Final answer:
Both northern whites who opposed slavery and southern whites who supported slavery believed they were fighting to defend liberty, but their perspectives and interpretations of liberty differed greatly.
Step-by-step explanation:
For northern whites, opposing slavery was seen as defending the political and economic liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. They believed that slavery was a threat to the principles of equality and freedom that the American Revolution had established.
On the other hand, southern whites who supported slavery saw it as a key aspect of their own liberty. They argued that slavery allowed them the freedom to exercise their talents and pursue their own interests, while enslaved people were cared for and exposed to Christianity.
Both northern whites who opposed slavery and southern whites who supported slavery believed they were fighting to defend liberty, but their perspectives and interpretations of liberty differed greatly.