Abstract
As we think about endings, however, it is also useful to think about beginnings. That is what President Abraham Lincoln did in his Second Inaugural Address, delivered just five weeks before the surrender at Appomattox and his own assassination soon thereafter. All knew, he said reflecting sadly and thoughtfully on how the Civil War came about, that slavery was, "somehow," the cause. In fact, "somehow," however, lay puzzles, contradictions, and questions. The connections between slavery and the Civil War have concerned Americans ever since the events at Appomattox.
Document Type
Book Chapter
ISBN
9780912627700
Publication Date
2002
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2002 Department of Interior National Park Service. This chapter first appeared in Appomattox Court House: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Virginia.
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Recommended Citation
Ayers, Edward L. "Slavery, Economics and Constitutional Ideals." In Appomattox Court House: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Virginia. Produced by Division of Publications, Harpers Ferry Center, National Park Service, pp. 12-21. Washington, D.C: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 2002.