The Civil War was an inevitable incident. For decades, the North and South had been splitting apart due to their differing economies, beliefs regarding slavery, and political views, including states ' rights. While there were efforts to resolve the issues, primarily the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, these were failed endeavors and did not stop the forthcoming events.
The South had an economy that heavily relied on agriculture as the primary form of income while the North was becoming an industrial society. With Eli Whitney 's invention of the cotton gin in the early 1790s, many plantations in the South essentially made the switch to produce more cotton. Since there was an increased demand in cotton, the plantation …show more content…
As the North and South argued over slavery 's expansion into the new territories, the issue of states ' rights arose. While those in the North believed that the federal government should become stronger, those in the South argued for a weak federal government and state rights, as evidenced by the gaining of popular sovereignty in the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Other political aspects, particularly events in the Supreme Court, were also essential to the advancement of the approaching Civil War. One such event was the Supreme Court case of Scott v. Sandford, in which the Supreme Court ruled that a slave named Dred Scott should not be free. The Chief Justice at the time, Taney, ruled that Negroes were not United States citizens and therefore could not sue in federal court. He also stated that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional because slaves were property and according to the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution, Congress was not allowed to restrain citizens from their property. Another particular event was the 1860 presidential election. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president, the South feared that he would completely abolish slavery in all states. In the wake of this, the Southern States each issued an Ordinance of Secession, officially removing themselves from the Union. This led to the battle of Fort Sumter and the start of Civil
The South had an economy that heavily relied on agriculture as the primary form of income while the North was becoming an industrial society. With Eli Whitney 's invention of the cotton gin in the early 1790s, many plantations in the South essentially made the switch to produce more cotton. Since there was an increased demand in cotton, the plantation …show more content…
As the North and South argued over slavery 's expansion into the new territories, the issue of states ' rights arose. While those in the North believed that the federal government should become stronger, those in the South argued for a weak federal government and state rights, as evidenced by the gaining of popular sovereignty in the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Other political aspects, particularly events in the Supreme Court, were also essential to the advancement of the approaching Civil War. One such event was the Supreme Court case of Scott v. Sandford, in which the Supreme Court ruled that a slave named Dred Scott should not be free. The Chief Justice at the time, Taney, ruled that Negroes were not United States citizens and therefore could not sue in federal court. He also stated that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional because slaves were property and according to the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution, Congress was not allowed to restrain citizens from their property. Another particular event was the 1860 presidential election. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president, the South feared that he would completely abolish slavery in all states. In the wake of this, the Southern States each issued an Ordinance of Secession, officially removing themselves from the Union. This led to the battle of Fort Sumter and the start of Civil