...Slavery was one of the biggest causes of the Civil War. The moral, economic, and political differences between the North and South were significant. The Confederate or Southern economy heavily relied on slave labor to sustain plantations, particularly the production of cash crops. John C. Calhoun articulated the Southern view asserting the necessity of slave labor for the growth of the Southern economy, and the constitutional rights of slaveholders themselves. However, opposing Northerners such as William H. Seward condemned slavery as a moral evil of slavery and that it was not in line with the liberty and democracy that America was founded on. States’ rights versus federal authority was another deeply divisive issue in the 1850s. This issue...
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...went on the South began to feel more and more greatly threatened by the North. The South began to become dismayed with the lack of acknowledgement concerning federal control over state rights. Many southern states felt that the new constitution did not fully acknowledge if at all the rights of states to act independently. This was an exponential concern with right of slavery. As America began to expand with the addition of new states from the Louisiana Purchase and the victory of the Mexican War, the fight arose between slave and non-slave state proponents. The Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and Kansas- Nebraska Act of 1854 were all based around the use or freedom of slaves in new territories causing rising tensions between the North and South. The growth of the Abolition movement twisted the nerves of slave owners throughout the south. The movement was influential for abolitionists against slavery that grew especially after the publishing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Raid of Harpers Ferry. The election of Abraham Lincoln was the final straw for slave states. Lincoln was seen as an anti-slavery activist, causing the secession South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia,...
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...The topic of slavery has caused a striking conversation for decades. Often when people think about slavery they only think about slavery in America before the Civil War. Slave trade began in the fifteenth century, when the Portuguese began exploring the coast of West Africa. Slavery then continued out to the rest of South America, the Middle East, and Europe. Soon more people became a part of the Atlantic Slave trade. Some Africans would be sent to Europe, because they were conditioned to work in a tropical environment, and the Europeans wanted workers who could work in any environment. During the high mid century serfdom was introduced in Europe. Much like slavery, serfdom linked peasants to a plot of land owned by their lord. Though they...
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...The Civil War officially began in 1861, but had been in the thoughts of everybody before it had even started. The northern half and southern half of the United States were having some major disagreements on certain things since about 1850 starting with the Compromise of 1850. However, what really pushed the Civil War to begin was the disagreement on slavery between the north and the south. The north did not support slavery, but for people in the south, it was their way of life. Slavery was ultimately the cause of the civil war because the Dred Scott Decision, the Underground Railroad, and southern secession mainly fueled the hatred between the north and the south. The Dred Scott Decision factored into the cause of the civil war because it created conflict between the northern and southern states. The ultimate decision was that people of African Descent could not be U.S citizens, and that congress could not forbid slavery in federal territories as it was a violation of property rights. While the south was happy with this decision, the north was not. The north disliked this decision because it took away more of the rights of African slaves and was heavily in favor of slavery. However, the south liked this decision because it meant there were stricter laws in place to...
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...What Caused The Civil War? “Civil War was not a mere strife for territory and dominion, but a contest of civilization against barbarism.” – Frederick Douglass. The Civil War was consist of the South vs the North. The Civil War was also known as the “War Between States”, happen in 1861 and lasted for four brutal years. Why did this happen and for a nation that should've been together? The three main causes of the Civil War between the North and the South were abusive slavery, contradicting political views, and the chaotic economy. The first main cause of the Civil War was conflict between the North and the South about slavery. Both sides had different point of views about slavery. North was anti-slavery and the South was pro-slavery. Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist, in his speech, “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” goes on about how most people celebrate the 4th of July with freedom, but how can a black man participate if he doesn't have those rights. “To him, your celebration is a sham.” (Document G) Then, you have a southern, George Fitzhugh, stating that slaves are “the happiest, and, in some sense, the freest people in the world” (Document H). You get to see the South’s perspective about slavery thinking that slaves have a better life because they provided them with work and a home. These...
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...Slavery and the American West is a masterpiece by Michael A. Morrison. The book was published on August 1997. It tries to appraise the territorial issue and it's relationship with the civil war and its origin. It is a logical chronicle of diplomatic happenings during the 1840s and 1850s and how it changed the political scenario of America. It outlines the upright dissension of the slavery expansion. The author opines a number of subject matter in his book. By referring to Jacksonian Politics, he talks about the western settlement. Later he writes about the split into two party system and the contribution of territorial issue to it. Though the territorial issue and slavery gave way to the Civil War, it was not the direct cause of it. He provides information about the brief thoughts of the cause of Civil War. The early twentieth scholars viewed slavery as the sole cause of Civil War. Likewise, the Progressive Historians had the view that the improper distribution of property and the hostility between...
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...American Civil War The American Civil War is a very misunderstood war. It is known for the war that ended slavery. What most people don’t know is the war was not originally fought for the abolition of slavery. The South, or the Confederate, wanted to exercise their rights as states and split from the north. Well Abraham Lincoln thought that would be the downfall of the United States. The Civil War was fought to between the Union and the Confederacy on the issue of splitting up the United States. The country was divided between two philosophies, either they thought the country could only survive and prosper as a whole, or they believed the south had the right to split from the union. The country was divided between two different philosophies. The North believed if the South seceded from the North the country would crumble. While the South believed they had the right as states to separate themselves from the Union. (Malvasi) Abraham Lincoln was the head of the Unions thinking. He had a great sense of political knowledge. He realized if the south did secede the Union wouldn’t stand a chance against attack because half of the country essentially would have been gone. Lincoln originally had no plans of abolishing slavery all his focus was on keeping the country together in one strong unit. (Malvasi) The South on the other hand felt they had been mistreated by the Union and were being taken advantage of. Soon the idea of secession came around ...
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...What really caused the Civil War? The Civil War was a war known to many. Between April 1861 to about May 1865, Northern and Southern American soldiers geared up for the nation’s first Civil War. It was fought mainly on key differences of principals and viewpoints of the North and South. Many people think the main or only cause of the Civil War was slavery, however there are many different aspects that led up to the war. The North and South had very different economies and ways of life. They tried to make compromises to suit both parties, but they never fully satisfied anyone. Of the many plausible causes of the Civil War, economic differences leading to divisions of wealth, slavery, differences in population and politics all led to the Civil...
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...The American Civil War defined the future of America’s framework, but the various causes of the war also defined the outcome of the battle. From economic differences, to political disagreements, as well as friction from the northern and southern views on slavery put the nation to the brink of war. And growing sectionalism also caused problems within the two sides, until a fever pitch was inevitably hit. With the difference in economy, the growing sectionalism between the north and south, and the political disagreements, war was all but preventable. The economic differences between the north and the south were a major factor in the Civil War’s tension starting to build. Tariffs on imported good gave the north an economic advantage, as their exports were faster to make and more desired. While the south’s exports, mostly cotton, took time because of how...
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...The Civil War in the United States lasted from 1861 to 1865 for four years. The Civil War was one of the most famous and important wars in American history. It is said that there are a lot of causes for the Civil War. However, in my opinion, the primary reason for the coming the Civil War is the slavery. The North and the south had different opinions about the slavery future, and I think that it is the most influential reason for the Civil War. At that time, North and South had different economic and social styles. In the North, they imitated the European countries and started industrialization. Thus, they needed many labors with low wages. They wanted to hired slaves as the labors. In order to do that, they need to abolish the slavery and...
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...Conflict in Disguise The Civil War, it is a defining moment in America’s history. The Civil War happened between the years of 1861-1865. The war determined what America’s future would hold. Two sides participated in the war; the North and the South. However, the North would claim victory. Within that victory was 625,000 lives lost. It was perhaps one of the most destructive wars in the United States’ history. The Civil War started over conflict because of the differences between the free states and the slave states. Many thought that the war went on due to the act of abolishing slavery within the southern states, but was that really the cause? While reading through sources, a common question re-appears, was it really slavery that caused the...
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...Aria Hamzei AFRS 271 Professor Darryle Gatlin December 13, 2016 The Causes of The USA Civil War The civil war was about slavery, as Abraham Lincoln stated “One eight of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the civil war”. Followed by slavery being the major cause of the civil war, there was the constitution, the abolitionist movement, and the republican party that are all related to the slaves. At the end of the war, approximately around seven hundred thousand people lost their lives. A lot of people in the north and the southern part of the...
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...A war is a state of open, armed, often prolonged conflict carried on between nations, states, or parties. Every war has its reasons weather it be a good and acceptable reason or a bad reason. If people are going to be killed and the country itself be damaged because of the war, people will want to hear a reason. Some wars are inevitable and some are not. It all depends on its cause. The American Civil War is thought to be an inevitable war. Many are convinced that there was no other way to solve the tension between the North and the South. The difference in thinking of slavery of both sides was one of the reasons for the build up of the tension between the two sides but it was not the only reason as some may think. Economical differences and political differences also led to the tension between the two sided which resulted in a war. The war was considered inevitable because the South would not give up slavery, and the North would not let the South separate from the Union. The part slavery had on the Civil War cannot be ignored but it should not be responsible for the main cause. It was the difference in the North and the South that slavery created which led to the war. Slavery led to economic differences. In the South, slavery became a way of life. It was a large part of their society. Because they were farmers, they needed many workers to plant and gather. The South thought that if slavery was to be abolished, than their economy would fall because there would be no workers....
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...about the men that fought in the Civil War than from journals and letters from the soldiers themselves. For Cause & Comrades: Why Men Fought In The Civil War by James M. McPherson pulled from copious amounts of personal letters and journals to show the history of the thoughts and reasoning behind the war. You are able to get exceptional background why the Northerners and Southerners enlisted in the war, and see how both sides had very diverse reasons why they enlisted, from the sense of manliness to patriotism. During the time of enlistment, there was considerable pressure to enlist. If a man did not enlist, they were thought of lacking manliness and a disgrace to their family. McPherson stated, “The belief of duty,...
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...April 21, 1861 to April 9, 1865 were the dates of the American Civil War starting and ending. The setting was in North America between the North and South Economic difference was affected throughout that era which caused feuds between states. Although the Civil War was caused by various of reasons followed by slavery, politics, and economy. These were 3 out of the many reasons on what caused the Civil War. The first main cause of the Civil War was conflict between the North and the South about slavery. Slavery in the 1800’s was harshly treated due to the color of their skin. Slavery helped cause the Civil War because equality didn't seem to exist for the slaves. Which once again makes them have no rights. ”Free laborers were the slaves that...
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