re: Do you think the Civil War was started over slavery?

Slavery was certainly a major issue in the Civil War. The North was more of a manufacturing area, while the South was more agricultural. The textile industry in the North couldn't survive without the cotton from the South. The South's slavery allowed them to have cheaper labor, and thus sell a cheaper product to Europe. Economically it would have killed the North. Also, the idea that states rights should carry over into the North was a big issue.

The North knew that if the war went on too long that England and France would help the South for economic reasons. Thus the blockades of ports by the Union navy.

So, basically yeah, it was all about slavery....and everything that stemmed from it.