Civil War: Economics

A detailed Summary of Civil War: Economics

The Primary Cause of the American Civil War: Economics

More than one million people dead and a nation torn apart. "A fight against slavery" it was said, but was that the main reason the war was fought? Or is that just what our nation says to glorify our past? There were many factors that contributed to the United States' Civil War, but the main reason for the war can be attributed to the economic differences between the Northern and Southern parts of the United States.

There were a variety of differences or outcomes that resulted because of the diversity from north to south. They ranged from the different crops to the tariffs imposed on them. Economics can be defined as "the science which studies production, distribution and consumption of commodities" or as "the study of the impossible-unlimited wants and needs fulfilled with limited resources." These differences started when the United States was just forming. The makers of the Constitution specifically avoided dealing directly with the morality and legitimacy of slavery due to the fact that it was (at the time) an essential part of their economy (or so they thought in the south).

With the advent of the Industrial revolution (the 1820's, 1830'

Another major point of tension was whether or not slavery should be allowed in the newly acquired lands from the Louisiana Purchase, and the Mexican Cession. The south said it was essential to their economy that slavery be allowed in the newly acquired territories. The north said allowing slavery would mean the loss of jobs to whites and they said this would weaken their economy. This led to the rise of new political parties. An example of this would be the Free Soil Party. Each side felt that if they lost this balance of power their economic interests would no longer be represented and would cause their part of the country to drop into a depression. The Transcontinental railroad was also a major point of concern for both the north and south (even though it was not built until after the war) there was heated debate about where it should be built.

The main reason the south wanted to secede was perhaps the fact that they felt the north was trying to ruin their way of life. They needed to have cotton to sustain their economy-or so they thought- and they felt their current practices were essential. The south relied soley on a one crop economy, while the north became more and more diversified. The south felt that since they were becoming so different from the North that secession was the only way for them to retain their economic status and protect their culture.

s, and the `850's) the north began to embrace manu

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Approximate Word count = 965
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History