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Civil War Dbq Essay

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Factors that were the root of the Civil War were mainly economic and political differences. These differences increased sectionalism and tension in the United States; north versus south, each having different views on slavery, economy, and political policies. The inability to settle into a fair agreement resulted in the Civil War. The United States faced many economic differences between the north and south. The north was the most successful mainly because it had a commercial/industrial economy. The north’s value of manufacturing is very high compared to the south (Doc. 1a). They supported tariffs, in fact they "voted the President additional powers to enforce collection of the revenues" (Doc.6). Significant investments for internal improvements …show more content…

People went from having ten slaves in a farm to having 500 in a plantation. Slave brutality worsened because of this transition, abolitionist and free-soilers in the north did not like this drastic expansion. They opposed the Mexican War because it was a way for the United States to gain territory, and make them slave states thus increasing the expansion of slavery (Doc.4). Therefore compromises like the Compromise of 1850 were created, this compromise proposed that, “slavery does not exist by law, and it is not likely to be introduced into any territory acquired by the United States from the Republic of Mexico…” (Doc.5). Northerners also started showing opposition to slavery by not adhering to the Fugitive Slave Act. They believed that slavery is, "opposition to the first principles of principles of religion, morals, and humanity." and that its inconsistent with "our aims, as a free, humane, and enlightened people" (Doc.2a). On the other hand southerners believe that "slavery was one of the most dynamic economic and social processes..." and that without slavery "you could not have civilization... slavery freed upper class from manual labor" …show more content…

The north supported the admission of California as a free state, the Compromise of 1860 stated that "California ought to be admitted into the Union without restrictions as to the inclusion or exclusion of slavery" (Doc.5). The north also had a strong Republican federal government, they were the main support for Abraham Lincoln in the Election of 1860 (Doc 8.). In effect of the election of 1860, the North had control of the House of Representatives, Senate, and Presidency. The south had a democratic government, after the election of 1860 the southerners did not know that a Republican president had won the campain. President Lincoln was not listed on the southerners voting ballots. After the Dred Scott decision and the election of 1860, sectionalism increased in the United States. In December 20, 1860, South Carolina secedes from the Union and four other states follow. By February 1861, these states begin to call themselves the Confederate States of America. They elect their own president named Jefferson Davis. When Lincoln comes to power in March 1861, he states that states can not secede from the Union, but people can. Meaning that people can give up their patriotism, but states can't because the first three words in the Constitution are "We the People". These series of events already created tension between the Union and Confederacy. Then the first battle

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