# Why are Americans willing to fight overseas for freedom but not at home? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 17, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-americans-willing-to-fight-overseas-for-freedom-but-not-at-home/260199 "2004-08-17T04:15:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-americans-willing-to-fight-overseas-for-freedom-but-not-at-home/260199/41 "2004-08-18T23:59:00Z")
> [@Snakespirit](#): > > Hawaii was a U.S. Territory at the time. Japanese were parachuting onto the Hawaiian islands. What, you think they just wanted some macadamia nuts? No, they wanted to disable American naval power so they could proceed in their plan to add more territory in the Pacific. The Japanese were not going to invade America. > [@](#): > > Boy, you sure got me on that one. I guess I bought the high-school explanation that it was to “free the slaves” hook line and sinker. I thought that was freedom; thanks for enlightening me. You must’ve missed what I said. While the slaves were certainly freed as a result of the war, I think it was primarily fought to preserve the Union. > [@](#): > > You seemingly took that comment too seriously. I thought that the ‘wink’ 😉 at the end of that paragraph would make it clear I was kidding. It wasn’t. If you’re kidding, it’s now clear. Are we done, then? ---
**Author:** ![Kluge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a183cd/32.png) [@Kluge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kluge)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-americans-willing-to-fight-overseas-for-freedom-but-not-at-home/260199/42 "2004-08-19T00:30:49Z")
I find this [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_the_American_Civil_War) to be a good summary of the origins of the Civil War. While slavery was a very big factor, please note it was not the only factor. It’s not fitting to simplify the causes of the Civil War to just slavery (even though that simplification is understandable). Also, I personally agree with **Marley23** ’s take on it. While the events leading up to southern secession did have a large focus on slavery, the immediate principle of the war was the preservation of the union. The [wiki article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Civil_War) on the entire war points this out. > [@](#): > > Less than a month later, on March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as president of the United States. In his inaugural address, he refused to recognize the secession, considering it “legally void”. His speech closed with a plea for restoration of the bonds of union. The South, particularly South Carolina, ignored the plea, and on April 12, the South fired upon the Federal troops stationed at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina until the troops surrendered. > > Lincoln called for all of the states in the Union to send troops to defend the country against the secessionist forces. Most Northerners believed that a quick brutal victory for the Union would put out the rebellion, and so Lincoln only called for volunteers for 90 days. This was an impetus for the rest of the Southern states to vote for secession. Once Virginia seceded, the Confederate capital was moved to Richmond, Virginia. I see no talk of slavery here. > [@Snakespirit](#): > > …do your own research, and learn. I agree, though I think it would be okay if I were to ease some of your research burden. Allow me to recommend some more material from Wikipedia for you to peruse, this time with focus on the [attack on Pearl Harbor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor). I believe you’ll find the background section to be enlightening. And I hope that’s the end of this tangent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-americans-willing-to-fight-overseas-for-freedom-but-not-at-home/260199.md?page=2)