riddle - separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff screen sift, sieve, strain - separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements; sift the flour
Causes of the Civil War: Slavery and Control of the Government. Throughout the first half of the 19th century, Southern politicians sought to defend slavery by retaining control of the federal government.
Events leading to. the American Civil War. Historians debating the origins of the American Civil War focus on the reasons why seven Southern states declared their secession from the United States (the Union), why they united to form the Confederate States of America (or simply known as the Confederacy), and why the North refused to let them go.