Why did Texans fight in the civil war? Why would they risk their own lives with death imminent fighting against their own country? Texas and those in the south, at the time of the civil war did not support Abe Lincoln as he was against slavery. When he was elected president, the south wanted to secede. This caused a war of the ages, the civil war. Texans fought for their states rights, sectionalism and to keep slavery. When Abe Lincoln was elected president, Texans knew he would free all slaves, which would throw Texas’ economy out of whack as they depended on slavery to grow cotton, which was the whole economy for the South, exporting it to neighbors at a wide rate. This started Southerners fight for States rights, the right for states to