There is no doubt that around the time that America was first colonized, the main objective was to not only expand the world, but to live in an area where everyone was free to practice their own religion and way of life. After America gained full independence from Great Britain, following the Declaration of Independence, it became even more clear that the newfound country would be one that valued the ideals of freedom and liberty. However, over the course of history leading up to 1865, the United States was more concerned with material gains. Overall, America was driven primarily by the hunt for expansion, goods, free labor, and both the desire and greed for money.
The pursuit of material gains was apparent even in the beginning of the colonization …show more content…
Nevertheless, states in the South decided that they wanted to secede primarily because they wanted to protect their state’s rights to own slaves. Colonel Ty Seidule spoke in the video, “Was the Civil War About Slavery?” on how even despite evidence, many still chose to believe that there were other equally important reasons as to why the Civil War began. “Our new government was founded on slavery. Its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests upon the great truth that the Negro is not equal to the white man.”, said Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens.iii This belief, along with the southern state’s reluctance to get rid of free labor in the midst of their economy thriving off of the cash crop: cotton, was a huge part in causing the south to secede and fight a war with those who share the same country. Slavery was not confined solely to the South, but was spread to the North and towards the West. The westward expansion of America also caused slavery to reach into the Southwest, along with Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas, making slavery something that most if not all Americans experienced in the 1800s. “...So the expansion of slavery, which became the major political question of the 1850 's, was not just a political issue. It was a fact of life that every American had experienced during this period.”, wrote Eric Foner, Professor of History at Columbia University.iv Slavery was a huge part of the American way of life in the early 1800s, despite its immorality and lack of empathy. It made a way for numerous slave-owners to make a huge amount of profit while receiving free labor. This further shows how the pursuit of material or monetary gains was more important than the pursuit of ideals, like equal rights, in the American history leading up to
The pursuit of material gains was apparent even in the beginning of the colonization …show more content…
Nevertheless, states in the South decided that they wanted to secede primarily because they wanted to protect their state’s rights to own slaves. Colonel Ty Seidule spoke in the video, “Was the Civil War About Slavery?” on how even despite evidence, many still chose to believe that there were other equally important reasons as to why the Civil War began. “Our new government was founded on slavery. Its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests upon the great truth that the Negro is not equal to the white man.”, said Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens.iii This belief, along with the southern state’s reluctance to get rid of free labor in the midst of their economy thriving off of the cash crop: cotton, was a huge part in causing the south to secede and fight a war with those who share the same country. Slavery was not confined solely to the South, but was spread to the North and towards the West. The westward expansion of America also caused slavery to reach into the Southwest, along with Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas, making slavery something that most if not all Americans experienced in the 1800s. “...So the expansion of slavery, which became the major political question of the 1850 's, was not just a political issue. It was a fact of life that every American had experienced during this period.”, wrote Eric Foner, Professor of History at Columbia University.iv Slavery was a huge part of the American way of life in the early 1800s, despite its immorality and lack of empathy. It made a way for numerous slave-owners to make a huge amount of profit while receiving free labor. This further shows how the pursuit of material or monetary gains was more important than the pursuit of ideals, like equal rights, in the American history leading up to