The Invetability of the American Civil War

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An analysis of the Civil War reveals that the Civil War was inevitable because of the political, economical and moral differences between the North and South on the subject of slavery with neither side willing to compromise. The Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 between the Confederate States of American or the “South” and the Union or the “North”. It consisted of many battles including Shiloh, Antietam, Stones River, and the Battle of Gettysburg. It was an estimated 620,000 men that lost their lives during this gruesome war. Most consider the war to have been inevitable because neither the North nor South was willing to compromise in their beliefs or values in order to avoid it. The Missouri Compromise is said to be one of the key political factors that contributed to the Civil War. This Compromise was passed in 1820 and stated that the land west of the Mississippi was considered a slave state, and the land North was considered a free state, excluding Missouri, which was considered a slave state. It was designed to ensure there were an equal number of slave states and free states represented in the House, which gave both sides an equal vote on a specific issue . Unfortunately with the split of the two regions, tension began to rise and there was talk from the South about seceding from the Union. The South argued that if they had the right to join the Union, it is their right to secede from the Union as well. In addition to the Missouri Compromise, the invention of the cotton gin had a significant economic impact on the South that eventually caused more tension with the North The cotton gin, invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney, was a tool for removing cotton seeds from cotton fibers. Cotton could now be c... ... middle of paper ... ...he South felt that the federal government was placing taxes and laws that unfairly treated the South. The South also believed that they, as a state, had the right to secede from the union if they pleased. Based on the above analysis of the facts, the Civil War was, in fact, inevitable because of the lack of compromise between the two sides. Economically, slaves are what kept the Southern economy running. The slaves were needed to pick cotton, which was the biggest Southern export at the time. Giving up slaves in the South would only decline their economy and put the North on top. On the other hand, the North felt that it was morally wrong for a human being to own another human being; regardless of the economic success they may bring you. These two different views are what almost drove the south out of the union, but instead, caused the inevitable civil war.

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