Some say simplistically that the Civil War was fought over slavery. Unfortunately, there is no 'simple' reason. The causes of the war were a complex series of events, including slavery, which began long before the first shot was fired. Competing nationalism, political turmoil, the definition of freedom, the preservation of the Union, the fate of slavery and the structure of our society and economy could all be listed as significant contributing factors in America's bloodiest conflict.
Many of the problems Georgians saw more than one hundred fifty years ago are being reiterated today.…