The Civil War lasted 5 years, took 600,000 lives and yet there exists doubt in what is the main reason behind it. I myself feel that the major issue that triggered the war was slavery, which for the South threatened economy. I am going to discuss how issues of slavery existed before the war, how it was in the minds of soldiers during the war, and then still existed after the war. The North favored a loose interpretation of the United States Constitution, they wanted to grant the Federal Government increased powers. The South on the other hand wanted to reserve all undefined powers to the individual states. The North wanted improvements such as more railroads, canals, and roads to be sponsored by the Federal Government, while the South did not want any of these projects to even be taken into consideration. The North and the South had deep economic, social, and political differences. Even though all these reasons existed for them wanting to succeed from the North, I believe the main reason was slavery. The South not only wanted but they needed slavery, for it was the basis of their economy. The labor force in the South was made up of about four million slaves. These slaves cultivated tobacco, rice, and indigo, they were also in high demand because of the invention of the cotton gin which required growing more cotton than ever before. The North, being Pro Abolition had denounced the immoral institution of slavery.The North’s opposing views led to attack on the system of the South and showed opposition to slavery’s spreading into new territories. Because it was difficult to decided what the status of states would be the North took action and passed the Missouri Comprimise. This comprimise stated that the status of a state of free or slave would depend if it was above or below 36 degree Latitude. States above the line would be free states and states south of that point would be Slave states. This Compromise created a balance o...
