"Uncompromising Differences"
The causes of the Civil War are hotly debated today. Ask 'What caused the Civil War?' and be prepared for an onslaught of reasons combined with a slew of insults and derogatory comments. Among the most popular answers you will find: Slavery, States Rights, Expansion of Slavery, Political Competition, Tariffs, Economic and Cultural Differences, and many, many more. The central issue that connected all of these topics was Slavery. Many described it as "a necessary evil". The factions that either support or opposed slavery found themselves pitted against one another for political power more than moral right. It was often the quest for political superiority rather than moral superiority that drove the conflicts surrounding the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.
According to Pulitzer Prize-winning author James McPherson, "The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states. When Abraham Lincoln won election in 1860 as the first Republican president on a platform pledging to keep slavery out of the territories, seven slave states in the deep South seceded and formed a new nation, the Confederate States of America. The incoming Lincoln administration and most of the Northern people refused to recognize the legitimacy of secession. They feared that it would discredit democracy and create a fatal precedent that would eventually fragment the no-longer United States into several small, squabbling countries."
According to Pulitzer Prize-winning author James McPherson, "The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states. When Abraham Lincoln won election in 1860 as the first Republican president on a platform pledging to keep slavery out of the territories, seven slave states in the deep South seceded and formed a new nation, the Confederate States of America. The incoming Lincoln administration and most of the Northern people refused to recognize the legitimacy of secession. They feared that it would discredit democracy and create a fatal precedent that would eventually fragment the no-longer United States into several small, squabbling countries."
* * * Discussion Questions * * *
1. Why did Hammond feel the Mud Sill Theory applied to Northern society as well?
2. Although both men were abolitionists, what differences can you find in the views expressed by Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison?
2. Although both men were abolitionists, what differences can you find in the views expressed by Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison?
This video represents the volume and location of slave trade over the centuries.
First Person Narratives
Irreconcilable Differences
In the decades leading up to the Civil War, supporters and opponents of slavery developed detailed philosophical arguments supporting their viewpoint. These arguments were often based in their own interpretation of sociology, history, economics, and faith. You can examine a few of these below.
- “Civil War Era.” Teaching American History, teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/address-to-the-slaves-of-the-united-states/.
- “Civil War Era.” Teaching American History, teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/address-to-the-slaves-of-the-united-states/.
- Editors, History.com. “Underground Railroad.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/underground-railroad.
- History, Fostering. “Slave Trade In Two Minutes.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 Jan. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5GbIapjAZM&feature=youtu.be
- “Olaudah Equiano .” First Person Past , vol. 1.
- “Frederick Douglass.” First Person Past , vol. 1.
- “Harriet Jacobs .” First Person Past , vol. 1