Causes of the American Civil War

Causes of the Civil War

• The Civil War was primarily sparked by deep-seated disagreements over slavery, states' rights, and economic and political differences between the Northern and Southern states.
• Slavery was the most significant and contentious issue, with the Southern economy relying heavily on agriculture and enslaved African Americans.
• The North, on the other hand, was more industrialized and had a growing abolitionist movement that opposed slavery on moral and economic grounds.
• Southern states advocated for states' rights, arguing that they had the right to govern themselves and make their own decisions, including the decision to maintain the institution of slavery.
• Economic differences between the industrialized North and the agrarian South contributed to the tension, particularly with regards to tariffs and trade policies.
• The balance of power between slave and free states was a constant source of tension, with the South fearing losing political power in the federal government.

The Union's Original Goal

• The Union's original goal at the outset of the Civil War was to preserve the Union.
• The primary objective was to prevent the Southern states from seceding and to maintain the United States as a single, undivided nation.

Abraham Lincoln's Goals

• Abraham Lincoln's foremost goal was to preserve the Union.
• He believed that the United States must remain united for its survival and prosperity.
• Lincoln was personally opposed to slavery and aimed to prevent its expansion into new territories and states.
• He believed that containing slavery would lead to its eventual extinction.
• As the war progressed, Lincoln's position evolved, and he issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, declaring that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory would be freed as of January 1, 1863.