The Confederate Constitution looked a lot like the U.S. Constitution, but it had important differences that showed what the South cared about. Let’s break down some of these key points:

1. Slavery:

   • The biggest difference was that the Confederate Constitution clearly protected slavery. It said that “no law shall be passed” to take away a person's right to own slaves. This showed that the Confederacy was built on keeping and protecting slavery, which was very important to the South.

2. States' Rights:

   • The Confederacy focused even more on states' rights than the U.S. Constitution did. Both documents recognized that states had their own powers, but the Confederate Constitution made the central government weaker. This was meant to allow states to take care of themselves, showing that the South wanted to be independent from the federal government.

3. Government Structure:

   • The structure of the Confederate government was almost the same as the U.S. government. They both had a president, a two-part legislature, and a court system. However, the Confederate president could only serve one six-year term. This was meant to stop one person from having too much power.

4. Economics:

   • The Confederate Constitution also protected agricultural interests, which mostly helped the plantation economy that relied on slave labor. For example, it banned taxes on exports, highlighting how important trade was to their economy.

In summary, even though the Confederate Constitution looked similar to the U.S. Constitution, its main differences showed that the Confederacy was committed to slavery and emphasized states' rights. These differences played a big role in the ideas behind the Civil War.