The Civil War began in 1861 after 11 Southern states succeeded each other from the Union. The struggle between the North and South America lasted until 1865. 680,000 to 800,000 men died. Slavery, states' rights, Lincoln's election, and the differences between the North and the South caused the Civil War because they impacted Americans culturally, politically, geographically, and sociologically. It seems reasonable to start with the root cause of the civil war and that would be the cultural perspective of the civil war. The economy of the South was based on agriculture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayIn fact, many argue that at that time the South was a single-crop economy. Two-thirds of Southerners did not own slaves, but because of the persistent need to keep farms alive, slavery was incorporated into the economy. Starting long before the war, many Southerners believed they had not received enough rights from the states. This political issue is often debated as to its importance; however, the topic sparked much discussion and violent altercations. “An incident that best describes this sentiment occurred following a scathing speech in June 1856 by an abolitionist U.S. senator against pro-slavery settlers in Kansas. Two days later, a Southern congressman entered the Senate and severely beat the abolitionist with a gold walking stick. Typically, this crime is punishable by a stiff fine and time in prison. In the South, it made the congressman a hero, and inspired the following editorial in the Richmond Enquirer, a major Southern newspaper: “These vulgar abolitionists in the Senate are getting ahead of themselves,” the editors wrote. “They have become impertinent and dare to be cheeky with gentlemen! Now, they are a mean, mean, grumpy lot, with some little book learning, but quite as devoid of spirit or honor as a damned beak.” “...The truth is that they had to run too long without collars.”“We must subdue them with lashes...Let them understand once that for every vile word uttered against the South, they will suffer many lashes, and they will soon learn to behave like decent dogs – they can never be gentlemen…” (The causes of the American Civil War). This quote perfectly sums up many clashes that took place as tensions between the North and the South grew. Senseless arguments and newspapers full of harsh words were everywhere. , had the right to decide whether the territory should be slave or free” (Abraham Lincoln). A major contributor to the Civil War had to do with the differences between the North and the South and the disputes that later occurred because of them. In the Northern states the industry was becoming more widespread and soon became the basis of their economy. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The North also had the advantage of having more abundant natural resources. The differences soon began to become apparent in the 1860s, when a quarter of all Northerners lived in urban areas while only a tenth of Southerners lived in urban areas. Between 1800 and 1860 the percentage of workers employed in agriculture fell from 70% to 40%. Southern states provide the majority, employing 80 percent of their workforce in agriculture.
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