The American Civil War - Essay Example

Events Which Led To the American Civil War Introduction The American Civil War which occurred between the years 1861 and 1865 is also referred to as The War Between the States due to the characteristics that it had. The main events which are used as historical explanation to the civil war are laid complex in the problems that rose from slavery, sectionalism, parties and politics that surrounded the antebellum era. It is presumed that issues that were brought about by sectionalism were the main propelling factors that drove the United States into the civil war. This was due to the expansion of territories in the nation that was forcing the nation to question on whether issue of settlement in the country were to be considered from the point of slavery or freedom. At the same time the power that was accorded to the slave owners at this time in the national politics arena became waned while on the other hand the North and South were having divergent economies being developed (Griess 56). These situations could not help in any way to hold back the civil war from coming to a reality in America. In this paper, it is these specific events that led to the American Civil War that have been clearly analyzed so as to draw clearly the picture that gave rise to the Civil War. Sectionalism The different customs, social structure, economies and the political values that marked the North and the South are what historians have named as sectionalism this was a phase that increased rapidly during the years 1800 and 1860, a period during which the North was phasing out slavery from existence as urbanization, industrialization and prosperous farms was what was taking over in the North. On the other hand, the South was putting more emphasis on plantation agriculture whose main basis was slavery alongside subsistence farming that was a characteristic of the whites who were poor. It has been argued out that this striking difference that existed between the industrialized North and the agricultural South could have been a cause of the war. During the year 1851, many states that were in the South held constitutional conventions so as to have a forum to put into consideration the issues of secession and nullification (Griess 61). The Southern conventions had been dominated by Unionists as they voted down the secession articles. This was only with the exception of the South Carolina whose election convention offered no any option for “no secession”. The Southern Carolina instead offered room for the option only with the collaboration of other states within the region. As a matter of fact, the two party systems that had remained relatively stable during the period between 1820 and 1850 were being compromised by the fact that there was rapid mass democracy that was extending to the North and South. Free Labor vs. Slave Labor It is argued by historians that a free labor ideology had been made to dominate the Northern region, a fact that had ensured that economic opportunities were created in more proportions as compared to the Southern Americans who described free labor as being greasy mechanics. The Southerners strongly opposed the issue of free labor alongside the homestead laws that had been proposed to be offered to the free farms in the west. This was in fear of the fact that the small farmers who were in the region would be influenced into opposing the plantation slavery. It was as a result of this main ideology that the Southerners mainly represented by Calhoun argued the fact that slavers in itself was a “positive good” (Griess 40). As a matter of fact, the view that was held by the Southerners argued that slavery brought more civilization, morality and intellectuality to the people who were fortunate enough to be chosen as slaves. Missouri Compromise 1820 Uproar was created by James Tallmadge, Jr. Of New York when he brought the proposition that had two amendments to a particular bill aiming at admitting Missouri as a free state to the Union. The first amendment mainly involved barring all slaves form being transferred to Missouri while the second one was aiming at freeing all the Missouri slaves that had happened to be born after admission in the Union. By the year 1819 when the Alabama state had been admitted as a slave state, America had eleven slave states alongside eleven Free states. This meant that by admitting Missouri as a slave state would bring about a sense f imbalance in the Senate. The new position would mean that slave states would have a majority in the Senate. In the long run therefore, it meant that the Tallmadge amendments if successfully passed would give the Free states a majority. The amendments by Tallmadge failed in he Senate despite having successfully passed the House of Representatives mainly due to the five North Senators who casted their votes together with all the Southern Senators. The fear of a crisis that surrounded the admission of Missouri as a slave state resulted into the Compromise of 1820. With the Compromise of 1820, Missouri was admitted as a slave state alongside Maine which got its admission into the Union and as a free state (Griess 74). With the Compromise also came the ban of slavery along Louisiana Purchase territory. This Missouri Compromise was very effective in making light the crisis that could have resulted in regard to slavery though this calm was not to last for long. In the South, old fears that had been developed regarding strong federal governments and their threat to the slavery were reawakened by the Missouri crisis. It is in this regard that it had to be linked to the overall American Civil War as it heightened the tension between the Northerners and the Southerners. 2nd Great Awakening The Second Great Awakening was basically a religious movement that was based on Christian values which aimed at functioning as a revival movement during these years of the early nineteenth century. It was through the Second Great Awakening that the American theology by which every American could be saved via the revivals that it stood for. Millions of fresh members were enrolled to the vibrant movement and consequentially, new and many denominations were formed as a result of it. It was through the Second Great Awakening that several reform movements came in to existence. These reform movements mainly sought to save the people of America from the evils of the society before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, history has linked the Second Great Awakening heavily to the civil War mainly due to the reform forces that were being witnesses between the South and the North. They had been heavily motivated by the Second Great Awakening. Abolitionism Several meanings had been attached to abolitionism. Followers who pledged their loyalty to William Lloyd garrison such as Wendell Phillips and Douglass Fredrick demanded that the slave trade be abolished immediately. It is no wonder that the name abolitionism came in to the limelight at this particular period in history. Abolitionists who were more pragmatic like Theodore Weld held on to the fact that immediate action had to be taken although the action could be composed of a gradual emancipation which had a long term immediate stage. In a nutshell, abolitionism was mainly aimed at addressing the fact that slavery had to be eliminated from the society as it was a huge force of resistance to efforts directed towards freedom of the people involved as slaves. David Walker who was a free black man has been historically recorded as a very radical and devoted abolitionist who was the brain behind the publication of the David Walker’s appeal in the year 1829. Although very vibrant in the abolitionist movement, David Walker was a subject to many criticisms which had been directed to him basing on the fact that the radical point that his abolitionism had taken was a potential threat and harm to the antislavery movement as a whole (Griess 84). As a matter of fact, Walker’s Appeal which mainly called on the black people to take military action in fighting slavery was a huge alarm to the white people including the white abolitionists. This is the main force behind its failure in working as a force against slavery. On the other hand, The Liberator which was a product by William Lloyd Garrison in the year 1831 was the main carrier of success in as far as abolitionism was concerned. It is acknowledged though that the main brain that was behind the antislavery issue via abolitionism was David Walker. On the other hand, the Nat Turners Rebellion was also very instrumental in setting the center stage for the American Civil War in the fact that it drove people into ending the slavery issue. This was mainly because it was through the Nat Turners Rebellion that it was thought that slavery had t be ended since it was an unfair practice to the other people especially the blacks. 1846 Wilmot Proviso The 1846 Wilmot Proviso has been recorded as being a bold attempt to resist the introduction of slavery in particular territories by opponents of slavery. The territories that were involved in the 1846 Wilmot Proviso can be said to be the territories that were purchased from Mexico after the Mexican War. The sponsor of the 1846 Wilmot Proviso was called David Wilmot no wonder the name “1846 Wilmot Proviso”. Although the proviso failed to pass any of the congress houses, it was very strategic in setting the stage for the national debate about slavery which in the long run led to the creation of the Republican Party which was an antislavery party. Although it has been recorded as a failure in terms of amendments, The 1846 Wilmot Proviso proved to be a battle for the opponents of slavery (Griess 105). Consequentially, its role in the American Civil War can not be underestimated at all. In an effort to form an opposition towards the ideologies that were being pushed forward by 1846 Wilmot Proviso, the Free Soil Movement came into place. As a matter of fact, the movement which was comprised of Democrats from New York who were very radical, the antislavery wings and the members of the Liberty Party came together to form a solid movement in the Free Soil Movement. The party which had the support of the president by then who was Martin Van Buren was very effective in forming an opposition for expansion of slavery into the territories that it had not existed before. Actually the Free Soil Movement posed a direct opposition to the efforts and ideologies that were being propagated for by the 1846 Wilmot Proviso. Compromise of 1850 After the United States of America emerged as a victor in its war with Mexico, it meant that new boundaries were conquered by the American nation. Problems would then arise on whether the newly acquired region would be either slave or Free states. The fact that the Northerners supported the 1846 Wilmot Proviso meant that here was a huge possibility of the new states being free and on the other hand being a potentially explosive topic among the various states. The Compromise of 1850 was the main solution that was temporarily offered by the American government towards the rising conflict between the free and slave states (Griess 83). In return to the agreement that was reached in during the Compromise of 1850, the South was awarded with fugitive slave laws that were stronger as compared to the ones that are offered in the constitution. This fugitive law was also another source of controversy in as far as slavery was concerned in the United States of America. The new law required that the Northerners offer a helping hand to the Southerners in reclaiming fugitive slaves. This was a heavily offensive law considering the point of stand that had already been declared by the Northerners in regard to the slavery issue. Anthony Burns among other people were very effective in posing a strong force of opposition towards the fugitive slave law. Anthony Burns was actually one of the slaves that were recaptured as a result of the fugitive slave law being implemented. Uncle Tom’s Cabin of 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe is an antislavery novel that played a very integral role in helping form groundwork for the Civil war. This was one of the forces that were projected against slavery and consequentially led to the American Civil War. 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed and with it came the freedom of the Kansas and Nebraska to decide for them whether they wanted to be called free or slave. This had serious consequences as Kansas had already been developed in to a hotbed for violent activities since the forces for and against slavery were fighting over the future of the states. This was in the long run what resulted into the Civil War. 1856 Charles Sumner Bleeding Kansas was mainly highlighted by the attacks that were made by Border Ruffians on Lawrence which had for a long time been known as a very strong area for free state. Preston Brooks who happened to be a pro-slavery congressman launched an attack on Charles Sumner after it had been reported that Charles Sumner was giving a speech which attacked directly the forces of pro –slavery (Griess 91). 1856 John Browns Raid John Brown who was an abolitionist (radical) had been very effective in forces radically fighting against slavery. He led a large group of people in attacking the arsenal that was located in Hopper’s Ferry. After he had succeeded in capturing several buildings, Brown was surrounded and finally killed by troops that had been under Colonel Robert’s leadership. Work Cited Griess, Thomas. The American Civil War. California: Square One Publishers, Inc., 2002 Read More