What does slave states that stayed in the Union mean?

Answer 1

In the run-up to the war, the eight slave-states of the Upper South were undecided which side they would support if the South broke away.

After the attack on Fort Sumter, and Lincoln's appeal for volunteers (the nearest thing to a declaration of war), four of these states voted to join the Confederacy. The other four were largely divided, and Lincoln's biggest priority was to keep these states loyal. Perhaps only a man of Lincoln's talent could have succeeded in this.

Slave states in the Union means what it says. Though rarely taught in school,the Union had 5 slave states. MD,DE,MO,KY,and West VA. On the answer above,Lincoln did not call for volunteers as much as he DEMANDED that the states go South and invade the 7 seceded Cotton States. VA,NC,TN,and AR refused and Abe pushed the demand. Those 4 then seceded. Lincoln wanted 75,000 for 90 days. That call increased to over 2 million men and the war was 4 years. Not sure about the talent in that.