Originally Posted by Irishguy
My point was and still is that most hardworking dirt farmers that did not own slaves could have cared less about the Confederacy and the ones that did were whipped up into a state of patriotism of the South by the wealthy, aristocratic, plantation owning ruling class. (If you leave out the words South and Plantation out of that sentence it pretty much describes all wars by the way.)



I would say that most of the confederate soldiers (who didnt own any slaves) were more tribalist than slave loving. They fought because someone was attacking their neighbors, farms, homes, county or state. Most people at that time identified more with their local government or the state than with the federal government.

I love my country, but don't trust my government.