Causes of Civil War

Causes of the Civil War

 

Learning Target:  I can: explain the causes of the Civil War:

The Civil War happened in the USA between the years 1861-1864.  The fighting happened between the Northern states and many of the Southern states. A civil war happens when groups within a nation have such conflict with each other that they finally break out in a war between each other.  In the American Civil War there were many serious problems that led to this deadly fight.  The Civil War ended with the southern general surrendering to the northern general in April of 1865.

What were the main reasons that these 2 groups had conflict?  Read to find out:

• Slavery-As we have already learned, GA and the southern states made their living primarily from farming.  There were many large farms called plantations.  The plantation owners had practice slavery since the Royal Period of GA.  Slavery was “free labor.”  With the work of many slaves, agricultural products could be planted, harvested and sold in great numbers.  This brought plantation owners lots of money.  The Northern states did not believe that slavery was ethical and wanted the practice of slavery in the USA to end.  Because the southern states ability to make fast money from crops, such as cotton, they were unwilling to do away with slavery.  The issue of slavery was probably the biggest conflict between the north and the south.