Lincoln was a separatist. He did not believe blacks should live with whites. He wanted them gone. He incentivized them to move to places like the Caribbean or back to Africa (Liberia). Most abolitionists felt this way. You can read literally hundreds of soldiers journals/diaries on both sides. Hardly anyone said they were fighting to free/keep the slaves. By today’s standards, almost everyone would have been considered racist back then.

Why the hell would poor and middle class Southerners sign up to fight for some rich guy’s slaves? It is stupid. Slavery as the main cause is a myth written by the victors and force fed on future generations. My parents went to high school in the early ‘60’s and they were taught the war was mainly about unfair taxation. Many boomers & older generations who actually remember school will tell you this.

Lincoln’s single most important goal was to keep the Southern states in the Union so he could exploit them through outrageously high tariffs. All wars are “banker’s wars” and this was no different. The South was the North’s honey pot and they were not about to lose that income.