American Civil War in the 1840s and 1850s - Essay Example

The American civil war arguably made an indelible mark on the history of the U.S. The war, which occurred in the mid 19th century, was a show and test of might between the South and the North. The years preceding the war were characterized by distrust between the two spheres of the country which could have been avoided if the causative factors had been dealt with early enough. While the Northerners believed that the Southern states were out to destroy their freedom, the Southerners believe that any of the Northern intentions were good.

The suspicions soon gave rise to complicated tensions which inevitably led to war (Formby 7). The shift in political power in the north was one of the major causes of the war. The population in the north was increasing more rapidly than in the south. This led to the South losing most of its political power to the populous north. As years went by and the Northern states became more assertive of their political supremacy, the southern states saw this as a threat and started demanding freedom from the Washington-based Federal authority.

While the Southerners favored state laws, the northern states thought that federal laws carried more weight (Kingseed 6). The issue that sparked a controversy that contributed to the civil war was slavery. The economy of the country at this time gained a lot from agriculture, which happened to be the mainstay of the South. Since the early colonial period, slavery was a part of American life both in the south and in the north; however, it was more acceptable in the South since slaves had more to offer there.

The economic differences between the north and the south contributed to the differences in the slavery debate. Most Southern farmers used slaves for labor in their expansive cotton and sugarcane farms. The attitude towards slavery in the north soon changed as the region became more industrialized and less reliant on slave labor. Northerners felt that slavery was an uncivilized practice and urged the Southern states to abolish it. However, the Southerners were not ready to let go of their cheap source of labor which was well protected in the State and federal laws.