Of course the civil war was about more than one issue.  But the maintenance of slavery was at the foundation of most of them.  My ancestors were in Canada a the time and very much supported the anti-slavery forces of the north - as did most Canadians of the time, as well as most people in Britain.  

The relevant point in 2017 is that the elected representatives of Charlottesville, Virginia no longer want a monument to the cause of slavery in their city's park.