The Civil War

The Primary Cause of the American Civil War: Economics

More than one million people dead and a nation torn apart. “A fight against slavery” it was said, but was that the main reason the war was fought? Or is that just what our nation says to glorify our past? There were many factors that contributed to the United States’ Civil War, but the main reason for the war can be attributed to the economic differences between the Northern and Southern parts of the United States.

There were a variety of differences or outcomes that resulted because of the diversity from north to south. They ranged from the different crops to the tariffs imposed on them. Economics can be defined as “the science which studies production, distribution and consumption of commodities” or as “the study of the impossible-unlimited wants and needs fulfilled with limited resources.” These differences started when the United States was just forming. The makers of the Constitution specifically avoided dealing directly with the morality and legitimacy of slavery due to the fact that it was (at the time) an essential part of their economy (or so they thought in the south).

With the advent of the Industrial revolution (the 1820's, 1830's,

. . .

View the whole essay, without interruption

Each side felt that if they lost this balance of power their economic interests would no longer be represented and would cause their part of the country to drop into a depression. An example of this would be the Free Soil Party. The south on the other hand became strictly a cotton industry and it completely dwarfed all other economic activity with the exception of small cash crops such as: Tobacco and Indigo. The south said it was essential to their economy that slavery be allowed in the newly acquired territories. In conclusion, there were a variety of reasons for the Civil War but at the root of each lay the economics of the north and south. They needed to have cotton to sustain their economy-or so they thought- and they felt their current practices were essential. The south also disliked this arrangement because of the tariffs imposed on imports. This led to the rise of new political parties. The north on the other hand wanted the tariffs to support their young industry and they needed the shipping to further bring money into their economy.

Another major point of tension was whether or not slavery should be allowed in the newly acquired lands from the Louisiana Purchase, and the Mexican Cession. Perhaps the most infuriating tariff was the “Law of 1842,” which was signed into effect by president John Tyler. In fact the majority of the north was still agricultural, but they grew different crops such as: grass/grazing of cattle, the growing of grains, and dairy. The Transcontinental railroad was also a major point of concern for both the north and south (even though it was not built until after the war) there was heated debate about where it should be built.

The Civil War came about primarily due to economic, as well other differences between the sections.

Approximate Word count = 965
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Simply subscribe to view this paper, and 100,000 others.