaper man, and prominent abolitionist claimed the war was fought over the issue of slavery. Abraham Lincoln said it was a struggle "testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated can long endure." Lincoln said his …showed first 75 words of 2499 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2499 total…went to jail...thus you were no longer a problem. He used slavery to win public appeal in England and France...and to win a war. It has been said by many well-known historians and military experts that by the second week of July of 1863 the South had only one real chance of winning the war. That chance was the assassination of President Lincoln. This may be true and it may not, but what if?