Giulia Socolof 1/22/14 American Studies: Blue Class Unit 6 Essay The Cause of the Civil War

In the years leading up to the Civil War, the northern and southern United States were like two totally different countries. The Souths plantation economy relied heavily on slave labor. However, the Norths industrialized economy did not need slaves to function. While the North viewed slavery as immoral and inhumane, the South felt it was necessary because slavery was the backbone of their entire lifestyle. Many battles over slavery were fought during this time. An example of this is the Dred Scott Decision of 1857. Dred Scott, a slave, was brought to a free state and sued for freedom from his master. The Supreme Court ruled that all blacks could never become citizens, and they denied Dred Scott freedom. This case outraged many northerners, and fueled their cause to abolish slavery.1 Fights and arguments over slavery escalated into the Civil War. Southern states seceded from the Union because they thought Abraham Lincoln would abolish slavery when he was elected president. In Lincolns A House Divided speech in Springfield, Illinois in 1858, he said, A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this nation cannot endure, permanently half-slave and half-free.2 Lincoln believed that at some point the nation would have to become slave or free. Many southerners were afraid that in order to solve this problem, Lincoln would emancipate slaves. This is proven because North Carolina seceded on
PBS. "Dred Scott Case." PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2933.html (accessed January 21, 2014). 2 The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Ray P. Basler (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1953), Vol. II, pp. 461-462
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December 20, 18603, just one month after Lincoln was elected. This shows the fear the South had that Lincoln would free the slaves. Once he was elected, the state realized that he would abolish slavery and seceded to avoid giving up slaves. If slavery were abolished, the South would have no steady income because their entire economy relies on slaves to help on plantations. According to historynet.com, The election of Abraham Lincolnconvinced many Southerners that slaverymight ultimately be abolished.4 Tension had already been building up between the North and South over the issue of slavery. Lincolns presidential election in 1860 was the final argument that led to the war. It was able to cause the southern states to secede, sparking the fire that was the Civil War. To the Southerners, seceding was the only way to keep their way of life alive. The different opinions between the North and South over slavery led to many fights. Northerners viewed slavery as immoral, while southerners supported it. According to northerner Frederick Douglass, in a speech on July 4, 1852 in Rochester, NY, the American slave trade is a terrible reality5. In contrast to this, South Carolina senator John C. Calhoun, in a speech to the US Senate, the relation now existing in the slaveholding states between the two isa positive6. This disagreement led to fights and rebellions. According to historynet.com, That

Nathan Aaseng, You Are the President (Minneapolis: The Oliver Press, Inc., 1994), 81

4 Slavery In America." History Net: Where History Comes Alive

www.historynet.com/slavery-in-america (accessed January 16, 2014).

5

Life and Writings of Frederick Douglass, edited by Philip S. Foner (New York: International Publishers Co., 1950), Vol. II, pp. 194-195. Copyright 1950. Reprinted by permission of the publishers. 6 The Making of American Democracy readings and Documents, edited by Ray Allen Billington, Bert James Loewenberg, Samuel Hugh Brockunier (New York; Rinehart and Company, Inc., 1957), pp. 239-240.

dispute [over slavery] led to secession, and secession brought about a war7. Because the South did not agree with the Norths views on slavery, they were afraid they would abolish it and seceded to avoid it. The secession of the southern states was the biggest argument between the two halves of the country, and it led to the war. Lastly, according to historian Joy Hakim, There would be no war if there were no slavery.8 All these arguments and little rebellions over slavery built up and ultimately caused the South to secede, beginning the bloodiest battle in American history. Others might argue that the economic differences between the North and South caused the Civil War. According to civilwar.org, The Civil Warwas the violent conclusion to decades of diversification.9 The North and South were totally different cultures, with the South being agricultural and the North being mainly industrial. The difference was so large that tension between the two cultures was inevitable. This tension just happened to escalate into a war. Secondly, according to Facts on File, The secession of the Southern statesculminated decades of friction between North and South arising from the fundamental differences between the Northern and Southern economies.10 The economy itself is the biggest difference

7 Slavery In America." History Net: Where History Comes Alive

www.historynet.com/slavery-in-america (accessed January 16, 2014).

8

Joy Hakim, Freedom: A History of US (Culver City: Social Studies School Service, 2013), 120

9 "North and South: Different Cultures, Same Country." Council on Foreign Relations.

http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/northandsouth.html (accessed January 20, 2014).

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Mendoza, Alexander. "causes of the Civil War." In Tucker, Spencer C., gen. ed. Encyclopedia of American Military History. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003.American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=EMHI0195&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 20, 2014).

between the North and South, so it makes sense that the tension over this would cause the war. However, this is weak because the fundamental differences11 between the two economies is the fact that the Southern economy relies on slavery. The tension that arose because of their differences was over slavery. Even though their cultures were different, their differences revolved around slavery, the Souths economy and the Norths lack of it. This argument is weak because their differences and their fights before the war were mainly over slavery. The Civil War didnt do America much good. It killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, split families apart, and overall stained the once-admirable American history. The fact that the US was a free country that allowed slaves was a terrible, terrible thing. However, if the morality of slavery were not a factor during the fighting of the Civil War, then the terrible thing that is slavery would have survived for much, much longer. The Civil War was one of the most significant events in American History because it was fought over slavery.

I completed this essay in accordance with the Newark Academy Honor Code.

11

Ibid.