The Reason for the Civil War into the United States - Essay Example

This bill, however, failed to pass the Senate, the slaveholders contended that slaves were property and the constitution had guaranteed the right to property. In 1850, there was the compromise, famously known as the compromise of 1850. This involved California applying to be part of the Union, this upset the balance of Free states and slaves as California sought to be a free state. The agreed compromise was that California would be admitted as a Free State translating to the abolishment of the slave trade in Washington D.C, however, the rest of the States that won from Mexico would keep their slaves and lenient laws would be passed in this regard (Gallagher 19). In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was passed and this sought the assistance of Northerners in capturing runaway slaves. The Act also passed that fugitives would be arrested without a warrant and would not be granted a fair trial. This read to the writing of the novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Beecher Stowe in 1952. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed which gave the residents autonomy to decide their position on slavery (Gallagher 20). There was illegal voting that translated to the civil war this resulted after Missouri residents rigged in favor of slavery.

In 1857, the Dred Scott case was heard, Dred an enslaved man argued for his freedom after his master’s death. However, the Supreme Court ruled against him, citing that he could not sue in the United States as he was not a citizen. This case dominated during the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1958 with the former arguing against slavery and its spread as well as keeping the South in the Union. Later, Douglas would win the elections but Lincoln benefited from the national exposure. In the elections of 1860, Lincoln who was a Republican won the elections. This prompted secession by the South, who had threatened to withdraw from the Union in the event Lincoln won mainly due to his stance on slavery. The southerners seceded in 1860 forming the Confederate States of America, these elected Jefferson Davis as president. The secession set the stage for a war that would put to test the strength of the American republic, the Civil War (Gallagher 21).

How & Why the Union defeated the confederacy
Going into the war, the North had some definite advantages. One of the advantages was in the numbers; the North had 22 million people compared to the population of 9 million in the South. Out of the 9 million people in the South, only 5.5 million of them were whites. The other advantage was in the industrial capacity, by the time of the war the North was producing 94% of the total firearms present in the United States. The Confederates had to rely on firearms supplied by the European trade partners. The trade would later be suppressed by the Union (Gallagher 30). The Union used its superior naval machinery to disrupt the trade which largely took place in the sea. Finally, the Union benefited from the fact that four slave states stacked with the Union, were Delaware, Missouri, Maryland, and Kentucky.

Abraham Lincoln’s role
Abraham Lincoln was the president of the United States at the time of cessation by the Southerners, also referred to as the Confederate States. Being the president, he felt he had a duty to protect the Union and ensure that all the States remained United. Therefore, his main role in the Civil War was his stance that secession was illegal. By declaring it illegal, he set the stage for the War (Giennap). He took an active role in steering the North through the War and he was later instrumental in dismantling slavery by upsetting the views and support of slavery by the Southerners.

Significance of the Civil War
The immediate significance of the Civil War was the restoration of the Union. By the Union defeating the Confederacy, the cessation claim was put to rest and the states were back together. The War is also considered a major milestone in ensuring the freedom of the black persons who had been slaves in the South. This heralded their absorption into American society. To the world, the War ensured the strength of the United States as a harmonious State a factor that has informed its supremacy to date.