Which of these was president lincoln's central goal during the civil war?
a. to end slavery in all u. s. states
b. to preserve the union
c. to keep the u. s. economy from collapsing
d. to punish the southern states for seceding

 b is correct .To preserve & restore the Union, which was his central sworn duty as President. Although he also wished very much to see the end of slavery, he only pursued that goal when it aligned with the one of restoring the Union.

Starvation, debt, financial downfall.