AP US history help.. Zinn chapter 9?
Analyze the statement : “The American government had set out to fight the slave states in 1861, not to end slavery, but to retain the enormous national territory and market and resources.”
So far I've got: America had more than doubled its size in territory in less than a hundred years and was on its way to becoming a new world power. It was nearly self-sufficient and being isolated helped out in keeping other world powers out of its boundaries. However, with secession, the country (or countries) were now weak and vulnerable on their own.
This is from Zinn btw.