At the time, the South depended on slavery to support itself. In fact, “to protect slavery, the Confederate States of America would question the peaceful, legal, and orderly means of changing government in the United States, even through the use of war.” (635) Lincoln believed that slavery was morally wrong and realized that slavery bitterly divided the country. Not only did slavery divide the nation, it also endangered the Union, harming blacks and whites and threatening the processes of government. Lincoln's early goal was to save the Union in which "he would not free any, some, or all of the slaves to save this Union." (634) However, Lincoln realized that "freeing the slaves and saving the Union were linked as one goal, not two optional goals." (634) Therefore, Lincoln's main goal was to save the Union and to save the Union, Lincoln had to free the slaves. However, Paludan states that “the slave states understood this; this is why the secessionists seceded and why the Union needed saving. (634) Lincoln's presidential victory was the final sign to many Southerners that their position in the Union was