Why Did Texas Fight In The Civil War Dbq

Tejas means ‘those who are friends’, however from 1861 to 1865 Texans, and most Southern states were battling the abolitionist North. This was a very tense time for America, and the Civil War was a bloody battle. But, why did Texans fight in the War at all? Texans fought due to slavery, the want for states’ rights, and a passion for Texas.

One of the major reasons Texans fought in the Civil War, was for the right to hold and own slaves. “By 1860, 30% of Texas’ population was made up of slaves, and this might of been due to the fact that Texas was so abundant in land.” (Doc. A) Slave labor was cheap and “whites believed them to be an inferior race.” (Doc. B) John Wesley Rabb even told his mother to “send the slaves into the mountains if the Yankees were to come so the slaves wouldn’t be seized.” (Doc. C) As you can see, slave labor contributed to a great part of the Southern economy, and slaves were an invaluable resource. This is just one reason Texans fought in the

“John Wesley Rabb stated in one of his letters on March 11, 1862, “ … Tell Lissy not to talk to me about marring up here, for if I ever marry it will be in Texas I think.” (Doc. D) Also, “Rabb stated on June 16, 1862, “I wanto be home so bad… I think most of the Rangers wanto be in Texas…” (Doc.D) You can tell Rabb loves Texas if that is the only place he wants to get married and settled down there. Texas pride and passion actually played a large factor in why Texans fought.

It is very clear that Texans supported slavery, were advocates for states’ rights, and were very passionate for Texas. These are probably the main reasons for Texans marching off into the Civil War. These also may have been the reasons why Texans stayed fighting the bloody battle of America. During the Civil War, the South and the North were enemies, but today, Texas can live up to it’s origins-Tejas; those who are