Slavery was most certainly the biggest cause of the civil war. Due to the creation of new states and the uncertainty at which they were to be slave or free states caused alot of confusion and frustration to rise up in the mid 1800's. Everyone associates the Civil war with slavery because it was in this time were our own constitution was put to the test. "all men are created equal", this quote was written nearly 100 before all men "were" equal in the U.S. so this issue was within the U.S. for the better art of 100 years.
I think slavery was the most significant cause of the Civil War. Many northerners read Uncle Tom's cabin and it instilled stereotypes into their heads about southerners and slaveholders. Another argument for this claim is the fact that northerners viewed John Brown as a martyr. Southerners, on the other hand, saw the risk northerners took to abolish slavery. Slavery caused a lot of tension between the north and south.
Though I believe slavery is a major causes of the civil war I think sectionalism is the most overarching cause. With a division between the north and south growing rapidly, a civil war was bound to occur. Slavery is in fact a part of sectionalism because it increased sectionalism. While the south supported slavery because it was fundamental to their main economic success (plantations), the north disliked it because it was not a main part of their manufacturing economic setup. Sectionalism also caused problems as the country was expanding. Would new states be slave or non slave? Would they "belong" to the north or south? These controversies are seen in the Missouri compromise, the Oregon question, and Texas, along with many more.
I agree with Nicki. Many leaders of the Union Army and Northern Political Parties were actually slave owners. Slavery was still prevalent in the North during the civil war. The south however wanted something far more than slavery, they wanted to be their own country. They wanted to separate entirely from the Union and the North didn't take this too kindly. Slavery was ultimately what the Civil War will be known for because of President Lincoln's establishment of it, but I do not believe that it is the main cause.
Slavery, definitely. It says in the reading that it was the fundamental conflict that was going on. Slavery was pretty much all the South had, it was what was keeping the economy up. Of course they would fight for it. Although all of these factors were important to the growing gap between North and South, all of them come down to slavery in the end. Sectionalism was after all about slavery too, since sectionalism describes the behavior of acting in the interest of a certain region only, which for the South meant, supporting slavery. I guess Lincoln's election was the one crucial moment where the South said, yup, we're out of here. But overall, slavery was definitely the main conflict leading to the Civil War.
Like Hanna said, all three options essentially point to slavery. Sectionalism was was caused by decisions based on slavery and the election of Lincoln meant a president who was for slavery in one of the highest appointments of the American government. The moral objection to slavery, however, may not have been the main cause however. It is what lead to a divide but I think this growing divide (sectionalism) was what really set the war in motion seeing as there were slaves who were told to fight for both sides.
Though all three of these topics pertain to the civil war, I think that the biggest one was sectionalism. Though slavery was a massive part of it, I think that the overarching problem was sectionalism. Both the both and the south were growing at such a rapid pace and there was such controversy that was growing just as fast. The north wanted to abolish slavery which was a very big force but the South wanted to complete segregate from the north and become it's own country. That is why I believe that sectionalism was the biggest part of the civil war.
Slavery was most certainly the biggest cause of the civil war. Due to the creation of new states and the uncertainty at which they were to be slave or free states caused alot of confusion and frustration to rise up in the mid 1800's. Everyone associates the Civil war with slavery because it was in this time were our own constitution was put to the test. "all men are created equal", this quote was written nearly 100 before all men "were" equal in the U.S. so this issue was within the U.S. for the better art of 100 years.
ReplyDeleteI think slavery was the most significant cause of the Civil War. Many northerners read Uncle Tom's cabin and it instilled stereotypes into their heads about southerners and slaveholders. Another argument for this claim is the fact that northerners viewed John Brown as a martyr. Southerners, on the other hand, saw the risk northerners took to abolish slavery. Slavery caused a lot of tension between the north and south.
ReplyDeleteThough I believe slavery is a major causes of the civil war I think sectionalism is the most overarching cause. With a division between the north and south growing rapidly, a civil war was bound to occur. Slavery is in fact a part of sectionalism because it increased sectionalism. While the south supported slavery because it was fundamental to their main economic success (plantations), the north disliked it because it was not a main part of their manufacturing economic setup. Sectionalism also caused problems as the country was expanding. Would new states be slave or non slave? Would they "belong" to the north or south? These controversies are seen in the Missouri compromise, the Oregon question, and Texas, along with many more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nicki. Many leaders of the Union Army and Northern Political Parties were actually slave owners. Slavery was still prevalent in the North during the civil war. The south however wanted something far more than slavery, they wanted to be their own country. They wanted to separate entirely from the Union and the North didn't take this too kindly. Slavery was ultimately what the Civil War will be known for because of President Lincoln's establishment of it, but I do not believe that it is the main cause.
ReplyDeleteSlavery, definitely. It says in the reading that it was the fundamental conflict that was going on. Slavery was pretty much all the South had, it was what was keeping the economy up. Of course they would fight for it. Although all of these factors were important to the growing gap between North and South, all of them come down to slavery in the end. Sectionalism was after all about slavery too, since sectionalism describes the behavior of acting in the interest of a certain region only, which for the South meant, supporting slavery. I guess Lincoln's election was the one crucial moment where the South said, yup, we're out of here. But overall, slavery was definitely the main conflict leading to the Civil War.
ReplyDeleteLike Hanna said, all three options essentially point to slavery. Sectionalism was was caused by decisions based on slavery and the election of Lincoln meant a president who was for slavery in one of the highest appointments of the American government. The moral objection to slavery, however, may not have been the main cause however. It is what lead to a divide but I think this growing divide (sectionalism) was what really set the war in motion seeing as there were slaves who were told to fight for both sides.
ReplyDeleteWhoops I meant anti- slavery. Lincoln was definitely not for slavery
DeleteThough all three of these topics pertain to the civil war, I think that the biggest one was sectionalism. Though slavery was a massive part of it, I think that the overarching problem was sectionalism. Both the both and the south were growing at such a rapid pace and there was such controversy that was growing just as fast. The north wanted to abolish slavery which was a very big force but the South wanted to complete segregate from the north and become it's own country. That is why I believe that sectionalism was the biggest part of the civil war.
ReplyDelete