What Caused the Civil War?

Global conflicts have always existed since the beginning of mankind, but the Civil War was perhaps the most brutal of them all. The Civil War had as many casualties as the combined total casualties of World Wars I & II, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the War of Switzerland. Over 600,000 soldiers lost their lives as a result of the Civil War that lasted four long, bloody, dreadful years. The Civil War started as a result of irresolvable conflicts surrounding individual states’ rights, slavery and the economy.

The Civil War was fought over the issue of individual states rights. The south did not want to have their rights dictated by the United States government. They wanted to maintain the identities and practices of the south.

Before the Civil War, cotton, tobacco and numerous other plantation crops were harvested by slaves who toiled in the fields for their slave owners. This is why slaves were so valuable. Without them, the wealthy empires of slave owners would not have thrived.

Abraham Lincoln was elected as President before the Civil War. He was confronted with a failing economy and the task of restructuring a system for the development of individual state rights. He was opposed to slavery. Lincoln's most important problem as president was the potential problem of a collapsing Union and the dispute over slavery.

Slavery Disputes Before the Civil War

Slavery was a controversial topic as far back as the 1500s. Slavery laws, voting rights, and other congressional acts came and went from the early 1600s until 1865 when slavery was finally abolished. Although disputes raged for a long time during the Civil War, these disputes escalated into bloodshed.

Pre Civil War Timeline

An effective way to gain an understanding of the events leading up to the Civil War is to summarize a timeline of events.

• 1600s  – Slavery activity is strong and thriving. Both southern and northern states are adopting laws to form and organize effective plans related to slaves that are appropriate for their state.
• 1700s – Some states are becoming more aware that slavery is an operation that should be abolished.
• 1800s – Slavery rebellion becomes more prominent and significant efforts to ban slavery and introduce emancipation are evident.
• January to February 1861 – Seven states attempted to secede from the United States of America and began to develop a southern confederation. They were often referred to as “The Confederates.” Their President was Jefferson Davis.
• March 1861 – President Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated. He wanted to resolve the crisis that the nation faced, but would not support the north vs. the south secession strategy.
• April to June 1861 – The Civil War began with the battle at Fort Sumter, which was surrendered to South Carolina. The west end of Virginia separated into their own state as they did not want to join the new southern confederation. Richmond, Virginia was named as the capitol of the southern confederacy. Before and during the Civil War, Washington, D.C. was designated as the capital of the northern states.  
• July 1861 – The Battle of Bull Run ended with a southern victory. To establish order, President Lincoln appointed General George McClellan as the new general for the northern territory.

Beginning of the Civil War

Fort Sumter was the location where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. As tension mounted, the southern states began to form their own alliance, which failed in the end, as the new president would not support this new southern confederation. This is where the Civil War began.

The Civil War began because of the persistence of the northern American territory and other individuals. Because of their determination, slavery was abolished and a period called Reconstruction began in 1865 and lasted to 1877. During this timeframe, states in the south were required to conform to changes concerning new slavery laws.

By the end of the Civil War, over four million slaves were freed and the beginning of a new era as we now know it began.