Civil War Social Changes

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The fight between the North and the South began with social, economic, and political differences, but eventually evolved into what is known to be the Civil War. The war made significant political and social changes in American history and shaped the place we live in today. America was undergoing political, economic, and social changes during 1840s and 1850s that fueled sectionalism which contributed in starting the war. Writers and artists manifested these changes into their writings and arts, and politicians used these changes as a motivation to fight for their beliefs. Even with the countless differences between the North and the South, the concept of slavery is the underlying factor that contributed to the start of the war. America was …show more content…
While the nation was undergoing an industrial change, “the debate over slavery was tearing the nation apart” (xxiii). The debate about slavery turned into arguments and eventually turned it to something bigger, which was questioning the constitutional system. The argument over slavery became an important factor in society, as it tore the nation into two. The South was very dependent on slavery, and they were not ready to change anytime soon. The North, however, opposed to the concept of slavery. The argument over slavery escalated into a political scale. This caused the two societies to have contrasting views on how the government should be operated. Southerners feared that the culture that they had built would be ruined, and feared of slave uprising. While, “Northerners believed that slavery would escape from Dixie and corrupt and possibly break down the political and constitutional system” (xxiv). The nation was divided into two political parties, Democrats and the Republicans. The Republicans sought to end slavery, while the Democrats opposed to this idea. Slavery has torn the two political parties apart. The election of Abraham Lincoln, a member of the Republican party, had significantly pushed the start of the war, because the South took this election as a …show more content…
Writers were affected with the changes during this period. Many writers introduced the “dark side of the modernizing Anglo-American society” and “the evils of industrialization” (xxvii). The writings during this period confronted all the problems of the societies. Writers were able to voice out their opinions about the changes in society, and their view on slavery. For example, Uncle Tom’s Cabin became the most popular literature on slavery. The idea of slavery became one of the most popular topics in American literature during this time period. They used writings as a way to inform and alert readers about the changes in the society, and the “evils of slavery”

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