The Causes of the American Civil War

This essay describes the various causes of the American Civil War, which was fought between 1861 and 1865.

The primary cause of the Civil War has been much debated over the years, with Southern states seceding from the Union and joining together to form the Confederate States of America in order to protect their right to keep slavery legal. The issue of slavery had become a major point of contention between Northern and Southern states in the decades preceding the war, with abolitionists pushing for an end to it while Southerners wanted to preserve its use as an economic advantage and labor force. This ultimately led to increased tensions between North and South leading up to the outbreak of hostilities in 1861.

Another significant cause of the Civil War was that of state's rights. The Southern states saw the Union as increasingly encroaching upon their rights to govern themselves and make their own laws, which they felt was a violation of the principles on which the United States had been founded. This led to heightened tensions between North and South and ultimately resulted in armed conflict.

The issue of tariffs also contributed to rising tensions leading up to the Civil War, with Northern politicians pushing for higher taxes on goods imported from overseas that could benefit Southerners economically. The South resisted this move, citing it as a further example of Northern interference in their rights to self-governance.

Finally, an additional cause of the Civil War was that of sectionalism, or loyalty to one's region over loyalty to the nation as a whole. This was particularly true in the South where people felt a strong sense of loyalty to their own region and opposed any actions that might undermine it.

These four causes - slavery, states' rights, tariffs, and sectionalism- all contributed to the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. The resulting conflict would eventually be resolved with Confederate forces surrendering in 1865; however, its effects are still being felt today both socially and politically.