Economic Difference as the Main Cause of the Civil War

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Slavery was merely one of the causes of the Civil War. Some historians argue that the political difference between the North and the South is a more influential cause of the Civil War while some insist that economic is the main cause. In fact, the political division between the North and the South was affected by the differences in the economic system of both. The North and the South had had different economic backgrounds that were established since the American colonial period. These economic differences from the colonial period brought about the political division that was based on preserving each other’s own wealth or property and eventually caused the Civil War. The economic differences between the North and the South were already formed during the American colonial period under the Britain. The Britain used American colonies for raising the British’s economic prosperity. For instance, they used their colonies to grow crops that did not grow in the Britain due to geographical reasons. Tobacco was one of the profitable crops, which was well grown in the southern region of North America. As the southern areas lacked in population and labors compared to the northern areas, African slaves were imported to the South. On the other hand, as the northern areas were closer to Europe, the ports for trades especially with the Britain and Europe were developed in the northern cities like Boston. Political division was also caused by the economic difference between the North and the South. The first American political parties were the Federalist Party and the Democratic - Republican Party that was based on the Anti-federalist party. The Federalists, who were mostly from the North, insisted to have the national debt and the national bank... ... middle of paper ... ...egarded as beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations;” so they should not be included as the citizens. Furthermore, Senator John C. Calhoun, a pro-slavery person, claimed that in order to preserve the union, the government should “[adopt] such measures as will satisfy the States belonging to the southern section,” meaning that slavery should be retained and otherwise, the division between the North and the South would increase. What caused the Civil War is not solely one. The main cause of the Civil War is economic difference between the North and the South, which had been set up since American colonial times. The economic division also caused political division and different arguments regarding slavery because both the North and the South fought to protect their own economic system.

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