GOP Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley has gone viral over her response to a question about the Civil War for failing to mention the word “slavery.” The former Governor of South Carolina was at an event in New Hampshire taking questions from the crowd when the now-viral moment happened. Someone asked: “What was the cause of the United States Civil War?” Her response was essentially “state’s rights.” The person who asked the question responded to her answer by saying “In 2023, it’s astonishing to me that you would answer that question without mentioning slavery.”
The reality is that the Civil War was much more complicated than a simple, one-word answer could possibly convey. Slavery was a key factor in the war but not the only factor. The safety and well-being of slaves were not truly important, despite what current “pro-Union/North” advocates may say. Yes, slavery was a huge institution and the lifeblood of the country. Many states wished to preserve this. Slavery was not, however, a thing that was abhorred nationwide. The Federal Government had no problem taking tax money from slave states and Northern manufacturing companies had no problem doing business with the South for raw materials produced by slave labor. The Civil War was about control of the Federal Government over the individual rights of states.
SOURCES:
Nikki Haley seeks to clarify Civil War comments as backlash mounts | CNN Politics
Nikki Haley makes no mention of slavery when asked to name cause of Civil War
Haley blames a ‘Democratic plant’ for Civil War question that tripped her up – POLITICO
Nikki Haley says slavery was a US Civil War cause after backlash
Nikki Haley hit from all sides over Civil War comments: ‘It’s about slavery’
