Why Was Slavery Important In American History

Improved Essays
Slavery is an important aspect of American history; it has shaped our country into what it is today. The civil war took place from 1861-1865. Without slavery, the civil war would not have occurred. Slavery divided the north and south, the differing opinions on things especially slavery is what led to the American civil war. The south expressed how slavery was beneficial for the whole nation because everyone depended on the southern economy and slavery was key to the prosperity of our nation. Slaves were necessary for southern states because they served the southern way of life, these beliefs caused a bigger rift between the north and south. Economics of slavery, political control, and moral issues were the central issues that dived the north …show more content…
One prominent abolitionist was john brown he stated “Here, before God, in the presence of these witnesses, from this time, I consecrate my life to the destruction of slavery!” the fight for slavery can be seen throughout history, it was strong and continued to grow the fight proved to be inevitable. A pivotal turning point in the fight against slavery was the election of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860’s he was a republican, who supported the freedom of slaves. This election was truly the tipping point that led to the civil war and left many southerners struck with fear. Lincoln issued 75,000 troops establishing the federal blockade of southern rebel ports, and suspended the writ of habeas corpus , the civil war had officially begun in April of 1861 (Jaffa,1). The war ended in 1865, the powerful slave owners were faced with hard times and little money without the ownership of the slaves, on the other hand, the north grew rich. Lincoln was one of the most important presidents in history especially during slavery he was able to end slavery and keep America together. The civil war was a necessary part of American history it occurred for many reasons like states rights, tariffs, and trade. The most important reason, however, was The moral issue of slavery. Although, there were a variety of reasons as to why the civil war occurred slavery was the main tipping point and was the origin for many of the issues between the north and south. Economics of slavery, political control, and moral issues were the central issues that dived the north and south. The war between the two was clearly

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Civil War was a very important event in the history of the United States of America. It pushed the country to some very large changes, namely the end of slavery and a more modern understanding of war. The war was not only important to the people fighting it and their families, but also to the slaves it freed, and the subsequent generations of America. Hopefully anyone who learns about the Civil War through Holzer’s book, The Civil War in 50 Objects, can find reasons why this war is important to them today in one way or…

    • 1082 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Civil War was a war that was fought in 1861 – 1865 between the Union (the North) and the Confederacy (the South). The two sides fought for years to see which side may take control over the country and change certain things about the government’s policies one of which included slavery. However, both sides had their reasons on why things should either change or stay the same but if they did not have the advantages needed to survive this war then they would certainly be defeated.…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Civil War Dbq Analysis

    • 1741 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Civil War was a very important war in shaping the course of American history. Tensions between the North and the South led to a distinctive divide between the two regions, which each one failing to comply with the other’s demands. While one side would support a certain cause, the other would completely disagree with it. As these disagreements heightened, it became clear that African Americans were the center of discussion, but more importantly, slavery. African Americans became a key part of the events that would lead up to the war, and the events which would follow years later.…

    • 1741 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    I believe the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the differences the northern and southern states had about the abolishment of slavery played a major role in why the Civil War was fought. Abraham Lincoln believed that southern states did not reserve the right to avoid the abolishment of slavery. Abraham was an anti-slavery republican who believed slavery was bad for business, and he did not want to see slavery spread to other parts of the United States. He was a strong advocate for citizens working for money instead of working for free. The idea of people being enslaved for work was not only cruel, but it also was not beneficial to America’s financial state.…

    • 1586 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Slavery is a major part of U.S. History regardless of the negative reflection it puts on the United States. Slavery divided politicians, as well as states. Slavery was not the reason for the Civil War in the beginning, but it was always a main factor of the war, especially after the Emancipation Proclamation was introduced. In the article, “A Man but Not a Brother: Abraham Lincoln and Racial Equality”, by George M. Fredrickson, writes about Lincoln and his stance on slavery. Fredrickson records that Lincoln never really took a stance on slavery throughout his politician career, that he would have views for both against slavery and for slavery at times.…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The United States of America would not be where it is now without the 13th amendment. The 13th amendment abolished all slavery in the United States of America. It was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865. One of the major events that led the United States of America to abolish slavery was the Civil War (1861-1865). Another reason why the United States of America passed the 13th amendment was because of the cruel inhumane way the plantation owners were treating their slaves.…

    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Civil War Dbq

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The civil was a major part of American history which determined what kind of nation it would become. While the revolution created the United States the Civil War was going to decide whether the nation was going to be a confederation or an individual nation. This would also resolve two major factor that were in constant conflict with each other, which was the fact that either the United States would become a nation of equal right to all races and having freedom for all or continue to be one of the largest slaveholding country’s in the world. The North and the South had established to completely different economies that relied on many different resources.…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Civil War DBQ

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Civil War was one of the most memorable and historical wars in America. The conflicting beliefs of the north and south lead to a war that consisted of at least 616,000 casualties. Originally, the war began in hopes to prevent the states of the south from leaving the Union of the U.S. States of the south seceded because of a difference of ideas regarding slavery. Some people believe that slavery was the primary cause of the Civil War, though slavery did play a major role in the upbringing of the civil war I do not believe that it was the dominant cause of the war. The first reason that I believe that the statement that the Civil War’s primary cause was slavery is incorrect is that the war began, to prevent disunion in the U.S but, slavery was only a factor that would cause disunion or secession of the south.…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American Civil War began in April 1861 between the Northern States and the Confederate States and the Confederate States of America, which was the South. The war was fought over the issue of issue of slavery. President Abraham Lincoln opposed slavery but he believed that the central government had no right to interfere with slavery where it already existed in the Constitution. However, by the end of the war, slavery became just as important as the Union.…

    • 327 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Civil War Dbq

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Civil War was a product of a great divide between two sides of an unfortunately broken country. The North and South found contrasts in various areas; from the economy, to culture, to standpoints on slavery. In the eyes of few, there is a belief that the war could have been avoided. However, due to the differing cultures and beliefs of the North and the South, the division in the country was far too large, thus rendering the war inevitable. The most prominent cause of the Civil War was the issue of divergent cultures and economies between the North and South.…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    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.…

    • 1801 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Question 2 LEQ The Civil War was a war that lasted from 1861-1865 this was one of the most brutal and violent wars in American History. The war was composed of the South and the North, both of these territories belonged to the Union at the time. The South was known for their cotton and the North had a lot of factories and industrialization. The South required a lot of slaves to produce all that cotton.…

    • 1642 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Slavery has been one of the most talked about subjects in history. It is a significantly important in our history. The Antebellum period was known for many reform movements. Slavery supported the economy of the United States, the nation went from underdeveloped farmers to becoming a driving force financially. It influenced important leaders, which eventually lead to war.…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Lincoln rejected their decision and then war was declared between The Union and the Confederacy. The Confederacy fought and died to keep slavery, however 4 years after the union became successful. Abraham Lincoln fought for the freedom and human rights of the blacks, while he also fought to keep the united states together as a union. This war did not only accomplish the abolishment of slavery, it accomplished union in the states, kept a strong country growing together In the election of 1860 Abraham Lincoln ran for president and when on to become the first republican candidate to win an election.…

    • 1799 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Throughout the years many historians have argued over the some aspects of the civil war. One of the most important questions that the civil war creates is: was it inevitable? To find the answer to this question we must first state and analyze the causes of the civil war. In this research paper I will prove that the civil war was inevitable because the free states and the slave states would eventually break out in war since the problems between them would’ve never been solved if the war weren’t waged. Slavery is one of the main causes of the civil war, and although it seems as an exaggeration almost all other causes can relate back to slavery .…

    • 1237 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays