While the subject of slavery was an important element of the reasons behind seceesion, I know that you know better than the think the entire reasoning behind the Civil War can be so easily summarized as: The Was was about slavery. You and I both now there were core issues, many still unresolved and a number of them being excercised by California recently that are reasons behind the War. One could make the arguement that slavery itself was a secondary cause, being a component of a State's Right to chose whether or not it would allow slavery. I honestly think that the unresolved issues from the 1850s are starting to come to light today, like with the aforementioned California as well as other instances in other States.