Reasons for the Civil War

It is easy for one to state that the sole cause of the civil war was slavery. The South needed it and the North didn't want it. Plain and simple, right? Slavery was definitely an undertone of several issues that caused the civil war, but claiming it to be the only reason would underscore many issues developing between the regions during that period.

The North and South were vastly different during the fifty years leading to the civil war and the division between the two were constantly widening prior to the war. Most wars are fought over economic reasons and the Civil War was no different. The means to which the North and South sustained their economies were vastly different. The North was largely industrial and the textile industry was booming and sustained the Northern economy during the period. The South however, had not advanced technologically and exporting cotton and other crops were the key to the booming Southern economy. Slavery of course had a large part to play in the harvesting of these large cash crops. The threat of removal of slavery meant the end of this very profitable lifestyle.

Another difference that led to the civil war was the attitude towards the role of the federal government. Northern politicians favored a larger role for the federal government in the creation and enforcement of national policies, while the South favored a "states rights" concept. They maintained that the state governments could better govern the needs and desires of the people living in their state.

The fight between the advancement or abolition of slavery was a very large wedge between the North and South. Many compromises were attempted like the Wilmot Proviso and the Compromises of 1820 and 1850 were presented to try to halt the tensions over the new territories and whether slaves would be permitted or not, but this issue raged for many decades prior to the civil war and did not diffuse at all until after the war.

Finally, the election of Abraham Lincoln triggered fear and desperation in the South. Amid all the tensions mentioned above, the South had a hold on Washington during those times and generally came out ahead when push came to shove. The election of Abraham Lincoln would change that, and paranoia swept across the South, with most fearing that the Republicans would steal their way of life and they would not be able to make a living.

The Civil War was a very complicated and tumultuous time in our country's history. Simplifying the reasons by naming slavery as the cause underscores the actual events and ideals of the period.

References:

McPhearson, J. M, and Hogue, J. K. (2009). Ordeal by Fire. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill

Eicher, D.J., (2006) Dixie Betrayed. New York, New York: Little, Brown and Company

Freeman,