7.1 Causes and Outbreak of the Civil War

The Civil War, a pivotal moment in US history, was the result of long-simmering tensions between North and South. Economic differences, political polarization, and controversial legislation deepened the divide, with slavery at the heart of the conflict.

The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 was the final straw for Southern states. Their secession and formation of the Confederacy set the stage for a bloody four-year war that would reshape the nation.

Sectional Divide in the US

Economic and Social Differences

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• The North and South developed distinct economic systems
  • North focused on manufacturing and industry
  • South relied heavily on agriculture, particularly cotton production using enslaved labor (plantation-based system)
• The institution of slavery was deeply entrenched in the Southern economy and society
  • Enslaved African Americans provided the labor force for the region's agricultural system
  • Abolition of slavery threatened the South's way of life and its economic prosperity
    • Many Southerners viewed the institution as essential to their survival and identity

Political Polarization

• The rise of the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery, and the Democratic Party's split into Northern and Southern factions further polarized the nation along sectional lines
• The Nullification Crisis of 1832-1833, triggered by South Carolina's opposition to federal tariffs, foreshadowed the growing rift between the North and South
  • Disagreements over states' rights and the power of the federal government
• The refusal of Southern states to accept the election of Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, and their subsequent secession from the Union, demonstrated the primacy of slavery in the outbreak of the Civil War

Escalation of Tensions

Controversial Legislation and Court Decisions

• The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 repealed the Missouri Compromise
  • Allowed the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty
  • Led to violent conflict known as "Bleeding Kansas"
• The Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court decision of 1857 ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not citizens of the United States
  • Congress could not ban slavery in the territories
  • Further inflamed tensions between the North and South
• The Compromise of 1850, which included the Fugitive Slave Act, required Northerners to assist in the capture and return of escaped slaves
  • Fueled resentment in the North and hardened positions on both sides

Violent Incidents and Conflicts

• The caning of Senator Charles Sumner by Representative Preston Brooks on the Senate floor in 1856
  • In response to Sumner's anti-slavery speech
  • Symbolized the breakdown of civil discourse and the increasing violence surrounding the issue of slavery
• John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859, an attempt to incite a slave rebellion
  • Heightened Southern fears of abolitionist violence and Northern support for the anti-slavery cause
• The expansion of slavery into new territories, such as Kansas and Nebraska, intensified the debate over the future of slavery in the United States
  • Deepened the divide between the North and South

Slavery as a Cause of Civil War

Centrality of Slavery to the Southern Cause

• The formation of the Confederate States of America in 1861 was primarily motivated by the desire to protect and preserve the institution of slavery
  • Confederate Constitution's explicit guarantees of the right to own slaves
• The Cornerstone Speech, delivered by Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens, declared that the Confederacy's foundation rested on the "great truth" of white supremacy and the subordination of African Americans
  • Cemented slavery's central role in the Southern cause
• The publication of anti-slavery literature, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and the growth of the abolitionist movement heightened tensions between the North and South

Economic and Social Implications

• The abolition of slavery threatened the South's way of life and its economic prosperity
  • Enslaved African Americans provided the labor force for the region's plantation-based agricultural system
  • Many Southerners viewed the institution as essential to their survival and identity
• The institution of slavery was deeply entrenched in the Southern economy and society
  • Enslaved African Americans provided the labor force for the region's agricultural system
  • Abolition of slavery threatened the South's way of life and its economic prosperity

Election of Lincoln and Secession

Lincoln's Election as a Catalyst

• Abraham Lincoln's victory in the 1860 presidential election, despite not being on the ballot in most Southern states, was seen as a threat to the South's way of life and the institution of slavery
• Lincoln's Republican Party platform opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories
  • Southerners viewed this as a violation of their rights and a step towards the eventual abolition of slavery
• Lincoln's inaugural address in March 1861 attempted to reassure the South that he had no intention of interfering with slavery where it already existed
  • Also made clear his determination to preserve the Union, setting the stage for the outbreak of the Civil War

Secession and Formation of the Confederacy

• In response to Lincoln's election, seven Southern states seceded from the Union between December 1860 and February 1861
  • South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas
  • Formed the Confederate States of America
• The secession of Southern states marked a turning point in the escalation of tensions
  • Divisions between the North and South had reached a point of no return
• The formation of the Confederate States of America in 1861 was primarily motivated by the desire to protect and preserve the institution of slavery
  • Confederate Constitution's explicit guarantees of the right to own slaves