American Civil War: Causes & Effects Essay Sample

The Civil War was fought between the Confederacy (South) and the Union (North) on American soil. The war began on April 12, 1861, and ended on April 9, 1865. There were 618,222 total deaths and there were 409,618 prisoners of war, and missing in action. Three major causes of the civil war were slavery, westward expansion, and states rights.       

Arguments broke out about slavery often between the North and South states. Having slavery limited to the South did not really bother Northerners until Southerners tried to expand their ideals. The South’s economy was primarily based on slave labor which is why many were scared. Plantation owners convinced the Southerners that it would crash if slavery was prohibited. They also said that one day they might own a slave themselves and that prospect was very welcoming. Some Southerners claimed a slave’s life was easy and a blessing and “that by enslaving African blacks they had rescued them form barbarism”(Nardo 18). Britain banned the shipping of slaves in 1807 and America followed suit in 1808. This did not stop slavery. The blacks already enslaved were not considered free. United States Senator William H. Seaward and president-elect Abraham Lincoln made their disgust for slavery known. Southerners won the Dred Scott, although Northerners won people over with a graphic book called Uncle Tom’s Cabin.The slave laws were very strict. Slaves could not travel without permission, could not learn how to read and write, their owners had the right to search them at any times, could not buy or sell without a permit, could not own any livestock, and had a curfew.      

The States’ wanted the right to secede from the Union if they could not obtain the right to have slavery. The original draft of the constitution banned slavery, but certain states refused to sign, so they accommodated. Each new territory that applied for statehood made Southerners weary, and they threatened to take back their agreement of joining the nation unless they had individual power. In the North many believed if the South seceded the Southern states would not survive, and they made this opinion known. Senator Charles Summer insulted many about the Kansas-Nebraska Act and condemned slavery. He was then attacked by United States Representative Preston Brooks. The North hated Brooks but the South thought he was a hero. The election campaign of 1860 scared many. The candidates were Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, Vice President John C. Breckinridget , and John Bell. Southerners made up terrible lies about blacks and Lincoln to dissuade voters. Lincoln won “which was remarkable because he was not even on the ballot in ten of the states” (Nardo 32-3), however Southern states refused to accept thinking their way of life would be taken. On December, 20, 1860 South Carolina voted for secession writing to the Union why. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi followed. Lincoln was inaugurated in March and tried to stop further secession. States kept seceding and on February, 1 Texas became the seventh. On February 4, 1861, representatives of six seceded states met in Montgomery Alabama to put together the Confederate States of America , they nominated Jefferson Davis as president, their policy was one single six year term.      

Comprises were temporary and tried to keep arguments at bay. During the Industrial Revolution the North developed, they did not need slave labor because they had a cheap and willing workforce (immigrants). As early as the Missouri Compromise in 1820, the government was forced to cope with the issue of slavery and its westward expansion. Previously the States had a precarious Senate balance, equal representatives. This threatened to unravel when Missouri prepared to enter as a slave state.Henry Clay drafted the Missouri Compromise stating Maine would enter as free and Missouri as a slave state. This conflict arose again when the United States began a conflict with Mexico over Texas and its western territory. In 1846, Pennsylvania Representative David Wilmot proposed a possible remedy. It stated that slavery should be prohibited in any territory acquired from Mexico. Northern lawmakers soon approved fearing “Slave Power” in Congress. “ Meanwhile, southern politicians railed that such an act was unconstitutional and vehemently blocked the passage of the Wilmot Proviso” (Halabi). California petitioned for statehood in 1849, the Compromise of 1850 said that California would enter free and that slave trade would not go beyond D.C. borders. Statehood debates occurred again in 1854 because under the Missouri Compromise Nebraska and Kansas would enter as free states. The people living in the territories would have to vote. Tensions rose after Missouri citizens snuck in to vote for Kansas to make it a slave state. War broke out between pro-slavery enthusiasts and abolitionists.      

Lives were lost and torn apart by the Civil War all over the above issues. Slavery caused divides in morals and sometimes lead to violent altercations. States' right to secede divided our country psychically creating the two sides to the war. Arguments about westward expansion caused injuries after war broke out in Kansas. All in all the Civil War impacted the future of America and these above causes were not the only.