Civil War Causes

Essay by jerichoJunior High, 9th gradeA-, March 2004

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The Civil War which lasted from 1861 to 1877 was mainly caused by the diverging society between the North and the South. The North and the South had different goals. There were many factors that led to the war and the chief ones were political and economic differences between the North and the South. The North's aggression to control the South had led to the point where it was intolerable. The issue on slavery was one of the cause of the Civil War. Slavery and slave trades had become a big part of the South's economy. The slaves were needed to work on plantations which helped the South prospered. During the 19th Century, the North worked hard on abolishing slavery which they thought was an disgrace to the Union. Compromises were proposed working toward an end to slavery. One of the compromises was the Missouri Compromise which made Maine, a free state, and Missouri, a slave state, excluded slavery from Louisiana Territory and everything above the 36° 30' north latitude.

Other compromises such as the Compromise of 1850 did pleased both sides. The Compromise included admitting California as a free state and interstate slave trade to be abolished which went in favour of the North. The Compromise also went with the South when it included stricter fugitive slave laws and New Mexico and Utah were created without slave restrictions. A book called, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was also published at this time emphasising the evils of slavery. This added tension between the North and the South. The compromises seemed to have settled the issue of slavery but it was just putting back the problem. The North and the South were far from settling the slave issue. Another reason that caused the South to go to war was the difference in...