why would someone argue that the civil war was tough over states right and not slavery?

Some argue that the Civil War was primarily about states' rights rather than slavery based on the belief that the Southern states were defending their right to self-governance and autonomy against what they perceived as an overreaching federal government. This perspective often downplays or omits the role of slavery in the Southern states' secession and the conflict.

Key points in this argument include:

1. States' Rights Interpretation:

  - Advocates of this viewpoint stress the constitutional principle of states' rights, asserting that the Southern states were fighting to preserve their autonomy and ability to make decisions independently of federal interference.

2. Economic and Political Differences:

  - Some argue that the economic and political disparities between the Northern and Southern states played a central role. Issues such as tariffs, which Southern states believed disproportionately harmed their agrarian economy, are emphasized as contributing factors to the conflict.

3. Selective Historical Emphasis:

  - Advocates may selectively focus on certain documents or speeches from the time that emphasize states' rights rather than slavery as the primary motivation for secession.

4. Minimization of Slavery's Role:

  - Those advancing this argument might downplay the significance of slavery, framing it as one among several issues, rather than acknowledging it as the central cause of the Southern states' decision to secede.

It's crucial to note that mainstream historical scholarship strongly supports the understanding that slavery was the primary cause of the Civil War. The Southern states' secession was explicitly tied to the defense of slavery, as articulated in their declarations of secession and the Confederate Constitution. While states' rights and economic factors were certainly part of the complex web of issues leading to the war, they were often interconnected with the institution of slavery. The debate over the causes of the Civil War continues, but the weight of historical evidence underscores the centrality of slavery in precipitating the conflict.