What Cause the Civil War Essay Example

The civil war was started for many reasons, but the main cause would be the conflict over slavery. Despite the large population in the north, slavery was much more common in the south due to the norths industrial advantage. Slavery would soon lead to the south secceeding and becoming the confederacy, leaving the north to become the union. 

The first reason the civil war started was due to slavery. Slavery was used in the north, but very valuable in the south. Cash crops like tobacco, and sugar cane became the economic engine of the south. Slaves were the key component to their success. When the civil war started the south was producing 75% of the world's cotton. For most southern planters it was the bulk of their wealth. The north's economy was based on manufacturing and a variety of products. Cotton textile manufacturing offered opportunities for farmers who were unsuccessful. Women were the basis of these jobs if their husband could not make enough money to provide for them. Both the south and the north were large in wealth, but in very different ways. 

Another reason the civil war began was due to Bleeding Kansas. Bleeding Kansas is a term used to describe a long period of violence while trying to settle into the Kansas territory. The war lasted from 1854 to 1861 the war emerged from the political debate over legality of slavery in the state of kansas. It caused many problems such as electoral fraud, raids, assaults, and retributive murders. The core conflict was whether not the kansas territory would allow or not allow slavery which they would then decide to enter the union as a slave state or a free state. The debate over slavery would be decided by popular vote. The most convinving argument towards slavery was that it would allow rich slave holders to control the land. Bleeding Kansas was significant to the war because it pushed the north and south further apart and had a great deal to do with starting the civil war. Because, after the act passed people for and against slavery pored into kansas and started fighting each other. 

The last reason the civil war started was because of industry vs farming. The north was rich off of their industrial advantages and the south was rich off the cotton gin. The south had their slaves doing hard labor to produce cotton. The north had factories with women working so that their small hands could do more sewing and the men. Both sides were rich in their own ways but when it comes down to it, the north is richer than the south. 

The civil war happened for multiple reasons. The civil war will be one of the most remembered wars in history because it abolished slavery. So being one of the biggest problems of the century. The war was crucial to having the society we have today.