"What was the war? If you really truly read and study the Civil War, it was turned into a battle for the slaves, but initially--7,600 Mainers fought for the Confederacy," LePage said in an interview with Maine radio station WVOM. "And they fought because, as farmers, they were concerned about their land. Their property. It was a property rights issue as it began. The President really made it about slavery to a great degree."
Slaves were considered property up to and during the Civil War. LePage also said that removing confederate monuments could lead to the removal of history books and monuments to the Oklahoma City bombing and the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Two Civil War historians disputed LePage's assertions, noting that the Civil War "was rooted in racial slavery" where "slaves were the property at issue," not land.
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The above quotations are from CNN political race coverage.
Click here for other excerpts from CNN political race coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Paul LePage. Click here for a profile of Paul LePage.
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