The American Civil War.?

Question

What would you say were the main causes other than slavery? I was actually talking to someone and they were saying that slavery was just a very small part of the South wanting to be independent from the Union..?

Answer 1

States' rights were the main issue.  Confederate states were unhappy, because they had not enough power, and little representation in Washington.

The Confederacy took advantage of parts of the Constitution allowing individual states to secede. (leave the Union)  The Union's victory in war meant this right existed only on paper, not in fact.

(teacherf, below me, has interesting stuff about Emancipation Proclamation)

Answer 2

Actually, slavery had little to do with it until1862 - well over a year into it.  At first, the North had agreed that slavery would be allowed to exist where it had already been established, but it would NOT be allowed in any newly acquired territories.  The South wanted "States' Rights," that is, they wanted every territory (even the new ones) to decide for themselves if they wanted slavery or not, so they seceded to make sure every state had the right to decide on their own way of life - not have it be done by a federal government.  In short, the South wanted each state to more or less rule itself while the North wanted a strong centralized, federal government.  The South wanted to become an independent NATION - hence secession.  Abe Lincoln wanted an nation intact, so . . . peaceable supplications didn't work (numerous times), the South fired on Ft. Sumter, and voila - a civil war.

Slavery didn't become an issue until late 1862 - Lincoln wanted to wait until the North actually WON some battles to initiate the Imancipation Proclamation, so it wasn't put into effect until Jan. 1863.  Of course, it only "freed" the slaves in the states that had seceded, and THEY didn't recognize Lincoln as their president (that would be Jefferson Davis), so the South ignored the proclamation because it wasn't given to them by their president.  Therefore, the Emancipation Proclamation actually freed NO ONE!  (contrary to popular belief).

Answer 3

The origins of the Civil War may be traced to a complex mix of causes, some of which can be traced back to the earliest years of American colonization. Principle among the issues was the following

1)Slavery

2) Control of the Government

3)The South wanted to become an independent nation

4)The South wanted to reserve all undefined powers to

the individual states

5)Also the North wanted to develop a tariff. With a

high tariff, it protected the Northern manufacturer. It was bad for

the South because a high tariff would not let the south trade its

cotton for foreign goods.

Answer 4

They are right the Civil War was made about slavery by the Radical Republicans and Abortionists after the war based on the Emancipation Proclamation, and other writings, which would make the war seem to be about slavery, but was only written so that Europe would not get involved.

The Civil War was also about a southern perceived lost power that had come with the growth of the nation in the 19th Century. The South had a grand plan to include Mexico and Central America as well as  Cuba and much of the Caribbean islands into the US Sphere, just as the North always hoped to bring Canada into the foaled, so that the South would have a place to keep slavery growing.

Also thy saw that the North wanted to restrict free trade so that the South would lose any edge it had on agricultural goods.  This had lead to the  formation groups like the Knights of th Golden Circle and the like to support an act upon Imperialistic Plan.  To read a good article on this get the latest copy of North and South Magazine.  

The South also had a perception that it's way of life was being destroyed, which it wasn't but the nation was changing.  The power was shifting north and west away from the old power centers and the north had opened up area that it could farm with out a need for the South.

The Civil War was caused by many things, to numerous to mention in this place but it was maily caused by the North and South's inablity to compromise and work it out in a peaceful manner.  The South made no move to work with Buchanan or Lincoln to resolve the secession problem nor did the Buchannan ask or invite Lincoln and the Republcans to aid in the talks with Southern Representives. Tislead to the fact that Lincoln was unprepared for the crisis upon entry into office and and both parties had to start at the beginning which lead to frustration on  both parties behalves and lead to the percieved abandonment and then the Firing on Fort Sumter.

Forty+ year Civil War Buff.

Answer 5

Slavery was and issue, but the bigger issue was state's rights.