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 …show more content…
The first thing that he addresses is what the cause of secession was in the war. He explains that there were many breaking points in the United States at the time. First, it was mainly due to differences between the Union and the South which is always going to be the main cause. However, he lists a few more breaking points that made the war occur. The first incident was almost reached in 1785 when the North tried to give away the Mississippi to Spain. The second was in 1801 when Aaron Burr became president due to the immoral act of turning the presidential ticket upside-down. The third was in 1833 when there was an imposed high protective tariff put on the south that benefited northern manufactures. Lastly, the breaking point was reached when 1861when abuse of the south exceeded and a ‘strictly northern’ president was elected by northern voters. This is what caused the southerners to question their Constitutional rights. Tyler claims that at the time there was no ‘real’ peace and that southerners had no choice but to secede because they didn’t want to suffer from strife or …show more content…
The first question he answers is the mainstream question “Was slavery the cause of the secession or the war?” Tyler then answers by saying no. He gives a valid point, too. He says no because slavery actually existed before the Constitution and he says that the Union was created ‘in-spite’ of it. This is something that makes you question everything you’ve learned or been taught because all this time, you’re thinking about how the Civil War was because of slavery but after reading these documents, it makes you question the real underlying reason of war. To continue with Tyler, the second question he answers is “Was the extension of slavery the purpose of secession?” Tyler answers no to this one as well. In fact, he says the start of the extension was limited. South Carolina was the first to secede and that there was no guarantee that other states would follow but eventually, they did. Tyler then tells us what secession is and why it has no relation to war. Secession is a civil process that doesn’t have to generate war because other countries have done so before. Secession is based upon a few things. Those are: the natural right of self-government, the reservation of states in the Constitution, the right to recall the powers vested in the agent, and the inherit of all partnerships which carries out the right to withdraw. After explaining that, Tyler finally