After the Union was broken up by 11 Southern states, the Civil War broke out in 1861. The battle between The Northern States of America (USA) lasted until 1865. 680,000 to 800,000 men died. The Civil War was caused by slavery, States rights and Lincoln’s election. These factors impacted Americans on a cultural, geographic, and sociological level. It would make sense to start with what was the most significant cause of civil war. This would be the Civil War’s cultural perspective. Agriculture was the basis of the South’s economy.
Many believe that the South at that time was a one-crop nation. Two-thirds Southerners didn’t own slaves. However, due to the insistence on maintaining the farms the economy was ensconced in slavery. Many Southerners felt they weren’t getting enough state rights, even before the war. Although this topic is not often discussed due to its importance, it caused many arguments and violent altercations. This sentiment was best illustrated by the June 1856 speech of an abolitionist U. S. senator against Kansas’ pro-slavery settlers. A Southern congressman entered the Senate two days later and beat the abolitionist severely with a walking cane made of gold.
This crime is usually punished with a heavy fine and time in prison. It made the South’s congressman a hero. The Richmond Enquirer published the following editorial. They have become savage and are willing to offend gentlemen. They are now a low-skilled, mean, scurvy trio, with little knowledge of books, but as empty of spirit or honor of any peck of curs. “… The truth is they’ve been allowed to run too long sans collars.
“They should be made to submit… Let them know that for every word of contempt they speak against the South it will cause them so many stripes. And soon they will begin to behave like normal dogs …” (Causes attributed to the American Civil War). This is a great summary of the many fights that occurred as tension increased between the North-South. Newspapers full scathing words and absurd fights were all around.
“Douglas was a prominent Democrat in Congress and had pushed for the passage of Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), that declared that each territory’s voters, not the federal government, could decide whether it should be free or slave. (Abraham Lincoln). The Civil War was greatly influenced and facilitated by the conflicts between the North, South, and those that followed. The Northern states saw more industry and this was soon the foundation of their economy.
The advantage of having more natural resources was also a benefit for the north. These differences became evident in 1860, when 25% of Northerners lived within urban areas and only 10% lived in rural areas. Between 1800-1861, the proportion of agriculture-related laborers fell from 70% to 40%. With 80% of their labor force working on farms, the Southern states are most prominent.
