Causes of American Civil War 1861-1865

Introduction

The origins of the Civil War may be traced to a complex mix of causes, some of which can be traced back to the earliest years of American colonization. A common assumption to explain the cause of the American Civil War was that the North was no longer willing to tolerate slavery as being part of the fabric of US society and that the political power brokers in Washington were planning to abolish slavery throughout the Union. Therefore for many people slavery is the key issue to explain the causes of the American Civil War (Stampp, 23-39). However, it is not as simple as this and slavery, while a major issue, was not the only issue that pushed American into the 'Great American Tragedy'. By April 1861, slavery had become inextricably entwined with state rights, the power of the federal government over the states, the South's 'way of life' etc. - all of which made a major contribution to the causes of the American Civil War.

Discussion

Slavery

Slavery in the United States first began in Virginia in 1619. By the end of the American Revolution, most northern states had abandoned the institution while it continued to grow and flourish in the plantation economy of the South. In the years prior to the Civil War almost all sectional conflicts revolved around the slave issue. This began with the debates over the three-fifths clause at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and continued with the Compromise of 1820, the Nullification Crisis, the anti-slavery Gag Rule, and the Compromise of 1850 (Potter, 56-61).

Slavery and Control of the Government

Throughout the first half of the 19th century, Southern politicians sought to defend slavery by retaining control of the federal government. While they benefited from most presidents being from the South, they were particularly concerned about retaining a balance of power within in the Senate. As new states were added to the Union, a series of compromises were arrived at to maintain an equal number of "free" and "slave" states (Morrison, 77-81).

In 1820, Maine entered as a free state while Missouri joined as a slave state. The balance was finally disrupted in 1850, when Southerners permitted California to enter as a free state in exchange for laws strengthening slavery. This balance was further upset with the additions of free Minnesota (1858) and Oregon (1859).

Two Regions on Separate Paths

The widening of the gap between slave and free states was symbolic of the changes occurring in each region. While the South was devoted to an agrarian plantation economy with a slow growth in population, the North had embraced industrialization, large urban areas, infrastructure growth, as well as was experiencing high birth rates and a large influx of European immigrants. This boost in population doomed Southern efforts to maintain balance in the government as it meant the future addition of more free states and the election of a Northern, potentially anti-slavery, president (McPherson, 44-55)

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Slavery in the Territories

The political issue that finally moved the nation towards conflict ...