In this paper there has been a discussion of the legislation and the tensions preceding the southern Secession. Based on this discussing it can be concluded that the tensions, which culminated with the Civil War, were present many decades before the secession itself. Even threats of Civil war and secession were present much prior to this particular conflict. This paper has also concluded that the threat of Lincoln was real to the South, because of the Republican party’s very distinct foundation as an anti-slavery party. Slavery was a soft spot in the South because of the substantial value slaves had.
P.6 Compromises seemed to be working in 1820 as a solution to political issues that America agreed to disagreed on. As seen in the Missouri Compromise, where Henry Clay made slaves free in twelve states and not free in the other twelve; in order to keep everything balanced. But between the period of 1820 to 1860, compromising took a shift and no longer seemed to be the solution. Compromises worked with Henry Clay in the Missouri compromise in 1820 but by 1860 due to a series of geographic, political, and social changes compromises were impossible.
The legitimization of the South’s secession would have laid the foundation for the balkanization of the Union, which is why it was imperative to deal with the issue decisively. Whereas the South began and lost an ultimately unjustifiable and costly war, the prevalent argument as to the reason for the war is riddled with error. The Civil War was primarily about ideology and principle, these being right to secede and the sovereignty of the state as exemplified by slavery. Whereas the War led to massive losses in terms of both human and economic cost, it remains an iconic part of American history for its role in the preservation of the unity of the Union and birth of the Emancipation, which ushered in a new era of American
How the Civil War Came to Be Was the Civil War very “civil” at all? The Civil War had many factors that led into it but there was one major factor that started the war. Slavery was one of the biggest factors in the Civil War. There was a big issue that divided the North and South which was slavery. The wide spread of slavery was a big deal to most Americans; but some were not the biggest fans of the concept.
During the period of the Civil War, the North and South did not come together as one easily. The North thought the South proved weak and ignorant while the North proved to have supplies and the knowledge to go into war. Mainly the South wanted freedom and independence within the many challenges that pushed them. The North, fighting for reunification of the United States. Therefore, the differences wanting to take place during the war provided some argument.
Before the southern secession, there were conflicts between the North and the South due to slavery. Southerners did not want slavery to end, while the North wanted it abolished. They thought slavery was a right and a necessary evil. In a message to congress, James Buchanan stated that “Congress can contribute much to avert [Southern withdrawal from the Union] by proposing…the remedy for existing evils…an ‘explanatory amendment’ of the Constitution on the subject of slavery” (Buchanan 1860). The South wanted to be left alone, they wanted to continue with slavery.
The Civil War was a predictable, it could not have been avoided. President Lincoln tried to push it back, but failed miserably. The differences between the North and the South were growing with every single minute of debate over slavery, economy and politics. The secession of the states was becoming more and more inevitable over the sixth decade of the 19th century. After the Civil War, the reconstruction of the south began, making new laws, new forms of living.
On the eve of the Civil War, the South was determined to protect what they considered their way of life. This way of life included their right to slaves, which they felt the North was threatening (OpenStax, 2016). The South generally felt that the North was attacking them, and this belief only strengthened after Lincoln’s election. The Northerners, specifically the Republican Northerners, were determined to stop the expansion of slavery. When the South seceded, Lincoln declared that they could not secede, and fought to bring them back to the Union (OpenStax, 2016).
The Civil War was caused in part by the interaction of state’s rights that tore the Union apart. In “A Discourse of the Constitution and Government of the United States” by John C Calhoun, it states “A state, as a party to the constitutional compact, has the right to secede…” (Doc. E). John C Calhoun states that it is normal for states to want to break away, but is highly not recommended. The action of states showing their rights contribute to the cause of the Civil War.
Uncompromising differences between the South (Confederacy) and the North (Union) created a civil war that lasted five years. During this war, Abraham Lincoln was president. His election led to the secession of many Southern states. After refusing to recognize the Confederacy as its own nation, the American Civil War commenced in 1861. The three main causes of the Civil War between the North and the South were industrial and agricultural economies, politics, and slavery.
Causes of the Civil War “No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide,” - Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War is known as one of the greatest tragedies in American history. With over 620,000 deaths, it is by far the most devastating war (“Civil War Facts”). When studying the Civil War, one must question why it even happened in the first place.
After the efforts to gain independence from Britain and the creation of the United States of America, eighty years later this union was not so united. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, it was the first time that Americans fought Americans. Among many reasons, the Civil War is known to be a result of the arguments over the delineation of the States’ Rights or the presidential election of Abraham Lincoln. In actuality, the Civil War, the most deadly war in American history, was due to disputes over slavery in the American territories. Therefore, the Civil War was inevitable because of the consequences that occurred one being slavery.
The Southern and Northern states differentiate on many issues, which ultimately led them towards a Civil War. There stood deep social, economic, and political disparities between the North and the South. These modifications stemmed from the understanding of the United States Constitution on both sides. In the end, most of these disputes about the rights of states directed to the Civil War. There existed reasons other than slavery on behalf of the South 's breakaway.
After the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the rise of the Republican party, Southerners feared the tipping of the balance of political power against them; their need for self-determination parallel the colonists’ belief of rebelling against the oppressive government of Great Britain. However, the Civil War represented something more: the clash of the feudalistic, agrarian South with the industrialized, capitalistic North. These two powers differed socially, politically, and economically, and were especially conflicted over slavery. These two sections of the United States were divided against one another, and could not survive this way. Therefore, it is more accurate to state that though the Civil War resembled some aspects of the American Revolution, it was a clash between two forces who could not exist with one another in their current state, leading inevitably to conflict between the
The Civil War is one of the bloodiest wars in American history, but what started it? What did it lead to? In the book, “Two Miserable Presidents”, by Steve Sheinkin, the author explains events that led up to the civil war and how they were finally resolved through the leadership of Abraham Lincoln. Throughout the book, we learn about the causes of the Civil War through anecdotes and we learn “everything your schoolbooks didn’t tell you about the Civil War.” He gives a humorous 13 step guide in ripping a country in two and names each section of the book a with a captivating yet true title.