CAUSES OF THE UNITED STATES CIVIL WAR

Top 5 causes of the United States Civil War Economic and social differences between the north and southEconomic and social differences between the north and south States rights vs. Federal rights Fight between slave states and non-slave state proponentsFight between slave states and non-slave state proponents Growth of the abolition movement Election of Abraham Lincoln

Economic & Social Differences Economy Reasons for establishment Population Social Structure Southern States Agriculture Provide Britain with new trade markets Tidewater Aristocracy Aristocracy (few, wealthy), middle class farmers, slaves Northern States Manufacturing Religious freedom Puritans & Immigrants “Equal” in the eyes of god (relatively)

Northern society Economy – based on manufacturing –Steel – 480 thousand tons Shipbuilding –Railroad – 35 thousand –Industrial workers – 1.3 million Textiles –Factories – 5 million spires Reasons for establishment - Religious freedom –Puritan society (New England) Escape persecution from Anglican church –Immigrant society in the Mid North

Northern society (cont.) Population – approximately 22 million –Soldiers – 2.2 million saw combat Social structure – –European immigrants –Few “classes” Industrial workers –Big cities Farmers –Few with slaves (1-2 slaves if any at all)

Southern society Economy – agrarian –Main crops were tobacco and cotton Became a one crop society with Eli Whitney’s cotton gin in 1793 Meant slavery became imperative and lucrative (cheap labor) Reasons for establishment – new trade markets for Britain –Not only for Britain, but also to the North

Southern society (cont.) Population – 9 million (Tidewater aristocracy) –Approximately 1 million soldiers saw combat Social structure – –Large planters – less than 1% of white families –Planters 3% of white families –Small slaveholders 20% of white families –Nonslaveholding whites 75% of white families –Free blacks 3% of all free families –Slaves – 4 million (1860) 1 in 3 people were slaves

States rights vs. Federal rights Post American Revolution –First government – ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION Loose collection of states who told the US government what to do – POWER IN THE STATES Right to act independently US Constitution (1789) –More power to the federal government Caused the states to move towards “nullification” –(John C. Calhoun, South Carolina) Federal government denied the states this right –Ultimately pushed the south towards secession

Slave states vs. Non-Slave states Two major points of American expansion –Louisiana Purchase (1803) Missouri Compromise – 1820 –No slavery north of 36° 30’ (Southern border of Missouri) –Mexican War ( ) Wilmot Proviso –No slavery in any newly gained lands (idea shot down) Compromise of 1850 –Increased fugitive slave act, no slavery in California, no slave trade in Washington DC, decide slavery based on popular sovereignty in NM & Utah territories, Texas receives 10 million to give up land we now call New Mexico Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 –New states would use popular sovereignty to decide question of slavery (Kansas and Nebraska territories)

Slave states vs. Non-slave states (cont.) Kansas-Nebraska Act (cont.) –Kansas citizens believed pro-slavery Missourians began moving into the territory for the vote to force it to be slave Became known as “Border Ruffians” –Ended up in a bloody fight in Lawrence, Kansas (“Bleeding Kansas”) Charles Sumner v. Preston Brooks –Sumner (anti-slavery) was beaten on the floor of the Senate by fellow Senator Preston Brooks for comments he made about the South, South Carolina, and Brooks cousin.

Growth of the Abolition movement Slowly, the north becomes more polarized against slavery Major events –Publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin –DRED SCOTT Case –John Brown’s Raid at Harpers Ferry –Passage of the Fugitive Slave Act –Work of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass

Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860) Lincoln was a “moderate” Republican from Illinois Caused South Carolina to issue “Declaration of the Causes of Secession” –Believed Lincoln was anti-slavery and pro- North –Seven states would secede before Lincoln even takes office in 1861