Causes of the Civil War

Causes of the Civil War

Westward Expansion

Each new state that was added to the country had to be declared either a free state or a slave state. Neither side wanted the other to gain more power, so each new state that was added became a battleground for political power. 

Slavery

Many people in the North began to view slavery as morally wrong. Abolitionists began to speak out against slavery, and more people began to view slavery as evil. When enslaved people fled to the North, the South wanted them to be considered fugitives and returned south. Many northerners disagreed, and the South became fearful their way of life would end.

States’ Rights

Most southern states wanted the states to hold more power than the federal government, while most northern states wanted the federal government to hold more power than the states. The Constitution gave more power to the federal government. The federal government denied nullification, so many southern states felt the federal government was taking away their rights and power.

Economic

Many northern states began to depend on industry over agriculture, while most of the southern states relied heavily on agriculture. Many immigrants chose to live in the North, As large cities formed, more people took manufacturing jobs. The South did not have large cities, and they needed slave labor to work on the plantations. The North no longer needed slavery to maintain a strong economy, while the South did.

Abraham Lincoln

Southern states were upset when he won the 1860 presidential election despite not being on the ballot. He was a member of the new Republican Party, which was against slavery. Southern states felt he was against the south and were worried slavery would be abolished.

Secession

After Abraham Lincoln was elected president, many southern states felt they had a right to leave the United States. South Carolina was the first state in the south to leave, and eventually 11 more states left and formed their own country, the Confederate States of America. Lincoln sent troops to the South because he didn’t think they had the right to leave the US. The Civil War had begun.