The Civil War sparked an era of depression for all Texans, and America as a whole. In the period of the Civil War, over 70,000 Texans fought in the Civil War. In the early 1820’s, the United States was expanding its territorial grasp, however many of the states wished to join the union with legalized slavery. All of the slave states in the union led to the secession of eleven states, the Confederacy, and the Civil War. With the high likelihood of suffering a tragic death in the war, the question is brought up, why did Texans fight in the Civil War? Texans fought in the Civil War for three reasons; to preserve slavery, to protect states’ rights, and their pride for Texas.
One reason that Texans served in the Civil War was for a feeling of pride for their state. Part of being a Texan is the need for a fight periodically, and a pride to Texas. During the Civil War, their support was with the nation that held
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In 1860, nearly one-third of Texans were slaves, and nearly one-third of all white families owned slaves (Doc A). A large percentage of Texans owned slaves or were slaves, but the extreme cost of a single slave and the fear of losing their investment is what led Texans to battle. One healthy, male slave would cost about $1200, the equivalent to 200 acres of farmland (Doc A). Texans believed they had the right to own slaves, slaves had been around for all of humanity, and African Americans had no part in establishing America, so they were naturally inferior. The idea of slavery was that it was beneficial to the slave and the owner, the slave was provided a house and a job, the owner was provided with cotton (Doc B). Simply, an end to slavery, in the Texan’s eyes would let inferior people’s into the competition, ruin the southern economy, and waste all of the southerner’s investment in slavery, so preservation of slavery was the primary cause that Texans fought in the Civil