Events and Underlying Issues Fueling the American Civil War
The origins of the American Civil War lay in a complex issues of politics, arguments over the scope of the sights of the state versus federal power, slavery, expansionism, sectionalism, economics and modernization. Between the years 1800 to 1860, dispute between the North and the South grew more intense. One of their main disagreements was about the taxes (tariff) paid on goods brought into America from other countries. Southerners felt that the tariffs were unfair; they also felt that it was aimed at them due to their wider variety of imported good compared to the Northerners. In addition, taxes were placed on many Southern goods that were transported to foreign countries, an expense that was not always applied to Northern of similar or equal value. This was allowed by a rather awkward economic structure in states and private transportation companies which has considerably affected the Southern banks as they found themselves paying higher interest loans and rates with banks in the North. The situation grew worse after several “panics” such as one in 1857 which has affected more Northern banks than Southern. Southern financers found themselves burdened with high payments in order to save Northern banks that had suffered financial losses through poor investment.
In terms of politics, the years before the civil war were characterized by such that the political power in the Federal government which was centered in Washington, D.C. was changing. Accordingly, Northern and mid-western states became more powerful as their populations increased. Because the Southern population did not grow rapidly, they in turn lost political power. As one part or section of the nation increased greater than the other, the nation was divided. This was called sectionalism. The Southerners then felt that there was a growing need for freedom form the central Federal authority in Washington. They believed that the state laws carried out more weight than Federal laws and that they should abide by the state regulations first. This issue was referred to as “State’s Rights” and became a very hot issue in congress.
It must also be noted that up to the 1860s, there were only a few in the South who wanted to apply the doctrine of secession to make a separate Southern country. However, moderates from both North and South kept hoping that their differences over tariffs, slavery and territories will be compromised in the forum of the United States Congress. Compromise was possible as long as no side controlled the Senate. Before, the Senate was perfectly balanced; however, the acquisition of new territories had begun a long and bitter struggle between the North and the South as to whether the new territories would enter the Union as free or slave states.
Another dispute between the Northerners and the Southerners and perhaps the most emotional one was over the issue of slavery. Since the early colonial period, slavery has been of life in America since America is an agricultural nation and accordingly, crops including cotton were in large demand all over the world. However, slavery is more acceptable in the South compared to the Northern states of America. Southern planters depend on their slaves to run their plantation and make them profitable.
Cotton was a plant that grew well in the southern climate; however, it was a difficult plant to gather and process. As a result, labor in a form of slaves was used on these plantations to plant and harvest cotton, in addition to other plants such as sugar and rice. Many slaves were used to offer labor for the various household chores. The notion of slavery was one of the reasons for the fueling of the mutual distrust between the Northerners and the Southerners.
Many Northerners felt that slavery was uncivilized and that it should be abolished. These northerners were called “abolitionists” Abolitionists apparently disagreed with the Southern laws and beliefs regarding slavery. Nevertheless, slavery has always been a part in the Southern way of life for well over two hundred years and was protected not only by state laws but by Federal law as well. The Constitution of the United States guaranteed one’s right to own property and protected everyone against the seizure of property. Slaves were viewed as property in the Southern states since it was of primary importance to the economics of the Southern cotton industry.
There was complete contrast in the views of Northerners and Southerners regarding slavery. Southerners did not appreciate having told by Northerners, abolitionists in particular, that slavery was indeed totally wrong. This disagreement created much debate, mistrust and understanding.
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