Why Did The Civil War Occur Essay

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The Civil war which lasted from 1850-1870 can be considered as one of the bloodiest war in American history. The conflict over slavery between the North and the South may have been one of the reasons why the civil war occurred but one needs to take into consideration other factors that also led to the civil war.
One of the reasons why the civil war occur was the constant war between North and south over the emancipation of slaves. Both Northerners and Southerners had their own interpretation on slavery, and as a result, their separate views triggered contentions and conflicts with each other. Both had different views on whether to expand or to stop the growth of slavery or eliminate slavery all together. According to A History of the American People, the north increasingly driven by emancipation, thought of the constitution as a document which, applied in its spirit, would eventually insure that all people in America, whatever their color, black or white, whatever their status, slave or free, would be equal before the law. The Southerners, by means I mean those who dominated the south politically and controlled its culture and self-expression, had quite a different agenda (Johnson). North and South was also divided by social and economic differences. The North favored high tariffs, the South low ones; the North backed indirect taxation, the South direct taxation. In Addition, the election of Abraham Lincoln, the rise of the Republican Party and the death of the Whig party was also a reason why the civil war occur. According to Paul Johnson the Republicans had money and were totally against slavery their aim was to end slavery. Southerners thought Lincoln was anti-slavery, and feared that he would certainly abolish slavery. Slavery made Abraham Lincoln miserable and because he thought it was destroying the nation, not least the South, was one of the reasons Lincoln reentered politics and helped to create the Republican Party, which was primarily to prevent slavery’s
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States did not obey federal laws regarding slavery. According to Jefferson Davis the federal government had no natural authority, all it possess was delegated by the states (Johnson). The continuous struggle among the Federal Government and individual State over political supremacy. The question was whether or not the Federal Government had the power to regulate or abolish slavery.
Finally state trying to acquire independence cannot be ignored. Some states wanted to withdrew from the Union to form their own nation based on the fact that they wanted to continue slavery. Those states formed the Confederate States of America, which is also known as the Confederacy, which was led by Jefferson Davis the president. Based on this notion the Northerners wanted to stop those states from withdrawing from the union and forming their one nation as a result to continue slavery.
In conclusion, whatever the circumstances may have been for the start of the civil war, many lives were lost. Was the civil war really a solution to abolish slavery? From the southerners view point the war was perceived as a rebellion and a form of independence likewise, northern may have seen it as a revolution. In essence I don’t think the Civil war could have been avoided based on all the factors that was surrounding it. In my opinion it would be difficult to please the north and not upset the south and vice

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