During 1861 through 1865 over three million men fought in the Civil War. We did not go to war to end slavery and slavery is what divided us but not in war. The Missouri compromise wanted to settle the issue between sectionalism and nationalism. Nationalism is the patriotic feeling for your country and Sectionalism is the interests in a specific local place. What are the three main causes of the Civil War? The three main causes of the Civil War were the Dred Scott Case, the KansasNebraska Act, and the Abolitionist.
These causes can be supported in many political, economic, and geographic ways. To begin, the Dred Scott Case caused the Civil War in many economic ways. The Dred Scott Case was economic because in Document 8 it states the question “Can a Negro whose ancestors were sold as slaves be a member of the community? It is not the province of the court to decide upon the justice or injustice of these laws. ” The Dred Scott Case was when Dred Scott who lived in a free state, went to the supreme court hoping to get his freedom.
According to Document 8 “it is very clear that no state can, by any act or law of its own, passed since the adoption of the Constitution, introduce any person or persons who were not intended to be embraced in this political family of the United States, which the constitution intended to be excluded. Furthermore the act of Congress upon which the Plaintiff relies, prohibited slavery in the territory under the names of Louisiana, North of the 36° 30′ north latitude, and not included within the limits of Missouri. ”
The Dred Scott Case aused the civil war because they prohibited slavery north of the 36° 30′ latitude line and that could cause fights between the North and South. According to The American Journey textbook it says that most of the North did not believe in slavery and most of the people in the South did believe in slavery. Although some people might think that the Dred Scott Case did not cause the Civil War because it prevented slavery north of the 36° 30′ latitude line, the Dred Scott Case did cause the Civil War because it caused fight over freedom and slavery.
Next, the Kansas/Nebraska Act caused the Civil War in many geographic ways. The Kansas/Nebraska Act was geographic because it split the nation into free territories and slave territories. The Kansas/ Nebraska Act allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. According to Document J ‘When the Kansas/Nebraska Act of 1854 was passed, the Missouri Compromise line of 1820 was repealed. The act organized the Kansas/Nebraska territories on the principle of popular sovereignty.
The white settlers moving from the North and South into the territories would decide if Kansas and/or Nebraska would be free or slave. A bitter contest followed between proslavery and antislavery supporters for the control of Kansas. ” The Kansas/Nebraska Act caused the Civil War because the proslavery and antislavery supporters fought for the control of states to make them free or slave states. According to The American Journey textbook it says that missouri was a slave holding state and California was admitted to the Union as a free state.
Although some people might think the Kansas/Nebraska Act did not cause the Civil War because the act organized the Kansas/Nebraska territories on the principle of popular sovereignty, the Kansas/Nebraska Act did cause the Civil War because proslavery and antislavery supporters fought for the control of the Kansas/Nebraska territories. Finally, the Abolitionists caused the Civil War in many political ways. The Abolitionist were political because they supported and helped slaves be set free from legal, social, and political restrictions and advocated immediate equal rights for African-Americans.
Abolitionists were the small part of Americans who were vocal, patient, and wanted to end slavery. According to Document H “The Free Laborer must work or starve. He is more of a slave than a Negro, because he works longer and harder for less allowance than the slave and has no holiday, because the cares of life begin when its labors end. He has no liberty and not a single right. ” The Abolitionist caused the Civil War because they caused so many fights about slavery and they stood up for the people that were treated so horribly.
Although some people might think that the Abolitionist did not cause the Civil War because they wanted to end slavery, the abolitionist did cause the Civil War because they caused fights between who could control each territory and claim it as a free or slave state. The three main causes of the Civil War were the Dred Scott Case, the Kansas/Nebraska Act, and the Abolitionist, these caused the Civil War in many political, economic, and geographic ways.
The Dred Scott Case caused the Civil War because they prohibited slavery north of the 36° 30’ latitude line and that could cause fights between the North and South. The Kansas/Nebraska Act caused the Civil War because the proslavery and antislavery supporters fought for the control of states to make them free or slave states. The Abolitionist caused the Civil War because they caused so many fights about slavery and they stood up for the people that were treated so horribly. Those are the three main causes of the Civil War.