The main objective of the Confederate States was to maintain slavery and assert states' rights.

The Confederacy was formed by Southern states that seceded from the Union in order to protect their agricultural economy, which relied heavily on enslaved labor. They sought to establish an independent nation where states could govern themselves without federal interference, particularly regarding the legality of slavery. This desire for autonomy and the preservation of the institution of slavery were central to the Confederacy's identity and its justification for fighting the Civil War.