The American civil war remains to be the most brutal and bloody war that America has ever experienced in its history. The war started in April 1861 when the confederates, which consisted of seven southern states that seceded from the United States, attacked federal soldiers at Fort Sumter claiming that the fort was theirs (Reid & Keegan, 1999). They forced the federal soldiers to lower the United States flag as a sign of surrendering. Abraham Lincoln rose to power in 1860 and promised to abolish the slave trade. He retaliated by sending the military to control the situation but by 1862 it broke into real war. The Northerners eventually won this war. The major causes of the Civil wars are explained below.
Slavery
The major cause of the differences between the Southerners and the Northerners was the issue of Slave trade. The Northern section was an industrialist and focused on shipping, manufacturing, and trading among others. On the other hand, the southern section’s economy relied majorly on agriculture. …show more content…
It meant freedom from forced labor for millions of African- Americans immigrants, who used to work on cotton farms in the southern states. Though the status of the black people did not change immediately, they were free at long last and would not be subjected to forced labor. The slaves, who ran away, were freely admitted to the Union army (Blight, 2001). Another social impact was the change in gender roles since many men were out for war; women started taking positions such as nurses, teachers and factory workers, which were previously seen as men’s duties. The women also took over family businesses and ran them. Hostility towards the African-Americans increased from some parts of the Union as many people viewed them as the cause of the war. It led to the killing of many people and separated some from their families. Riots were witnessed in some parts like the New York draft
Slavery
The major cause of the differences between the Southerners and the Northerners was the issue of Slave trade. The Northern section was an industrialist and focused on shipping, manufacturing, and trading among others. On the other hand, the southern section’s economy relied majorly on agriculture. …show more content…
It meant freedom from forced labor for millions of African- Americans immigrants, who used to work on cotton farms in the southern states. Though the status of the black people did not change immediately, they were free at long last and would not be subjected to forced labor. The slaves, who ran away, were freely admitted to the Union army (Blight, 2001). Another social impact was the change in gender roles since many men were out for war; women started taking positions such as nurses, teachers and factory workers, which were previously seen as men’s duties. The women also took over family businesses and ran them. Hostility towards the African-Americans increased from some parts of the Union as many people viewed them as the cause of the war. It led to the killing of many people and separated some from their families. Riots were witnessed in some parts like the New York draft