causes of the civil war
The American Civil War was a military conflict between the United States of America (the Union), and 11 secessionist Southern states, organized as the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy). It was the culmination of four decades of intense sectional conflict and it reflected deep-seated economic, social, and political differences between the North and the South. One of the major causes of the Civil War was the seemingly endless political disputes over slavery in the Mexican Cession and Louisiana Purchase territories. It was imperative that the Democratic and Whig political leaders maintain harmony between their Southern and Northern supporters, thus, the platforms of both during presidential elections like that of 1848 tried to avoid that particular slavery question. However, the extension of slavery into the new territories was one of the largest issues of the time, and with growing opposition from the North, evasion of it became increasingly difficult. Another significant cause of the war was the growth of different responses to antislavery practices such as the Underground Railroad and reactions to runaway slaves and the Fugitive Slave laws that spurred from all sections of the country. Finally, there was the
The abolitionists, who worked harder through the Underground Railroad to free slaves after the Fugitive Slave law of 1850 was passed, regarded their moral judgements "in some ways, more galling" than the "theft" of slaves from their owners, and thus "reflected not only a holier-than-thou attitude but a refusal to obey the laws solemnly passed by Congress." But northerners who helped slaves escape were subject to heavy fines, jail, and sometimes an order to aid the slave-catchers, which "rubbed salt into old sores." In 1857, the slavery supporters drew up the Lecompton Constitution, supported by President James Buchanan, not for the people of Kansas to vote for, but to accept and vote on whether it should allow slavery or abolish it. If the latter was voted for, slave-owners already in Kansas would be permitted to keep their slaves. Fortunately, Senator Douglas intervened, and the people thus voted on the entire "constitution." But the most important outcome of the whole affair was that Buchanan had opposed the northern and southern Democrats. Until then, the Democrats had been the one remaining national party, since the Whigs had disintegrated and the Republican party was sectional. After the Lecompton Constitution incident, the Democratic party was shattered. In early 1848, when gold was discovered in California, "a horde of adventurers poured into the valleys." "Free-soilers" and "slaveryites" argued over the proposed issue of slavery in the territories, and thus, whether the terrain itself was suitable for a slave economy. In Congress on August 8, 1846, Pennsylvania Representative David Wilmot moved an amendment: "that, as an express and fundamental condition of the acquisition of any territory from the Republic of Mexico...neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of said territory," releasing the "pent-up ire" of northern Democrats, many of whom cared less about the slavery issue itself than about their own power within the party. However, the northern Whigs, who had a more consistent antislavery 'record', volunteered support for the proviso. "This bipartisan northern coalition in the House passed it over the united opposition of southern Democrats and Whigs." Normally, as in cases dealing with tariffs, the Bank, and federal aid for internal improvement, Congress would have been divided along party lines. "This was a dire omen." In some areas of the North, owners couldn't reclaim their escaped property without the help of federal m
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1690
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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