Causes of the American Civil War

Causes of the American Civil War

The American Civil War , which occurred in the year 1861-1865 , was considered as one of the most vicious period in the American history Around 620 ,000 American soldiers sacrificed their lives for freedom This focal point in history is caused by two factors : long-term and short-term causes . The tension between the North and South could be traced back even during the colonial period . There are two relevant reasons for this long-standing pressure between the two which gradually escalated and resulted in the American Civil War . One

enduring source of this was the issue on slavery . Before the period of industrialization America has an agriculture-based economy with cotton as its major export product . This essential product grew best in the Southern part of the region because of its climate and because of its economic significance manpower is of utmost importance to ensure the crop 's high productivity status . Slavery then emerged as the key to the growth of the industry However , when the Cotton Gin was invented by Eli Whitney , the cotton industry soared in its profitability and it was greatly revolutionized Yet despite this invention , slavery continued to persist in the South and even became central part in the said industry . The issue on slavery is also pivotal in the civil war because it links two other significant events in American history which were the Bleeding Kansas ' and Brown 's Raid . Another long-standing issue triggering the stress in the North and South relationship is the issue on Sectionalism or State 's Right Because political power continued to increase in the North and the opposite occurs in the South (National Park Service , the former portion grew larger and stronger which resulted to the nation being fragmented with the North as more superior than the South . This then caused the Southerners to question the federal government and depended on state law or their state rights . They clung to the amendments made in the constitution about the prohibition to the federal government from impinging upon the rights of slaveholders and their properties ' or their slaves . They assumed that adhering to the constitutional provision would safeguard their life and lifestyle , however , the conflict is inevitable because of this strong discrepancy between the favours given to the North and disregard of the people from the South

With regard to a more immediate cause of the American Civil War , the issue on tax is of significant consideration . Specifically , the tax issue linked to the civil war was regarding tariff or those taxes paid for the goods from foreign countries brought in America . The inconsistency in placing taxes towards the people occurred when the Southerners felt that the policy was unfair and disadvantageous for them since they import greater amount of goods than those from the North These tariffs served as a big burden to them especially since it is costly and is essential for their industry . Moreover , higher taxes were imposed on the goods imported by Southerners compared to the...