Slavery : The Causes Of The American Civil War

Unrest ripples through the country like a wildfire as the discussion of war increases and a new threat to the country is debated. Although there were many different problems that led to the beginning of the American Civil War, slavery was the dominant cause of the Civil War. (Mendoza). The Northern states support anti-Slavery as the Southern states are pro-Slavery. These very two different standpoints ignited a fuse while they were left to slowly wait for the problem to finally explode into all-out war. However, these two sides did not fight with the older technology used in the Mexican war. Innovating ideas from the Mexican war, the generals and soldiers alike experienced the new found equipment that was introduced in this new era of war.

Back in 1861, the United States was in the middle of a political war. The democratic party was split into two different sides: the Northerner democrats and the Southerner democrats. The issue of slavery had ripped the nation apart. An anti-slavery man named Abraham Lincoln was elected president. But what happened in the Civil War that caused all of the chaos?

Although many presume that the growing opposition to slavery was the lone cause of the South’s succession that led to the Civil War, economic and political tensions were also key factors in provoking their immense decision to leave the Union.

Slavery throughout the nineteenth century can be considered one of the primary causes of the civil war. During the nineteenth century, the North side began to flourish due to industrialization based on waged labor as the South continued to rely on slave wage for income. Additionally, the massive difference in opinions between the North and South caused for the divergence of the country and hatred from both sides. With the different prerogatives on Slavery came the very differentiating opinions on the president and his new policies. The Civil was a result of decades of tension building up from both sides of the country and their acceptance of slavery. Slavery can be considered the main cause of the Civil War due to the fact that it would not

The role of slavery as an underlying cause of the civil war has been argued about for a long period of time. The many political parties that emerged had different ideologies. Slavery was considered an indirect cause based on the further disagreements and conflicts that arose. Most Northerners were not campaigning due to the treatment of slaves but were worried about the outcome it would have on the states ultimately leading to the Civil War. Although slavery was not a direct cause of the civil war, the disagreement of the topic between the states led to tensions and further conflicts, such as the controversy over Kansas, making slavery an indirect cause of the civil war.

Throughout the 1800s in America, slavery was a controversy between the north and the south. A Slave was one who was the property of another human being under law and was forced to obey them. The North felt that slavery was unfair and inhumane, whereas in the South, they felt as though slavery was crucial to their success. African American slaves were not allowed many rights: they were not allowed to testify in court against a white person, could not receive an education, or even sign contracts. Due to the brutality they faced each day, many slaves escaped with hopes to find freedom. The Underground Railroad, a system utilized by many runaway slaves to help them escape from the South to Canada, played a large role in the downfall of slavery and eventual abolition in the United States following the Civil War.

Although the north and south were living completely different lifestyles, abolitionists from north were against slavery and advocated emancipation to slaves in the south. Slavery may not have been the only factor that sparked a disagreement between the north and south but it certainly had an influence on states decisions to remain or leave the Union. The conflict of slavery has been an issue as early as the American Revolution but it became a serious problem around the 1850’s and during the Civil War. The impact slavery had on the Union can be seen in events such as the Richmond Riots which began when the north blockaded the south’s ports, the Emancipation that freed all slaves, and the 13th and 14th Amendment which officially abolished slavery and granted African Americans equal rights as Whites. Unfortunately, the status of African Americans in the United States were not improving and can be seen in the Black Codes which was a step back from emancipation.

While it is certainly simple to attribute the start of the Civil War solely on the issue of slavery, the issues run much deeper. Even though slavery is one of the underlying causes of the American Civil War, issues regarding political and economic differences are also to blame for the start of the war. However, many of these problems that caused the country to split had their roots in the problem of slavery.

The American Civil War is also referred to as the war between the Northern and Southern States or the Rebellion War that began in 1861. Slavery was regarded as the main cause leading to the start of the war, as a high level of discrimination against the African Americans existed upon their arrival in the United States. The African Americans were either sold and traded by the elders in their villages or plucked from their native countries for a sometimes deadly transatlantic journey to serve wealthy southern families. They were not viewed as peers but as laborers and farmers. Americans who were rich and owned large plantations took the African Americans as their slaves. They suffered as if they were not worthy of compensation including working without pay and the standard consequence was lynching. During the period, they fought for their freedom, which was not given to them until the Civil War was fought. Consequently, they aligned themselves with the white men who were also soldiers in fighting for their freedom.

Slavery existed heavily in the South by the 1700’s. What started out with indentured servants, quickly but slowly, became slavery in a more brutal and disheartening way. European colonists turned to slavery because for every one indentured servant there were 17 slaves. (Chapter 2, page 46) This made it easier for European colonists to be able to replace slaves rather than waiting for indentured servants. Also, during Bacon’s Rebellion, Europeans quickly learned that servants were dangerous, because they had a right to fight back. Servants expected to be free within seven years in exchange for working the Europeans land. This also created the image that slaves would be easier to control simply because they had nothing to look forward to, once a slave always a slave. Once the Virginia slave law came out, it initially separated blacks and whites by skin color thus beginning the road to the new definition of “race.” In the south, slavery was in higher demand due to the increase of land to grow crops, indigo and tobacco. The more land you had, the more slaves you needed to pick and grow these crops which increased your money value.

The Civil War was between the north and south states of the United States when the southern states decided it was better for them to secede from the union. Many people believe that slavery was the cause of this war. Slavery may be the main reason of this war, but there are other reasons and events that helped spark the war. The economic situation for the union was one factor contributing to this war because the south was making most of the money for the United States, another factor towards the Civil War is the fight for states and representation during the westward movement, and lastly the social and cultural differences between the north and south created tension for their different beliefs and ideas. Starting with the economical perspective

The question of slavery and the rights of states to decide on the matter for themselves completely controlled politics in the years prior to the Civil War. Laws were passed, such as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which made it so any slaves that escaped were to be sent back to their owners. Not only would these runaway slaves be punished severely, but anybody who aided them in escape would also be subject to harsh punishment. These desperate men, women, and children had no protection in the legal system and were left with no options in life other than escape. Many of these escapees had to watch friends and family be beaten, sold, or even killed and were expected to work just as hard, like nothing had happened. After losing everything, it

Slavery in North America first began when the first African slaves arrived in the American colony of Jamestown in 1619. They were first used to aid in the production of the American “cash crop” tobacco. From that point, white land owners depended greatly on the work of slaves. This did not seem an issue at the time but as more people came over to the Americas and more people developed their own ideas of freedom, a silent war broke within the country. The first great schism, the first act of cold war, was the 3/5 Compromise in which it was decided that an African servant was only counted as 3/5 of a person and therefore did not have a strong presence within the government . This was implemented in 1787, long before talk of Civil War would begin. Fast forward three decades, another rift began to spread across America. The Missouri Compromise. At this point in time, slavery was a hot topic. More people spoke openly about their opinions on the topic and that was met with opposition. With the expansion of American territory, there was the decision of if slavery would be allowed or not in the new territories. Missouri was brought into the nation as a slave state while Maine entered as a free state. The compromise on this though, was that “no slave state shall enter into the Union above the 36 30’ line” . It was James Monroe to sign this bill into effect. In another three decades, the Compromise of 1850 would wipe out all evidence of the Missouri Compromise. 1850 had five major

The goal of the civil war was never originally to free slaves but slaves became a large part of the war. African American slaves overcame many challenges to finally receive their freedom. Many African Americans endured the chance to fight for the union and that immensely increased the man power of the union.

Slavery has been described as a "social institution defined by law and custom as the most absolute involuntary form of human servitude." . The three main characteristics of slavery are that the people are regarded as property, they are forced to serve (often through violence), and they are subject to the owner's will.