One of the key factor contributing to the Civil War was States Rights. This refers to the struggle between federal government and individual states over political power. One side argued for greater state’s rights and those arguing felt that the Federal Government needed to have more control over states. The states felt they should have the right to decide if they were willing to accept certain federal acts. Meaning that states had the right to rule federal acts unconstitutional. The federal government denied states this right. When nullification would not work and states felts that they were no longer respected, they moved towards secession from the Union. The southern people were viewed as democratic and depended slaves for the plantations, they were devoted to agriculture and shipped cotton up north and favored low tariffs.
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, as Abraham Lincoln often noted, was the root cause of the Civil War. Tensions over slavery dated back to the contradictory nature of the American Revolution of 1776 that resulted in a republic simultaneously committed to freedom for whites and bondage for blacks (Barney W., p. 61). Within years North and South reached the point at which compromise was not possible. At that time Civil War had been started.
Causes of the Civil War Although some historians feel that the Civil War was a result of political blunders and that the issue of slavery did not cause the conflict, they ignore the two main causes. The expansion of slavery, and its entrance into the political scene.
One of the main causes of the Civil War was the argument over slavery. Though slavery was not the only reason why the civil war happened it is still considered as one of the main reason that led to the fighting between the North and South. Slavery was an important thing not only because of the cruel or religious reasons, but just from the fact that it’s
The Civil War was one of America’s most brutal battles in history. Majority of which being white, male soldiers. Over the years, many historians have argued the actual involvement of blacks during the civil war era. Many claiming that they were doing nothing more than assisting the actual, white soldiers
The Events That Caused the Civil War One could argue that the true causes of the Civil War were states’ rights and taxations. Although this played a large part in the start of the Civil War, slavery was the ultimate factor that led to this event in history. Economic and social differences between the north and the south, fights between slave and non-slave proponents, the growth of the abolition movement, and the election of Abraham Lincoln are all events having to do with slavery in the United States that led to the start of the Civil War.
One of the last call that the opponents made before the civil war was the principle of popular sovereignty in which the people state that government exist to serve them and help them to move as a nation, over the U.S. history this sovereignty led to riots and fight between people from the same states which wanted to abolish slavery against the ones that wanted to keep
Katey Mercurio History 17B Christopher R. Jackson 15 February 2017 Secession The disagreements for the north and south over the tariffs became the greatest battle between them, as slavery was only legal in the south. The north states was banned by the Mason- Dixonline, Secession has begun, this was a reason for slavery to begin. They started the war as soon as they could, in order to get there slaves in time for their businesses and factories. In 1860, when Lincoln was president, the constitution believed that every state had the right to leave the union. Lincoln did not agree, he did not believe that they have a right. “He opposed secession for these reasons: Physically the states cannot separate, secession is unlawful, a government
The southern states always believed that a strong federal government was a threat to local norms and laws as well as traditions. They believed that they should be able to move their property anywhere in the United States and not be taken away by the government. The people in the north believed in a strong federal government. Northerners believed that southerners should not have this right because it would violate the right of a free state to outlaw slavery within boundaries. The southern states believed that each state government should have more power, and should be able to make important decisions on its own. This issue emerged from the colonial days that took place with the debate of the population between the north and south over the U.S. Constitution. This submerged that the southern states, being less populated, were concerned that the highly populated northern states would use their influence to force their laws and traditions on the south through federal law influences. Basically, the south population believed that the states should have more control over their own destiny an infringement on their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness while northern side of the population believed the federal government should have more power to be able to address and deal with their own state level
One of the most prevalent justifications and causes for southern secession was the protection of state and citizen rights. More specifically, the protection of the rights given to them, and protected by, the fifth amendment of the Constitution. This amendment protected the rights to property that American citizens possessed, which in the south translated into the protection of their slaves, whom they considered their property. The majority of southern opinion was that the northern states, or the union, were attempting to “strike down the rights of [the] Southern slave-holder and override every barrier which their constitution has erected for his protection” (Document 2, p. 93). By this, the southern opinion was arguing that the northern majority in the federal government was intentionally limiting southern citizens’ constitutional rights, which in the 1860’s was a serious accusation. The most common instance used to support this was the, in the southern opinion, disregard for the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. Many secessionists pointed out that this law was meant to protect property rights, but that multiple northern states were attempting to nullify it (Document 2, p. 94), thereby attacking southern rights in addition to the federal laws in place.
In the time between the election of 1860 and the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln in March of 1861, a total of seven states had withdrawn from the Union for several reasons. The South first argued that the North threatened liberty, and they protested that an assertion of federal power would overturn slavery and destroy the one institution that guaranteed equality for white Americans. Along with this, the South feared that the Republican Party’s victory would set into motion the complete eradication of slavery. Their next argument was that Lincoln and Republican Congressmen ignored the Dred Scott case, showing an usurpation of power that was unconstitutional and even justified leaving the Union; the South viewed their slaves as property and believed no one could take this right. The South believed their right to secede
CAUSE OF THE CIVIL WAR In 1860, the world 's greatest nation was locked in Civil War. The war divided the country between the North and South. There were many factors that caused this war, but the main ones were the different interpretations of the Constitution by the North and South, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the arrival of
The Cause of the Civil War Generally, it is thought to be the South’s fault for causing the Civil War. Contrary to popular belief, the Civil War was mainly provoked by the North; through using the federal government to overtake the South, removing slavery which would destroy Southern economy, and creating the moral issue of slavery. The North was the primary reason for the start of a war that ripped our country apart.
The South wanted to free the slaves, however, they understood the “negative” political impacts. The North wanted to free the slaves, but they were very divided within themselves. Once ex-slaves gained the right to vote as a full human being (Black Suffrage), the Republican party arose to shape our country. (Roark, 471) With ex-slaves gaining the highly deserved power, the Ku Klux Klan (K.K.K.) was developing to support the democrats and restore “White Supremacy”. (Roark, 471) The political division raised what I would call a second Civil-War within the American government.