--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One eighth of the whole population were…" description: "\"One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slave..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3be/abraham-lincoln-88_american-civil-war_one-eighth-of-the-whole-population-were_2096224.jpg" --- # One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves… ![“One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war.” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3be/abraham-lincoln-88_american-civil-war_one-eighth-of-the-whole-population-were_2096224.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3be/abraham-lincoln-88_american-civil-war_one-eighth-of-the-whole-population-were_2096224.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3be/abraham-lincoln-88_american-civil-war_one-eighth-of-the-whole-population-were_2096224.jpg) > “One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war.” [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The concentration of enslaved people in the South formed a powerful, distinct interest that many saw as a root cause of the Civil War. **In simple terms:** Southern slavery created a strong, contentious interest fueling conflict. Key Takeaway Recognize how concentrated interests can drive division. Themes slavery politics conflict Mood solemn historical Type speech historical. When to use this quote - civil war origins - policy analysis - education Key Concepts history economics social power Questions to Reflect On - How did economic differences amplify sectional tensions? - What other factors contributed to the war? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on slavery oversimplifies multiple war causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-civil-war/) [American slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-slavery/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Colored Slaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colored-slaves-4166765/) [Inaugural address](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inaugural-address/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Peculiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peculiar/) [Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Slavery in america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery-in-america/) [Slaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves/) [Slaves Constituted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves-constituted-4166763/) [Slaves Distributed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves-distributed-4166764/) [Southern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/southern/) [Southern Slaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/southern-slaves-3755875/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. 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