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The Civil War As A War Of Religion: A Cautionary Tale Of Enslavement And Emancipation, David M. Smolin

David M. Smolin

This article argues that the Civil War was a "war of religion" reflecting differing nineteenth century American Christian views of slavery and race. The article describes the religious anti-slavery and pro-slavery arguments of that time. The article particularly focuses on John Bingham, who as the primary author of Section One of the Fourteenth Amendment, is a particularly important figure for United States constitutional law. The article also discusses the contemporary anti-trafficking movement which explicitly seeks to rely on the precedent of the historical movement to abolish slavery.