Causes Os American Civil War Essay, Research Paper

Causes of the Civil War

CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR I. Introduction to Civil War

The American Civil War was a war fought within the United States of

America between the North (Union) and the South (Confederacy) starting

from 1861 and ending in 1865. This war was one of the most destructive

events in American history, costing more than 600,000 lives. It was thought

to be one that helped shape the character of the American individual today.

From the Southern point of view, this war was a War of Rebellion, or a War

for Southern Independence. From the Northern point of view this war was

seen as a revolution. This unfortunate war started as a result of many years of

differences between the Union and the Confederacy. It erupted after many

years of conflict building up between the two regions. Between the North and

the South there lay deep economic, social and political differences, but it is

important to understand that Slavery was the root of cause of these

differences. II. Social Causes There were many factors that contributed to

the onset of the Civil War. Socially, the North and the South were built on

different standards. The South, or the Slave States, was a slave-based

community that followed a class-based system. This system consisted of

aristocracy, middle class and then slavery. Many depended on slaves and

were accustomed to this way of life, which was hard to change. Plantation

owners had slaves working for them, and those who could not afford to own

slaves would work on their own farm. The North, or Free States, had more

immigrants settling in its areas, where labour was needed, but not the labour

of slaves. Therefore it had a more industrialized society where most people

worked in factories, and did not follow a class system. The Northerners

opposed to Slavery as an institution in the South, as the Confederate States

were the only region in the world that still legalized the ownership of slaves.

This angered the Southerners and threatened their way of life. The election of

Abraham Lincoln, as president was viewed by the South as a threat to

slavery. III. Economic Causes By time, economic differences also developed

between the two regions. The Southern states were agrarian states, and

depended on agriculture rather than industrialization. After the Cotton Gin

was invented, it increased the need for slaves and made cotton the chief crop

of the South. The South was able to produce 7/8 of the world s supply of

cotton. This increased the South’s dependence on the plantation system and

its vital component, slavery. But by then, the North was prospering

industrially. It feared that the South s slave-based economy might affect their

economy. The North depended on factories and other industrialized

businesses. For this reason many of the new immigrants settled north, while

very few settled south. This allowed the North to grow industrially, while

making the South more hostile towards them. The Confederacy resisted any

kind of industrialization and manufactured as little as possible. Southern

economy opposed high taxes, as manufacturing was limited. But the Northern

states welcomed high taxes to protect its products from cheap foreign

competition. As a result, the South preferred not to accept most

improvements that were made by the federal government, such as roads and

canals, in order to keep taxes low. Another major problem that occurred was

the competition between the North and South for more land. Both regions

wanted to expand socially and economically westwards. The South wanted

more agrarian states, while the North wanted to be able to expand

industrial-wise. Confederate states felt that more agrarian states would help

protect their economy and society in the future. The Union also felt that

expansion would help their future as an industrialized country. As competition

grew between the two sides, unrest grew with it, eventually resulting in the

Civil War. IV. Political Causes Politically, the States were not any more

united in their point of views. They each feared each other s political goals.

Expanding westwards did would not only help each side socially, and

economically, but also politically. More Slave states meant there would be

more Southerners will be involved in congress. But if there were more Free

States, there would be more northern representation in congress. This caused

continuous unrest between the two regions. Also, both the North and the

South had different views on how the government should operate. The south

wanted less government control, and more state freedom, while the North

welcomed the central power of a government. The South viewed the election

of Abraham Lincoln, as president, as a threat to slavery. After Abraham

Lincoln was elected president in 1860, the South threatened to secede from

the United States that questioned State Rights. Were States allowed to

secede from the nation or not? To make matters worse, the South was

determined to start its own nation, by electing its own president, Thomas

Jefferson. It started calling for International recognition as a nation from

France and Britain. The South was persistent in becoming a separate country,

but the North was not about to give up the South. V. Aftermath Eventually,

the Civil War erupted. After four long years, the Union would win the War

and the country would once again become united. There were many reasons

why the North was able to overcome the South. Since Southern economy

was agrarian, and they had very few factories, the value of manufactured

goods was higher than crops by the start of the War. This made the North

wealthier, helping it to produce ammunition and other warfare utilities. The

South was poorer, do to the lack of money since cotton was no longer

providing the income and had only a few sources for manufacturing goods.

As a result they were always unequipped and could not keep up. The North

had the ability to invent modern weapons while the South had to fight with

older weapons. The North always had more people compared to the South

who had fewer people. At war, the casualty rates were always equal, but the

South suffered more because while the North could afford these loses, the

South could not. The Civil War lasted longer than it was expected to. But,

unfortunately, the War was inevitable due to the great gap between the North

and South socially, economically and politically. In fact, due to these

circumstances, if the South had won the War, the country would have

probably been divided into two separate countries. As any war would have

ended, the War ended with great losses to both sides. More Americans were

killed in the Civil War than in all other American wars combined from the

colonial period through the later phase of the Vietnam War. Apart from the

number of deaths and casualties, the great loss of property and money, the

country now needed to work together in order to rebuild what was lost.

Emotionally, it would take long years for many people to overcome the

consequences of the war. The war was followed by twelve years of

Reconstruction, during which the North and South debated the future of

black Americans and fought bitter political battles. Yet, there was a good

outcome of this war. Slavery came to an end as a legal institution. But the war

did not bring equal rights for blacks, they still had their own war to win until

those rights would be achieved. …but one of them would make war rather

than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it

perish, and the war came. Abraham Lincoln, 4 March 1865 OUTLINE THE

CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR I Introduction to Civil War

II Social Causes A Differences in society B Westward Expansion III

Economic Causes A Differences in economy B Westward Expansion IV

Political Causes A Government V Aftermath A Costs of War The Main

Causes of the American Civil War by Nadine Soliman Academic Writing

EWR3AA-01 Ms. Mack February 20, 2001 Works Cited American

Civil War. Encarta Online Encyclopedia[CD-ROM]. Microsoft

Corporation. 2000 ed. Fluhrer, Robert C. Civil War. World Book. 1996

ed. Hux, Allan and others. America: A History. Toronto: Globe/Modern

Curriculum Press, 1989. Stampp, Kenneth. The Causes of The Civil War.

New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1965. CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN

CIVIL WAR I. Introduction to Civil War The American Civil War was a

war fought within the United States of America between the North (Union)

and the South (Confederacy) starting from 1861 and ending in 1865. This

war was one of the most destructive events in American history, costing more

than 600,000 lives. It was thought to be one that helped shape the character

of the American individual today. From the Southern point of view, this war

was a War of Rebellion, or a War for Southern Independence. From the

Northern point of view this war was seen as a revolution. This unfortunate

war started as a result of many years of differences between the Union and

the Confederacy. It erupted after many years of conflict building up between

the two regions. Between the North and the South there lay deep economic,

social and political differences, but it is important to understand that Slavery

was the root of cause of these differences. II. Social Causes There were

many factors that contributed to the onset of the Civil War. Socially, the

North and the South were built on different standards. The South, or the

Slave States, was a slave-based community that followed a class-based

system. This system consisted of aristocracy, middle class and then slavery.

Many depended on slaves and were accustomed to this way of life, which

was hard to change. Plantation owners had slaves working for them, and

those who could not afford to own slaves would work on their own farm.

The North, or Free States, had more immigrants settling in its areas, where

labour was needed, but not the labour of slaves. Therefore it had a more

industrialized society where most people worked in factories, and did not

follow a class system. The Northerners opposed to Slavery as an institution in

the South, as the Confederate States were the only region in the world that

still legalized the ownership of slaves. This angered the Southerners and

threatened their way of life. The election of Abraham Lincoln, as president

was viewed by the South as a threat to slavery. III. Economic Causes By

time, economic differences also developed between the two regions. The

Southern states were agrarian states, and depended on agriculture rather than

industrialization. After the Cotton Gin was invented, it increased the need for

slaves and made cotton the chief crop of the South. The South was able to

produce 7/8 of the world s supply of cotton. This increased the South’s

dependence on the plantation system and its vital component, slavery. But by

then, the North was prospering industrially. It feared that the South s

slave-based economy might affect their economy. The North depended on

factories and other industrialized businesses. For this reason many of the new

immigrants settled north, while very few settled south. This allowed the North

to grow industrially, while making the South more hostile towards them. The

Confederacy resisted any kind of industrialization and manufactured as little

as possible. Southern economy opposed high taxes, as manufacturing was

limited. But the Northern states welcomed high taxes to protect its products

from cheap foreign competition. As a result, the South preferred not to

accept most improvements that were made by the federal government, such

as roads and canals, in order to keep taxes low. Another major problem that

occurred was the competition between the North and South for more land.

Both regions wanted to expand socially and economically westwards. The

South wanted more agrarian states, while the North wanted to be able to

expand industrial-wise. Confederate states felt that more agrarian states

would help protect their economy and society in the future. The Union also

felt that expansion would help their future as an industrialized country. As

competition grew between the two sides, unrest grew with it, eventually

resulting in the Civil War. IV. Political Causes Politically, the States were not

any more united in their point of views. They each feared each other s

political goals. Expanding westwards did would not only help each side

socially, and economically, but also politically. More Slave states meant there

would be more Southerners will be involved in congress. But if there were

more Free States, there would be more northern representation in congress.

This caused continuous unrest between the two regions. Also, both the North

and the South had different views on how the government should operate.

The south wanted less government control, and more state freedom, while the

North welcomed the central power of a government. The South viewed the

election of Abraham Lincoln, as president, as a threat to slavery. After

Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, the South threatened to

secede from the United States that questioned State Rights. Were States

allowed to secede from the nation or not? To make matters worse, the South

was determined to start its own nation, by electing its own president, Thomas

Jefferson. It started calling for International recognition as a nation from

France and Britain. The South was persistent in becoming a separate country,

but the North was not about to give up the South. V. Aftermath Eventually,

the Civil War erupted. After four long years, the Union would win the War

and the country would once again become united. There were many reasons

why the North was able to overcome the South. Since Southern economy

was agrarian, and they had very few factories, the value of manufactured

goods was higher than crops by the start of the War. This made the North

wealthier, helping it to produce ammunition and other warfare utilities. The

South was poorer, do to the lack of money since cotton was no longer

providing the income and had only a few sources for manufacturing goods.

As a result they were always unequipped and could not keep up. The North

had the ability to invent modern weapons while the South had to fight with

older weapons. The North always had more people compared to the South

who had fewer people. At war, the casualty rates were always equal, but the

South suffered more because while the North could afford these loses, the

South could not. The Civil War lasted longer than it was expected to. But,

unfortunately, the War was inevitable due to the great gap between the North

and South socially, economically and politically. In fact, due to these

circumstances, if the South had won the War, the country would have

probably been divided into two separate countries. As any war would have

ended, the War ended with great losses to both sides. More Americans were

killed in the Civil War than in all other American wars combined from the

colonial period through the later phase of the Vietnam War. Apart from the

number of deaths and casualties, the great loss of property and money, the

country now needed to work together in order to rebuild what was lost.

Emotionally, it would take long years for many people to overcome the

consequences of the war. The war was followed by twelve years of

Reconstruction, during which the North and South debated the future of

black Americans and fought bitter political battles. Yet, there was a good

outcome of this war. Slavery came to an end as a legal institution. But the war

did not bring equal rights for blacks, they still had their own war to win until

those rights would be achieved. …but one of them would make war rather

than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it

perish, and the war came. Abraham Lincoln, 4 March 1865 OUTLINE THE

CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR I Introduction to Civil War

II Social Causes A Differences in society B Westward Expansion III

Economic Causes A Differences in economy B Westward Expansion IV

Political Causes A Government V Aftermath A Costs of War The Main

Causes of the American Civil War by Nadine Soliman Works Cited

American Civil War. Encarta Online Encyclopedia[CD-ROM]. Microsoft

Corporation. 2000 ed. Fluhrer, Robert C. Civil War. World Book. 1996

ed. Hux, Allan and others. America: A History. Toronto: Globe/Modern

Curriculum Press, 1989. Stampp, Kenneth. The Causes of The Civil War.

New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1965.

Bibliography

American Civil War. Encarta Online Encyclopedia[CD-ROM]. Microsoft

Corporation. 2000 ed. Fluhrer, Robert C. Civil War. World Book. 1996

ed. Hux, Allan and others. America: A History. Toronto: Globe/Modern

Curriculum Press, 1989. Stampp, Kenneth. The Causes of The Civil War.

New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1965.

340