Why Did the American Civil War Start?

The American Civil War, even over a century after it ended, remains one of the most closely studied, and disputed events in American history. While the results of the war are clearly apparent, many of the factors that sparked the beginning of the Civil War remain in debate to this day. Again, specific events are not in question, but the driving factors behind those events are sometimes murky at best. In the modern day, there are still many who simply classify the American Civil War as a battle over the issue of slavery. While it is true that this issue was pivotal in the conflict, there were other significant differences between the Union and Confederacy that fueled the fire of the conflict. In this paper, some of the other major factors that fueled the fire of a war that nearly destroyed a new nation and set the tone for an entire generation of Americans will be presented and briefly explained.
The Issue of States' Rights

One of the key issues, in fact probably one of the major issues that led to the American Civil War was the dispute over the rights of the individual states. Not being too far removed from the war against Britain that created the independent United States themselves, it is likely that the mindset of being able to chart one's own political, social, and economic future still existed in the individual states, all of whom were controlled to some extent by the central federal government (Paludan, 1998).

First was the issue of taxation, which once again, was one of the factors that led to the fight to create an independent United States in the first place. Each of the individual states was required of course to collect taxes and forward that revenue to the coffers of the centralized federal government. With this payment of taxes came the right of each state to have a voice in the House of Representatives and Congress, but some states were displeased that this representative voice may not have been heard clearly enough. For the American south, this was a particularly sore subject; as a mainly agricultural part of the nation, the southerners felt a sense of entitlement in that they should be given economic subsidies and reduced taxes because of the cash crops that were largely impossible to grow in the north, such as tobacco, cotton, and sugar cane (Morrison, 1997). Having, in effect, cornered the market on these commodities, the south felt that they should not have been so heavily taxed, and that the prices gained for these crops in the north may have been intentionally kept artificially low, to their financial detriment, especially given the huge expenses such as labor, which led to the widespread use of slave labor.

Slave labor, contrary to popular belief, was not invented by the American south, nor did American southerners travel to Africa in any large manner to capture Africans to be enslaved (Adreano, 1962); rather, many of the slaves were in fact "sold out" by their own people, and sent enmasse to America to work in the fields of the south, and to serve in the households of wealthy southerners as domestic help. While not the only issue behind the American Civil War, it was a major one, and deserves further explanation.

The Slavery Controversy

Slavery was certainly an issue that held the explosive potential to tear apart the relatively new United States. By its very foundation, as seen in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, the documents that were in effect the US charter, the right of all people to be free was guaranteed; therefore, there was a paradox with which to deal; how could a nation that was based on human rights and freedom use enslaved human beings for financial benefit, and continue to do so in ever larger numbers as commerce increased? The answer, at least on the surface, was simple- this was not permissible. Because the north had little financial interests at stake if slavery was abolished, in fairness, it was easy for northerners to condemn slavery and demand that it be stopped (Wakelyn, 1999). For the south, it was not quite that easy.

The southern United States of America of the late 19th century was one of deep tradition; the plantation owners were typically carrying on a way of life and business that had been in their families, even before the families established themselves in America. Because of this, the plantation owners were compelled to maintain their affluent way of life at any cost, and slaves made the continued operation of these profitable businesses possible. Therefore, giving up the institution of slavery was out if the question (Morrison, 1997). While this was not the only reason that the southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America, it certainly was a major factor.

It can be accurately said that slavery and states' rights were major forces in igniting the American Civil War, both of which can be categorized as economic issues, along with the overall issue of economic development. As was mentioned earlier, the north and south of the United States in the middle 19th century were as different socially as they were economically. These factors of economic development also deserve closer consideration.

Factors of Economic Development

While the Northern and Southern United States, when joined, created an economic powerhouse, when divided, a deep economic divide was created which left the south at a clear disadvantage for several reasons. The best way to look at the comparative economies of the north and south are as gears that work together to power the economic progress of the United States overall, but when separated, they individually did not function very well.

The northern United States of the 1860s did not possess the favorable climate that the south did, so while agriculture was a part of the northern economy, other ways of building economic strength were needed if the nation were to grow and survive (Dana, 1996). As a result, industry was the main output of the north, in addition to the easy access to many of the raw materials needed for heavy manufacturing, a ready pool of workers, and the sea ports and railroads that were needed to move products not only within the US but worldwide (Dana, 1996). The south was quite different than the north in many respects when considering economic factors.

The United States south, on the other hand, was abundant in natural resources, favorable weather conditions, and of course, a readily available pool of labor, albeit forced slavery. Therefore, the south became mostly an agricultural region, and built up an international trade market for, among other cash crops, cotton and tobacco, which were in high demand globally. Once again, the issue of money and commerce was a key driver in the start of the American Civil War.

Basically, what everything came down to in regard to the economic development of the American north and south is that the north, in fairness, could not continue as an independent nation away from the south, because of the revenues and relations with other nations that came about from the trade of southern cash crops, but the paradox was that this economic development had the slavery issue attached to it, as slaves were a key to the profitability of the southern states.

When discussing economic issues in relation to the American Civil War, something also needs to be said about the way that the southern infrastructure and economic development actually put it at a disadvantage in battling the northern states. When the war began, and when the south was faced with the need to produce the weapons, wagons and other implements of war, found it unable to do so effectively, not to mention the production of marketable goods for sale elsewhere. Moreover, because the vast majority of the battles of the Civil War were waged in the south, tremendous damage was inflicted upon the southern infrastructure, further weakening the economic power of the region. In terms of a standalone economy, the south was not as well equipped as the north to do so.
Political Differences

States' rights were discussed previously as a contributing factor to the beginning of the Civil War; beyond these issues, overall political differences were a contributing factor in the start of the war itself. Of course, everyone is well aware that the south broke away from the Union, but few actually realize that a big reason for that was the political dispute over states' rights. To be more specific, the Union believed in a strong central government, with states being subordinate to that central government (Dana, 1996). The south, in stark contrast, believed that states should have the right to act independently of the central government, and that the bulk of the power and freedom should lie in the individual states. In this instance, it can fairly be said that the Civil War was as much as fight for the freedom of all as it was for the freedom of those enslaved.

Social Distinctions

The ways that the northerners and southerners lived day to day was perhaps as important as anything else in sparking the Civil War, because these ways of life influenced the attitudes, beliefs, and thought processes of these people who all lived under the same national flag, but had vast differences between them upon closer consideration of their respective ways of life. Socially, there likewise were Northern and Southern differences that existed at the time of the Civil War. Southerners were more attuned to the ancient principles of chivalry, gentlemanly conduct, and the proper behavior of "civilized society". For the North, by and large, these values went by the wayside, and the people were generally an unrefined bunch of individuals. However, on the topic of slavery, the North claimed a moral high road, fighting for the release of slaves. Southerners, viewing slaves as "less than a full person", saw nothing wrong with slavery.

There is a common misperception and historical myth that needs to be dispelled as well; contrary to popular myth, the southerners were not simply cruel slave drivers who enjoyed owning other people and were cold blooded savages with no clear ideas of right and wrong. In retrospect, it would be more accurate to say that the southerners found themselves in the very difficult position of having their standard of living compromised, and being pushed around by a powerful national government that sought to suppress their rights and never really heard their complaints and concerns. While there is no way to say with certainty, it is likely that the Civil War was driven, at least in part, by a certain level of miscommunication in a highly charged and emotional issue.
Conclusion

The American Civil War, as the research has indicated, was caused by a collection of factors, not one issue as some would try to conveniently explain. This paper has clearly shown several key differences between the Union and Confederacy at the time of the Civil War. In closing, it can fairly be said that in light of these differences, the Civil War becomes a far more complex, and compelling, piece of American history.

Works Cited

Andreano, Ralph, ed. The Economic Impact of the American Civil War. Cambridge, MA: Schenkman Publishing, 1962.

Dana, Charles A. Recollections of the Civil War: With the Leaders at Washington and in the Field in the Sixties. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1996.

Morrison, Michael A. Slavery and the American West: The Eclipse of Manifest Destiny and the Coming of the Civil War. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1997.

Paludan, Phillip Shaw. War and Home: The Civil War Encounter. Milwaukee: Marquette University Press, 1998.

Wakelyn, Jon L., ed. Southern Unionist Pamphlets and the Civil War. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1999.