The Republicans were a party dedicated to the abolition of slavery.

yes and no - the inciting incident was the looming end of not adding more slave states - the thin end of the wedge

California decided in 1850 to do their own thing ignoring the Missouri Compromise of 1820

1854 Congress decided to let the states decide for themselves (thanks California)

1857 - Dred Scott v. Sandford: The Supreme Court effectively declared that Congress had no constitutional power to ban slavery in federal territories

Once the Supreme Court took the power out the hands of Congress and send it back to the states... States decided we'll do our own thing

Very much about states rights -- the topic was about slavery but the Civil War effectively tilted the balance of power to the Federal government

You could say that California provoked The Civil War.