We have some incredibly uneducated people in this forum. You do not have to agree with the Confederate cause to understand that they did, in fact, have way more loyalty to state than to the United States. Stop showing how little you know by downvoting these statements.
Also, there were MANY racists in both the north and south. It was not just confined to the south. Their livelihood was based upon cotton and farming so the relied on slaves. Also, a pretty small amount of the population could actually afford slaves.
While we are talking about educating some of you, there was also money made off of slaves in Africa. These are the people that sold the slaves to the white people.
Slavery was an institution worldwide for most of the existence of humans. It does not make this horrid institution right but don't be a fool enough to believe it started in the US. In fact, go to the continent of Africa now and you will find slavery. Mauritania outlawed slavery in 1981 but it is still practiced there.