<P> The Crittenden--Johnson Resolution (also called the Crittenden Resolution) was a measure passed by the 37th United States Congress on July 25, 1861 after the start of the American Civil War, which began on April 12, 1861 . Also known as the War Aims Resolution, it was passed by both houses of Congress in July 1861 in an attempt to define limited conservative goals for the Union effort during the Civil War, especially the restoration of the Union as it was with no mention of slavery . The dual goal was to retain the loyalty of Unionists in the slave - holding border states and also to reassure Northerners who would fight to save the Union but not to free the slaves . </P> <P> Although the resolution passed almost unanimously in July, sentiment shifted so much in the following months that the same resolution was defeated by a decisive majority in December . </P>

Did the crittenden resolution define the war aims of the north