Monday, June 7, 2010
Causes of the Civil War
The North and South had high tensions because of their views and economic differences. The Civil War wasn't just about slavery but also economics and preserving the Union.
The South seceded from the Union and there were many reasons why they decided to take that action. The South wanted to preserve their way of life. They didn't want to have to give up their slave society that they had been solely reliant on for years. Southerners wanted to protect their agricultural civilization and not change to an industrial society like the North. The Southerners believed that the North was money grubbing. Their way of life revolved around the dollar to the South. They also wanted to keep their tradition of Southern honor alive. They would have done anything to defend their honor. People from the South took the Civil War as a personal threat and an insult to their honor. They believed that even if they fought the war and lost, the South would still have their honor. If they didn't fight, they would lose it. The South thought they would lose everything including their livelihood if they gave in to Northern aggression. Southerners were afraid of submission to the North. They didn't know what would come of it.
Different historians thought the Civil War was caused by different things. One of the most obvious causes seen was slavery. Lincoln's original goal was not to deal with the slavery issue but to preserve the Union. Republicans (North) wanted to get rid of slavery for good. The South was fearful of this and wanted to take over the federal government so it wouldn't happen. The Northerners wanted to get rid of slavery and the South wanted to preserve it. Another possible cause of the war was economics. The two economic systems were completely different and the people in the two different systems had different views.
There were also events that happened that sparked the Civil War. Five events that were major triggers of the Civil War were the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the election of 1860, Southern succession, Fort Sumter, and Bleeding Kansas. The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise. Unfortunately, the North saw it as a plot to turn new territories into slave states. This made them agitated especially when it was passed. 90% of the South voted for the act to be passed. Bleeding Kansas was when Northerners and Southerners went into Kansas territory. Settlers from Missouri snuck in and voted illegally. They were all proslavery. The arrested and were violent with the antislavery settlers. This raised tension between proslavery Southerners and antislavery Northerners. The election of 1860 put Lincoln in office. This made the South angry because no one in the South voted for Lincoln and yet he still won. They didn't see Lincoln as a legitimate president and therefore caused them to succeed. Lincoln started the war to stop succession and to preserve the Union. Fort Sumter was the final spark and the start of the war. The Southern troops attacked a Northern fort. Fort Sumter were the first shots fired in the Civil War.
Many people could see different causes in why the Civil War happened. There were so may possibilities and tension that it's impossible to tell which was the actual primary cause.
The South seceded from the Union and there were many reasons why they decided to take that action. The South wanted to preserve their way of life. They didn't want to have to give up their slave society that they had been solely reliant on for years. Southerners wanted to protect their agricultural civilization and not change to an industrial society like the North. The Southerners believed that the North was money grubbing. Their way of life revolved around the dollar to the South. They also wanted to keep their tradition of Southern honor alive. They would have done anything to defend their honor. People from the South took the Civil War as a personal threat and an insult to their honor. They believed that even if they fought the war and lost, the South would still have their honor. If they didn't fight, they would lose it. The South thought they would lose everything including their livelihood if they gave in to Northern aggression. Southerners were afraid of submission to the North. They didn't know what would come of it.
Different historians thought the Civil War was caused by different things. One of the most obvious causes seen was slavery. Lincoln's original goal was not to deal with the slavery issue but to preserve the Union. Republicans (North) wanted to get rid of slavery for good. The South was fearful of this and wanted to take over the federal government so it wouldn't happen. The Northerners wanted to get rid of slavery and the South wanted to preserve it. Another possible cause of the war was economics. The two economic systems were completely different and the people in the two different systems had different views.
There were also events that happened that sparked the Civil War. Five events that were major triggers of the Civil War were the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the election of 1860, Southern succession, Fort Sumter, and Bleeding Kansas. The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise. Unfortunately, the North saw it as a plot to turn new territories into slave states. This made them agitated especially when it was passed. 90% of the South voted for the act to be passed. Bleeding Kansas was when Northerners and Southerners went into Kansas territory. Settlers from Missouri snuck in and voted illegally. They were all proslavery. The arrested and were violent with the antislavery settlers. This raised tension between proslavery Southerners and antislavery Northerners. The election of 1860 put Lincoln in office. This made the South angry because no one in the South voted for Lincoln and yet he still won. They didn't see Lincoln as a legitimate president and therefore caused them to succeed. Lincoln started the war to stop succession and to preserve the Union. Fort Sumter was the final spark and the start of the war. The Southern troops attacked a Northern fort. Fort Sumter were the first shots fired in the Civil War.
Many people could see different causes in why the Civil War happened. There were so may possibilities and tension that it's impossible to tell which was the actual primary cause.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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