In the case of my own great-grandfathers.

One had 2000 acres and owned slaves (if anyone can tell me how to find out how many I would be grateful.) He may have been fighting to keep slavely. He had to find another way to earn a living after he came home from prison.

Another was a sharecropper with no owned land nor slaves. If slavely was a issue with him, I feel he might have thought the freed slaves would have put him out of busines. He had no education and could not read or write so he did not have much future competing against the freed slave. I feel that he had other reasons, it became a non-issue with him. He died in Mississippi.

Dennis I agree with you whole heartly, there many reasons and it depends on your status, occupation, location, education and wealth.

I hope the board continues your thoughts.
Ken