The Civil War was one of the most impactful events in the history of America. It turned a nation against itself and caused citizens to spill the blood of their own countrymen. This war was the culmination of decades of sectional tensions and differences. Leading up to 1861, legislators and politicians had been able to compromise on issues and please all regions of the nation. However, the South eventually grew weary of this and decided to break off from the rest of the nation and form their own confederacy that was based upon their individual beliefs and customs. The North was not willing to let them do so. This disagreement, along with deep-rooted tensions over differences in economy, culture, and politics, led to the Civil War. The institution
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Slavery was used as a tool to motivate both sides: in the North, it was brought up to cause Northerners to boil with moral outrage, and in the South, it was used to show how the North was attacking key aspects of Southern culture. One example of the power of slavery is shown in the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This vivid book about the struggles of slave life stirred up the emotion of Northerners and greatly improved abolition efforts. The impact of the book is summarized, “By turns sentimental and realistic, Uncle Tom 's Cabin appealed strongly to 19th-century readers. And because the book presented the horrors of slavery in vivid human terms, it had a powerful impact. President Abraham Lincoln…slightly exaggerated when upon meeting Stowe in 1863, he said, ‘So you 're the little woman who wrote the book that made this big war’” (McGuire). Though Lincoln was exaggerating when he said that Stowe’s novel started the war, the book and slavery in general did contribute to the war. Slavery provided the North with moral justification for fighting against the South, and slavery provided the South with a cultural aspect that they could defend. Slavery made both the North and the South more passionate during the Civil
Slavery was used as a tool to motivate both sides: in the North, it was brought up to cause Northerners to boil with moral outrage, and in the South, it was used to show how the North was attacking key aspects of Southern culture. One example of the power of slavery is shown in the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This vivid book about the struggles of slave life stirred up the emotion of Northerners and greatly improved abolition efforts. The impact of the book is summarized, “By turns sentimental and realistic, Uncle Tom 's Cabin appealed strongly to 19th-century readers. And because the book presented the horrors of slavery in vivid human terms, it had a powerful impact. President Abraham Lincoln…slightly exaggerated when upon meeting Stowe in 1863, he said, ‘So you 're the little woman who wrote the book that made this big war’” (McGuire). Though Lincoln was exaggerating when he said that Stowe’s novel started the war, the book and slavery in general did contribute to the war. Slavery provided the North with moral justification for fighting against the South, and slavery provided the South with a cultural aspect that they could defend. Slavery made both the North and the South more passionate during the Civil