The Chief Causes of the Civil War “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Abraham Lincoln once stated this quote in a convention during the year of 1858, talking about how the North and South were at odds over slavery and the territories the U.S. was going to acquire. This statement meant that a nation that has separated views, opinions, and ways couldn’t exist or endure. In a symbolic sense, Lincoln described the slavery situation: there couldn’t have been slavery in half of the nation. Therefore, the Civil War was fought over slavery and to reunite the two split parts of the Union: the Northern States and the Southern States, who had seceded successfully and formed the Confederate States of America. Another reason that sparks flared between the North and South is the actions of many extremists on both sides. One person, John Brown, did a great number of things that made the South livid. With everything taken into consideration, there have been many arguments as to why the Civil War started and why the Southern states seceded. In my opinion, the view of the cultural historians comes closer to the bull’s-eye than other historians: there was a major difference between the societies and merits of the two regions of America. The two sections differed because of their absolute opposite opinions of slavery and virtues dealing with human rights, and also of how most people lived. Northerners lived in a more industrialized society, whereas a greater number of Southerners lived in rural areas. Taken together, there were three major motives for the generation of the Civil War: slavery itself, the actions of John Brown, and also the economic differences between the South and the North.One of the chief problems in America before the Civil War was slavery. It echoed in every person’s ear, whether they were bankers or plantation owners. Slaves who worked long hours with no pay were forced to ...
