What events led up to and/or caused the Civil War?

Question

What events led up to and/or caused the Civil War?

Answer 1

Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't caused solely on slavery.

It was mostly the economy (#1 importance) the election of Abraham Lincoln, state rights (which included slavery) and party politics.

Answer 2

slavery

Answer 3

First of all, slavery was a hot topic during the the first half of the 19th century. With the Mexican-American War in the 1840's and the Mexican Concession/Gadsden Purchase, the United States acquired many territories from Mexico, and only deciding whether slavery would be prohibited or not in those territories resulted in many casualties. Also, books such as Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, added wood to the fire. The North didn't really needed slaves free, but the South's economy depended on slaves, so it did need them. When Lincoln was elected in 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union because the people thought that they would lose their voice in the government to Lincoln, who was an advocate of a slavery-free United States. Many states followed, and the Civil War begun.

P.S.: Lincoln's objective at the onset of the war was to bring the states back to the Union, not to free slaves.

Answer 4

What started the civil war...we'll lets see...the south felt that they were not being treated farily, and that the north was talking economic advantage of them by imposing unfair taxes upon them...it remineded them of why they broke away from Britian, and decided to start their own country.

By the way, slavery was not much of an issue at all.  Infact, Lincoln offered them to keep slavery indefinatley if they would rejoin the union.  Also, Lincoln was not the great emancipator that he is often portrayed to be.  He only emanicpated the slaves because the southerners were using the slaves to assist them in the war.  My heart was broken when I learned this about Lincoln.