Civil War DBQ

As the country was formed, it was evident that in its young history that the issue of slavery would be a major point of conflict that would separate the country. It was not an issue in the beginning, as it seemed that the issue would resolve itself safely. However, as the 1850’s and 1860’s approached the issue appeared much more violent and intense issue. The election of 1860 showed the segregation of North and South because Lincoln was hated enough that he was not on some Southern ballots. Too many affluent and powerful Southerners felt it was their duty to secede from the US. The founding fathers realized that they could not settle this issue if they were going to form the country, so they left this issue for their posterity. It was a taboo issue so many people were not going to come out and say it but they knew they were on the verge of war. The actions of violence and segregation were fearsome precursors to the war that many people dread, but knew that it was coming.
The United States was formed with the notion that the issue of slavery would resolve itself peacefully as the country grew. Unfortunately, as the country grew, so did the issue of slavery. Most people were grouped by region and which side they took because that is how they saw each other and knew each other by. However, in a speech by Daniel Webster in 1850 showed that there were strides in improving the gap between the two sides. He began by stating," Mr. President, I wish to speak today, not as a Northern man, but as an American...”, because he is trying to prove a point that they could not stand if they were labeled as Northerners or Southerners. He went on to talk about how the talk of secession was crazy because the people who stated it self-cla...

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...ent that a war was the only way that the conflict would resolve. The election of 1860 confirmed everyone’s suspicions because half the country split after the election was split and the South was upset. Many affluent people in the South felt it was their need to secede from the Union to keep their constitutional rights that were ‘being stripped from them’. From the beginning, it was clear that the country would not form with slavery gone, so it was pushed off to the side and they decided that the issue would be decided later. The issue was no longer at a place that they could resolve it peacefully because both sides would not budge. The North would not let slavery spread after Lincoln’s election, and the South was going to keep it at all costs. The war was the proof that this issue was major enough to split a country and cause the formation of another country.