Chandra Manning What This Cruel War Was Over 2. How was it possible for Union soldiers to fight to end slavery, but hold on to racist beliefs about African Americans? Why did non-slaveholding Confederate soldiers fight to preserve slavery? Your thesis is the most important element of your paper. An observation such as, “There were many reasons why non-slaveholding Southerners fought to preserve slavery.” is not a thesis. This is akin to telling me the sky is blue. Your thesis must articulate the significance of the analysis you make and exhibit an integrated assessment of the evidence. After your thesis is stated, you must support it. You do this by providing specific evidence from your sources. Along with providing this evidence, show why these particular details support your overall argument. However, use direct quotes sparingly. Your paper should center on your analysis rather than being merely a collection of quotations from the readings. Use a footnote, and then, use “Ibid” for subsequent citations. You only need to write out the full footnote for the first citation.