SLAVERY
(THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR)
US History to 1877 – HIST101
American Military University, 26 April 2014
Many factors led to the occurrence of the American Civil War. The key issues were slavery, different political ideologies, right of the people, and economic reasons. However, the key reasons that lead to the Civil War was slavery. Slavery is touted as the main cause of the conflict between the states in the northern part and those in the south. To date, slavery is still considered the worst human tragedy to have occurred in the United States. Abraham Lincoln himself pointed out that slavery was the root cause of the Civil War because of increase in tension within the country.
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States of the Northern and Southern region were both right in their claims; hence, the war was inevitable. The Southern States had practiced slavery for many years that made it both legally and historically right. Therefore, the southerners had the right to defend their tradition and way of life.3
The idea of slavery was seen as an evil and not in accordance with most of the Republican states in the country. The anti-slavery movements wanted to stop the spread of slavery in a gradual manner. However, the people in the Southern States saw this as an abuse of their constitutional rights by barring them from practicing slavery. In the mid-1880s, acts of slavery were beginning to fade away in the Northern States, but they thrived in the Southern States. The main way to put an end to this was to result in violence since both factions had reached an impasse.
The main agenda of the abolitionists was to attain economic reforms that gave the southern part an unfair advantage. A different liberal group called for a gradual abolishment of slavery. Abraham Lincoln during the presidential election of 1860 ran with the ideology of slave abolishment and won by a minor margin. He used slavery as one of the main points when running for the presidency. Furthermore, he made it clear that he had abolished slavery in most states in the United States. In addition to going against slavery, he
Slavery was one of the biggest controversies in the United States for many years and many amendments and compromises were made because of it. It began with 3/5ths compromise of 1776 which declared all slaves were equivalent to 3/5th of a man. Then it progressed to the Compromise of 1850, which included 5 bills and admitted California to the United States as a free state, demonstrating how hard it was to please both sides. Next came the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, otherwise known as Bleeding Kansas, a mini civil war regarding whether Kansas would be a free or slave state. These events along with many others began to create a large divide between north and south, ultimately leading to the biggest event of all, the Civil War which started in 1861.
The Southern states wanted to keep slavery yet, the North, wanted to stop the expansion of it and above all, abolish slavery. For example, in document three it states, “These Republicans claim the right to make a code of laws for the South, not only in the States, but in the territories, which shall control or prohibit slavery… If Lincoln were President… The Union would be endangered from that hour.” In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president. One of his many plans was to cut off the expansion of slavery. Obviously, when he ended up going through with his plan, the South did not respond kindly. Their response was rebelling from the North. The only way they could have kept slavery was if they seceded. In addition, a quote that backs up his hatred towards slavery, Lincoln states, “we deny the authority of congress… to give legal existence to slavery in any territory of the United States.” Clearly, Lincoln was against slavery. He believed that it was unconstitutional and planned to get rid of it once he became president. In conclusion, the Election of 1860 was the final reason for the South seceding from the
Factors that were the root of the Civil War were mainly economic and political differences. These differences increased sectionalism and tension in the United States; north versus south, each having different views on slavery, economy, and political policies. The inability to settle into a fair agreement resulted in the Civil War.
The most important causes of the Civil War were the Underground Railroad, The Fugitive Slave Act and the Dred Scott Decision because they all caused unnecessary conflict and a division between the North and South. The Northerners did not believe in slavery and tried to help the slaves escape, but the Southerners depended on slavery for getting work done on their farms. Slavery was the main cause of the Civil
There where many reasons that lead to the civil war but, the three main reasons in my are the invention of the cotton gin, Uncle Tom Cabin and the Election of Lincoln. This three reason I believe was the main causes to the lead of the Civil War.
There are four leading causes of the Civil War. First, the concept of “States’ Rights.” Which was a struggle between the federal government and individual states over the political power? Nonetheless, it led to the outbreak of the Civil War because it caused a division between the North and south. As a result was the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 because of California a free state, Southwest Territory, the adjustment of the border between Mexico and Texas, alienation of slave trade in DC, and for the southern a stronger Fugitive slave law. Therefore
The Civil War was caused by the economics of slavery and the political control of that system, specifically being states’ rights on the federal powers of the government, the territorial expansion of the united states that led to the division of the two sides, and the election of President Abraham Lincoln which was the final event that sent the nation to war.
Slavery continued to cause major conflictions throughout the nation, especially between northern and southern states. Northerners and Southerners had two completely different views and insights on the issue of slavery. For most Northerners, they believed that slavery was wrong and it went against what the nation stood for; liberty and all men being created equally. However, there were some northerners who were antislavery and others (very few) were abolitionist. Although both sides opposed slavery, some individuals’ motives were self beneficial and really did not care so much for slavery while others believed in what America stood for and how it implies to everyone. Southerners on the other hand defended slavery, as it was their way of life.
Although the north and south were living completely different lifestyles, abolitionists from north were against slavery and advocated emancipation to slaves in the south. Slavery may not have been the only factor that sparked a disagreement between the north and south but it certainly had an influence on states decisions to remain or leave the Union. The conflict of slavery has been an issue as early as the American Revolution but it became a serious problem around the 1850’s and during the Civil War. The impact slavery had on the Union can be seen in events such as the Richmond Riots which began when the north blockaded the south’s ports, the Emancipation that freed all slaves, and the 13th and 14th Amendment which officially abolished slavery and granted African Americans equal rights as Whites. Unfortunately, the status of African Americans in the United States were not improving and can be seen in the Black Codes which was a step back from emancipation.
The cause of the American Civil War has been a politicized subject for the past 152 years. There are many different theories for what the main cause is, however the best answer is an all of the above approach. The cause of the war that divided the nation cannot be narrowly defined into a single issue but each cause is affected and tied together. The main causes that resulted in the Civil War were the issue of nullification, tariffs, but most importantly just an overall difference in their ways of life. Yes, slavery was a cause of the war, but that was not one of the central causes that popular belief has engrained in us all, however, the role that slavery had will be discussed. These reasons all-fed off each other, which eventually
In the last page of chapter 2, McPherson comes to a conclusion about what the Union and Confederate soldiers are fighting for and that is slavery. McPherson talked about a lot of different aspects to what the North and the South were fighting for. “The issue of slavery lay at the heart of what many soldiers on both sides thought they were fighting for” (McPherson, 46).
Multiple issues among the North and the South contributed to the start of the Civil War in America, but the main conflict was the exchange of clashing views on slavery. In the North, slavery had already become less prevalent and disfavored among many. Businesses began to trade out slaves for paid workers, abolition movements gained support, and many began to see that slavery was immoral. The opposing southerners believed that slavery could be defended because of its economic benefits, biblical justifications, the belief that it was beneficial for non-slaveholding whites, and the idea that slaves were better off than the white wage workers in the North. Although the antislavery position eventually prevailed, each stance on slavery had legitimate arguments that could be validated.
Slavery, some historians argue, was the main cause for the Civil War. It was one of the biggest issues in the 1800 's. Slavery generated conflict between the Southern and Northern states. The South was heavily reliant on slavery. They had a lot of plantations, which
Slavery was the most important cause of the Civil War, because this single issue divided the North and South to begin with. The ideological differences between the North and South led to economic differences, conflicts over newly acquired territories, disputes over the constitution, and political extremism. The Election of 1860 was the culmination of these disputes and caused the South to secede in 1861 and guided the way towards the Civil War.
The causes of the Civil War were complex and have been controversial since the country began. Some causes include; states’ rights, economics, and slavery. The most recognizable and popular cause is slavery. The freeing of the slaves was an important moral issue at the time and one of the greatest causes of the civil war. "It was only by carefully avoiding the moral issue involved in slavery that Northerners and Southerners could meet on any common ground." (Goldston, 79). The time came in which our great country would finally address the moral issue of slavery. Although there are many different causes to the American Civil War, the main cause was slavery because other causes are rooted in the issue of slavery.