Causes of the Civil War Essay
In the years since the conclusion of the American Civil War, historians have advanced a number of causes of this great conflict. Some theories have focused on the economic differences between the in industrial North and the agricultural South. Some on the psychological pressures bought to bear by warhawks and “fire-eaters”, and others have narrowly focused on only the state’s rights and slavery issues. All of these factors certainly played a role in bringing the conflict that resulted in the deaths of more than six-hundred thousand Americans. Specifically there were six causes related to the issues of slavery, state’s rights, and sectionalism that resulted in the war: the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, “Bleeding Kansas”, the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision, the John Brown Raid, the election of Lincoln as president, and the desire of the southern states to govern themselves. All of these related events intensified sectional tensions beyond the breaking point.
The publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe enraged many southerners. It was based on true stories of runaway slaves escape. She gathered evidence on the way slaves were treated. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was first published into the newspaper in a series and then into a novel where it got the most public attention. Tensions increased after this novel was published and increased the hatred between the North and the South. Uncle Tom’s Cabin rallied anti-slavery feelings in the North and offended the South. This novel increased tensions between the North and the South, and caused the beginning of the Civil War.
“Bleeding Kansas” was one of many events leading up to the War Between the States. The Kansas-Nebraska Compromise proposed by Senator Stephan Douglass of Illinois. This compromise nullified the line imposed by the Missouri Compromise. After the passing of this act, there were many brawls and fights over pro-slavery and anti-slavery. They engaged in violence in the next few years over the issue of slavery earning the name “Bleeding Kansas”. The fighting in Kansas only heightened the tension between the North and the South in the following years.
One of the many causes of the War Between the States or the Civil War was the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision. Dred Scott lived with his master in the free states for a large amount of time. When his master died after moving back to the slave states he decided to sue to gain his freedom. The case was unfair however; the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was a former Maryland slave owner. After eleven years with a vote of seven out of nine, Dred Scott was told he was to remain a slave. This was because they argued that this was a violation of the Fifth Amendment, because slaves were the slave owner’s property. While many Southerners agreed and approved of this court ruling, it disgusted many Northerners. The Missouri Compromise was then declared unconstitutional. When this Compromise was claimed unconstitutional many Northerners grew anger, heightening the tension between the North and South even more.
Many slave holding southerners were angered greatly by the John Brown Raid. John Brown wanted to help and free the slaves. They captured the local arsenal and were successful in gathering all the weapons there. John Brown, several of his own sons, and local slaves were given military instruction and were told to rise up against their masters. All were captured and the raid was unsuccessful. Instead of encouraging slaves to up rise, it had the opposite effect. There was also a tightening down on slaves and an ever increasing fear of southerner’s slaves. The South was angered by the North’s response with the event and took it as them not caring. John Brown’s Raid increased the gap between the North and the South and brought them upon the brink of the War Between the States.
The election of Abraham Lincoln enraged Southerners. They believed that Lincoln would abolish slavery completely. In fact the South didn’t even put his name on their ballads. After Lincoln was elected and pronounced his victory, South Carolina followed by seven other deep southern states seceded from the Union. This was declared illegal by the present president Buchanan. The Confederacy was created and the fighting of the War Between the States ensued. This of course heightened and widened the gap between the North and South and was an immediate cause of the Civil War.
When the Southern states seceded from the Union, Northern states were angered. Of course the never recognized the separation but looked at it as a Civil War. This was not the case however, because the South was seceding to make their own government. The southern states wanted to come together to create the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy after declaring themselves from the Union became involved in the War Between the States. This created deep mistrust between the Northerners and Southerners. The Southern States seceding from the Union was one of the major and immediate causes of the Civil War.
There are many causes that led up to the War Between the States. Some focus majorly on the economics of the industrial North and the agricultural South. Others focus on slavery of state’s rights. All of these are definitely a cause of the American Civil War and played a role. There are specifically six major causes to the Civil War: the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, “Bleeding Kansas”, Dred Scott Supreme Court decision, the John Brown Raid, the election of Lincoln as president, and the desire for the Southern states to govern their selves. All of these events brought the North and South into an intense and emotional War Between the States.
