Among the contributing factors to the American Civil War you listed, the one that could be considered the most tertiary is likely "arguments about states rights." While the concept of states' rights was indeed a significant factor in the broader context of the Civil War, its direct connection to the war can be seen as less immediate compared to the other factors.
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Moral objections to slavery: This was a primary catalyst that galvanized the abolitionist movement in the North and a key factor in the motivations of many who fought against the Confederacy.
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Political control of the agrarian economy: This reflects the fundamental economic divisions between the industrial North and the agrarian South, which were central to the conflict.
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Lincoln winning the 1860 election: His election was a direct trigger that led to Southern secession, making it a key immediate cause of the war.
While states' rights were often invoked by Southern leaders to justify secession and maintain slavery, the actual conflict was primarily driven by more direct issues like slavery and the immediate events surrounding the election of Lincoln. Thus, "arguments about states rights" could be seen as a more abstract reason, sitting somewhat outside the immediate economic and moral conflicts that were at the forefront of the Civil War.
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