Causes of the Civil War

Paper Summary:

This paper studies the causes of the American Civil War. While most historians maintain that slavery was the main cause of the war, there are others who feel that slavery was only responsible to a certain extent and that there were complex political and economic factors which played an important role in the Civil War. Slavery was the oldest and most controversial issue dividing the North and the South and served as the primary catalyst for the Civil War but it was certainly not the only factor. South's waning ability to maintain its army of slaves and North's growing industrial power also fueled the conflict. There were some political factors too including the issue of equal representation in the Congress and states' autonomy which must be considered as possible causes of the war.

From the Paper:

"Civil war is the most momentous and crucial period in the history of America. Not only did this war bring an end to centuries of slavery in the country but also gave way to numerous social and political changes. The country had already been torn by the negative trend in race relations and numerous cases of slave uprisings were taking their toll on the country's political and social structure. While slavery is cited as the most common cause of the Civil War, it is believed that there were several other factors involved. In other words, though slavery was the major cause it was certainly not the only cause. Civil war and abolition of slavery have become synonymous terms as the former led to the latter. But still some historians maintain that slavery has been turned into a too convenient excuse in connection with the Civil War."

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