The American Civil War

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In 1861, the United States faced the Civil War which was one of the most costly in history. Hundreds of thousands American lost their lives. Decades before the war, the North and South developed in different directions, and several events took place that led up to bloody war of the nation. It originated from deep divides in economy, society, and politics. The central issue was slavery like the French politician Alexis de Tocqueville had observed, “…almost all the differences which may be noticed between the character of the Americans in the Southern and Northern states have originated in slavery” (Rourk et al, 2009, p. 437). Politicians tried hard to reconcile the differences between the North and the South with several compromises but they were unsuccessful to prevent further conflict that would lead up to the war. Thus, the Civil War was inevitable. Shortly after the American Revolution, the North and South developed different economies. The North went through a transition from hand-made to machine-made production of goods. This included the evolution of factories where work was performed on a large scale in a single centralized location (Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution, n.d.). Not only manufacturing became mechanized but also agriculture. With invention of mechanical reapers and the steel plow, agriculture became less physical demanding and the farmers’ productivity increased drastically (Rourk et al, 2009, p. 397). The Industrial Revolution spurred on the economic growth and improved the living standards in the North. Many immigrants, mainly from Germany and Ireland, were attracted to the Northern states, looking for a chance to improve their lives. Moreover, the industrialized economy was based on a free-... ... middle of paper ... ...ynet.com. Retrieved on December 12, 2013, from http://www.historynet.com/causes-of-the-civil-war Cotton and African-American Life. (n.d.). ushistory.org. Retrieved on December 12, 2013, from http://www.ushistory.org/us/22b.asp Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution. (n.d.). ushistory.org. Retrieved on December 12, 2013, from http://www.ushistory.org/us/22a.asp Roark, J.L., Johnson, M. P., Cohen, P. C., Stage, S., Lawson, A., Hartmann, S. M. (2009). The American Promise: A History of the United Stated to 1877. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s: print. The Kansas-Nebraska Act. (n.d.). ushistory.org. Retrieved on December 12, 2013, from http://www.ushistory.org/us/31a.asp Trigger Events of the Civil War. (n.d.). Civil War Trust. Retrieved on December 12, 2013, from http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/triggerevents.html

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