Thomas Pownall: The Cause Of The Civil War

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Recommended: Economic, political and social differences the north and south that lead to the civil war

Thomas Pownall was a man of high status who had a huge influence in British politics. With a resume of governing the Province of Massachusetts Bay, to serving in British parliament, one could say that Pownall was a huge advocate of British practices. Although a supporter of the colonies, Pownall confidently spoke of the impossibility of Independence America faced. He was not alone in this idea, and was supported by other people and situations that made his statement a reality. There were examples from 1600-1763 that support Pownall’s implications; however, through great perseverance and help, the colonies were able to support themselves long enough to build a flourishing America. Once separated from the British rule, the American colonies …show more content…

The cause of the Civil War has been debated among historians for years; however, slavery seemed to be the main issue. The Northern side wanted to abolish slavery and the Southern side wanted to keep slavery and expand it. Due to this ideology, the United States was a separated collection of states. That is why America was seen as an “are”. There was no unification, and no unified idea that led these states to agree. The change for “are” to “is” came after the Civil War, but it was definitely divided before the War. An issue that divided the nation was slavery and the constitution. This issue divided the nation along sectional lines. In order to insure the nations population southern voters agreed on the three-fifths clause. The three-fifths clause allowed three-fifths of slaves to be counted for as a representation in selecting a president. (Norton, A People and a Nation, 172). With the clause, the Constitution was able to get rid of future slave rebellions and riots. Slavery was the very thing that shaped the South’s social structure. It was the reason for economic growth, and was the main topic of political issues. If they gave too much freedom to slaves by being represented in the clause, there would be much needed focus on making sure a rebellion didn’t happen. Because of the Constitution, many argued that having slaves was a right to property. In the end, the Constitution was used in many arguments to support and oppose slavery at the same

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