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Northern Motivations Not Abolition
- The Civil War initially was not fought over abolition but to preserve the Union and Constitution.
- Northern soldiers joined out of duty, honor, and to safeguard their own freedoms tied to the Union's existence.
Social Dynamics Drive Volunteering
- Peer and community influence strongly motivated individuals to volunteer for the Union cause.
- Volunteering was linked to social movement dynamics and notions of manhood and honor.
Southern Defensive Narrative
- Southern volunteers framed the conflict as defending state rights and slavery against Northern aggression.
- They perceived threats to their autonomy as slaveholders and as states under attack.