What was the primary reason that Lincoln waged war against the South?

Question

To wipe out the Confederacy and destroy the southern states
To bring the Confederate States back under the laws and control of the United States
To define the North from Southern aggression

Answer 1

The primary reason that Abraham Lincoln waged war against the South was to bring the Confederate States back under the laws and control of the United States. Lincoln's main objective at the outset of the Civil War was to preserve the Union. While the issue of slavery was significant and evolved over the course of the war, particularly with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Lincoln's initial focus was on maintaining the integrity of the nation and restoring the union of the states.