The North and South were very different from one another causing many conflicts between the two. E Because of their difference many events happened that led up to the American Civil War. Four of the major events that occurred leading to the American Civil War were the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the election of Abraham Lincoln, and the creation of the Confederate States.
The North and South were two different types of people. The first difference in the two was their overall reasons for coming to the New World. The northern colonies all came for more of a spiritual reason as the South came strictly for the money (ushistory.org, 2010). The North wanted the freedom to practice their religion and raise their families. The South wanted the riches from the land and gain as much money and power they could off the new land. “Since the northern colonies attracted religious dissenters, they tended to migrate in families. Such family connections were less prevalent in the South” (ushistory.org, 2010).
“While the northern colonies developed into shipping centers for furs, timber, and other natural resources, the south developed into an important center for agriculture, with cotton, rice, indigo, and tea among its most important crops” (Smith Michal , 2009, Para 4). The North would become industrialized and produce goods for their money. The South was agriculture based when they arrived and stayed that way while the North was becoming industrialized.
The South grew cash crops such as tobacco, rice, indigo and cotton. The crops were grown on plantation farms where the slaves would work the fields (Martin Kelly, 2010). The south used the slaves to make their profit. The North and South had two different opinions about the slave trade that caused conflict between the two regions. The North felt that it was wrong to enslave humans. The South on the other hand was all for slavery. The South had dependency on their slaves though because the slaves were making them money.
“Following the Mexican War, questions arose as to the future of the territories that were acquired from Mexico” (Swogger M, 1997). Because of the tension between the two regions on the slave issue a compromise was made in efforts to stop the Civil War from happening. That would be the Compromise of 1850. After the Mexican War the South and North argued about whether the state would be free or slaved. The slave trade in the District of Columbia was abolished and a new Fugitive Slave Act was passed.
“Although each side received benefits, the north seemed to gain the most” (ushistory.org, 2010, Para 3). This would infuriate the Southern and conflict would still exist between the North and South states. The South benefited from the Slave Law passed with the Compromise of 1850.
The South of course applause the Law but the North would refuse to follow and enforce the law.
This would then help led to the Civil War in America between the North and South.
“The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by the U.S. Congress on May 30, 1854” (the history place, 1996, Para 1). The act allowed Kansas and Nebraska citizens to choose if they were going to be free or slave states. The Act would be going against the Act of Missouri which had abolished slavery north of latitude 36, 30. The South strongly supported the Act but the north was all against the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This would then cause conflicts and more hate between the North and South. Being a cause to the Civil War of America.
When Abraham Lincoln came into office America was just that much closer to the Civil War. He was elected President of the Unites States in the 1860’s. Abraham Lincoln was against slavery and planned to end it. “He ran on a platform denouncing disunion and calling for an end to slavery in the territories” (Martin K., 2010, Para 6). This would put fear into the South, for the South was still making their profit with using slaves. The North was all for Abraham Lincoln and supported him. “The results of the election brought the country to Civil War” (Nussbaum Edu. Net, 2009, Para 2).
After Lincoln came into office, the South was extremely scared and angry. The south began a protest by forming the Confederate states in the South. This was the last event that would happen causing the Civil War of America. “On December 20, 1860, South Carolina seceded. By February 1, 1861, six more states — Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas — had split from the Union” (WGBH, 1998-1999, Para 1). They would become the Confederate States of America.
In 1861 the president of the United States Abraham Lincoln came in front of the Confederate States with a proposal to stop to confederacy. Lincoln told them that it was his job as the president of the Unites States to protect the Union of the New World. He also mentioned to the confederate states that he in no way was trying to abolish the Fugitive Slave Law. The Confederate States however felt unsatisfied with what Lincoln had to say. “April 12 they attacked Fort Sumter, a federal stronghold in Charleston, South Carolina. Federal troops returned the fire. The Civil War had begun” (WGBH, 1998-1999, Para 2).
The federal Government made many attempts to stop the Civil War from happening but in the end the war was just determined to have to be. Each attempt that was supposed to stop the conflicts’ and get the North and South on the same page, keep doing the opposite. Each time a compromise or bill was passed either the North or the South was against the Act. The Compromise of the 1850’s stopped the war from happing, but only temporarily. In the end the civil war happened because of such strong differences and beliefs and also the stubbornness of both the North and South regions.
Many events occurred before the war that help led America into its Civil War. Four of many event that occurred were the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas- Nebraska Act, President Lincoln becoming president, and the session of the South. All the conflicts between the two had to do with how different they were from one another, starting with the reason why they came to America. Overall the Civil War happened and helped form what we know as America.
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