▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁the ▁Be ard ian ▁school ▁Ident ified ▁an ▁in ev itable ▁conflict ▁between ▁the ▁plant ation - based ▁South ▁and ▁the ▁industrial ▁N ortheast . ▁When ▁the ▁agr arian ▁Mid west ▁s ided ▁with ▁the ▁N ortheast , ▁war ▁resulted . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁numerous ▁arguments ▁were ▁made ▁that ▁the ▁war ▁was ▁not ▁in ev itable , ▁that ▁was ▁caused ▁by ▁a ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁political ▁system ▁to ▁reach ▁a ▁comprom ise . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁emphas is ▁has ▁been ▁very ▁largely ▁on ▁sla very ▁as ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁with ▁the ▁anti - s la very ▁element ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁committed ▁to ▁blocking ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁slave ▁system ▁because ▁it ▁viol ated ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁free ▁white ▁far mers ▁and ▁workers . ▁ ▁Southern ers ▁respond ed ▁to ▁this ▁as ▁an ▁int ol er able ▁attack ▁on ▁their ▁honor , ▁their ▁economic ▁needs ▁for ▁expansion , ▁and ▁the ▁constitution al ▁states ' ▁rights . ▁ ▁Lost ▁C ause ▁of ▁the ▁Confeder acy ▁ ▁The ▁Lost ▁C ause ▁is ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁historical ▁belief s , ▁strong est ▁in ▁the ▁white ▁South , ▁which ▁end ors es ▁the ▁virt ues ▁of ▁the ▁ante bell um ▁South ▁and ▁emb od ied ▁a ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁as ▁an ▁honor able ▁struggle ▁to ▁maintain ▁those ▁virt ues ▁while ▁down play ing ▁the ▁actual ▁role ▁of ▁sla