Slavery and sectionalism were two causes of the Civil War. The South allowed slavery but the northern states were against slavery. In 1860, in the South there were approximately 4,000,000 slaves. In the North, slaves were not allowed. Southerners relied on slaves to work on their plantations. The Constitution never said that having slaves was acceptable but abolitionists thought that slavery was a sin. It was said that “the abolitionists movement not only caused conflict over whether slavery should be abolished but was a major factor in bringing about the Civil War” (Bolotin 1). Slavery divided the North and the South but so did sectionalism. Sectionalism is defined as “loyalty to a state or section, rather than to the country as a whole” (Prentice
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Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States during the Civil War. Lincoln was a very intelligent man. He was the first ever president to be a Republican. The southerners were afraid that he would destroy the way they lived by ending slavery but northerners called him the “Great Emancipator” (Bolotin 77). Lincoln was concerned for his nation’s survival and felt his oath led him to preserve the nation and it’s Constitution (Bolotin 77). In order to help the Union succeed, “Lincoln assumed more power than any president before him, declaring martial law and suspending legal rights” (Rees 15). As a president, Lincoln had a huge impact on the war because of how he ran the country. Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederate States of America from 1861-1865. The Confederate Congress elected Davis as the president of the Confederate States but “he did not seek that position (Rees 37). He wanted to expand slavery throughout the nation. Davis did not want the South to secede, but he was loyal to his home state of Mississippi. After the Civil War, Davis was put in prison for two years for treason against his country. Even though Lincoln and Davis were on opposite sides, they were both doing what they thought was right for their
Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States during the Civil War. Lincoln was a very intelligent man. He was the first ever president to be a Republican. The southerners were afraid that he would destroy the way they lived by ending slavery but northerners called him the “Great Emancipator” (Bolotin 77). Lincoln was concerned for his nation’s survival and felt his oath led him to preserve the nation and it’s Constitution (Bolotin 77). In order to help the Union succeed, “Lincoln assumed more power than any president before him, declaring martial law and suspending legal rights” (Rees 15). As a president, Lincoln had a huge impact on the war because of how he ran the country. Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederate States of America from 1861-1865. The Confederate Congress elected Davis as the president of the Confederate States but “he did not seek that position (Rees 37). He wanted to expand slavery throughout the nation. Davis did not want the South to secede, but he was loyal to his home state of Mississippi. After the Civil War, Davis was put in prison for two years for treason against his country. Even though Lincoln and Davis were on opposite sides, they were both doing what they thought was right for their