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Cause And Effect Of The Civil War On Slavery

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There were many causes of the civil war but one main cause was the conflict between Northern and Southern States on Slavery. In early 1800s, cotton, as well as rice, sugar and tobacco flourished in the Southern states. The production of cotton in southern states created a major economic boost in Southern states, but Northerners disagreed on the hard labor of slaves that created that wealth. The Civil war and the destruction of slavery permanently altered the landscape of southern life; both white and black southerners. The North was well on its way toward a commercial and manufacturing economy, which would have a direct impact on its war making ability. The North produced 17 times more cotton and woolen textiles than the South, 30 times more …show more content…

The Union's industrial and economic capacity soared during the war as the North continued its rapid industrialization to suppress the rebellion. In the South, a smaller industrial base, fewer rail lines, and an agricultural economy based upon slave labor made mobilization of resources more difficult. As the war dragged on, the Union's advantages in factories, railroads, and manpower put the Confederacy at a great disadvantage. Nearly every aspect of the Union economy witnessed increased production. Mechanization of farming allowed a single farmer growing crops such as corn or wheat to plant, harvest, and process much more than was possible when hand and animal power were the only available tools. (By 1860, a threshing machine could thresh 12 times as much grain per hour as could six men.) This mechanization became even more important as many farmers left home to enlist in the Union military. Those remaining behind could continue to manage the farm through the use of labor-saving devices like reapers and horse-drawn …show more content…

This law provided free title to up to 160 acres of undeveloped federal land outside the 13 original colonies to anyone willing to live on and cultivate it. Southerners had for years opposed the idea because it would severely hamper any opportunity to expand slavery into the areas where settlement would be likely. In the North, "free soilers" had clamored for the bill for decades, while abolitionists viewed it as a means to populate the West with small farmers vehemently opposed to slavery's expansion. Abraham Lincoln publicly stated his support while president-elect, stating, "In regards to the homestead bill, I am in favor of cutting the wild lands into parcels, so that every poor man may have a home." He made good on his promise by signing the Homestead Act into law on May 20, 1862. In order to make the farms more efficient and to help industries develop new and better equipment, as well as provide opportunities for students in the "industrial classes," in 1862 Congress passed the Morrill Act (Land-Grant Colleges Act), by which each state was granted land for the purposes of endowing Agricultural and Mechanical (A and M) colleges. The purpose of the act was "to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts." This unprecedented national investment in higher education also required instruction in military

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However, with the purchase of land from other countries people were able to spread out westward. To further increase settlement Congress passed the Land act of 1820 allowing for eighty acres to be bought at a dollar twenty-five per acre. ( Bailey, Cohen, Kennedy 259). As more settlers moved west the population center also shifted westward showing the migration trend away from the coast. Furthermore, expansion unlocked a plethora of natural resources.

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Slavery, political tension, disagreements between the north and south and the split opinions about Abraham Lincoln were components that contributed to the start of the American Civil War. These factors were the catalyst in the beginning of the Civil War. 

Slavery was the most influential factor that contributed to the beginning of the Civil War. The North’s support to abolish slavery in all American states was viewed as a violation of constitutional rights by the South, thus creating an extreme hatred between the two sides, and ultimately beginning the Civil War. The south, or “the great cotton empire”, was dependant on slavery to keep the large cotton plantations in business.

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In the beginning of the war, the North had control of 90 percent of the nation’s industrial capacity and they also had dozens of facilities for the production of war materials where the South only had one. Northern farms could produce more meat and vegetables than the South. The railroads of the North were twice as large as the railroads in the South. The Confederacy also had

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6. The Homestead Act was passed by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. It offered 160 acres of land to settle in the West to settlers; however, there was limited success due to the limited supply of arable land used for farming. Since most of the land was infertile, rocky, dry, and not agriculturally suited, many people competed for land that was near a water source to make farming possible. Many people did take the acres of land in response to land speculation and corruption but instead of living on it, they sold it for a higher cost to gain profit.

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Venturing out to the Western Frontier in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s presented a vast opportunity for many, and a new way of life for millions: farming. Farming provided people with a way to begin a new life, that involved tough labor and long hours, but with the chance to put your destiny into your own hands and make it rich, drawing many people out West for the adventure. Pushing out the Native Americans, the United States Government tried to fill the land out west as fast as they possibly could, with Whites, who had hopes of making it rich through farming. Projects such as the Homestead Act of 1862, encouraged people to make the journey out West, offering 160 acres of free land to a family for a $25 registration fee, and a promise to live there for five years and make improvements to the land.

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The Civil War was started for numerous reasons including but not limited to 3/5 compromise, states vs. federal rights, slavery in the South, abolitionist movement, the election of Abraham Lincoln, the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision, and the secession of the southern states. And with the end of the Civil war came with many effects on the U.S.A.: the southern states not allowed to secede from the union, 618,000 soldiers and 50,000 civilians died, the 13th, 14th, 15th Amendment, and stopped slavery all together. The North and South both needed each other to have a successful cotton economy. Cotton could only be grown in the South and cotton mills could only be ran in the North.

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The civil war brought about an industrial boom in the North, while the South was left to face the loss of free labor. The Civil War had a great impact on the development of the United States. The northern states experienced an industrial boom as a result of

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The Union victory in the Civil war helped banish slavery, the plantation system and, the Old South. The Union’s triumph, along with Industrial Capitalism, was poised to lift America into an age of unprecedented prosperity. Emancipation had destroyed the South’s slave-based agrarian economy. The South was forced to change their ways and evolve the way the North had done in years previous. They upgraded to a more technological way of life while still keeping its agricultural roots.

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During this time period, the southern states had a booming economy from the cotton industry. Southern cotton became a worldwide commodity and they quickly became the leading exporters of cotton around the world. The industry was also highly dependent on slavery because this provided them with free labor workforce. The north could not compete with them on a fair level for this reason. James Henry Hammond, a plantation owner from South Carolina, once famously stated that “Cotton is king” (06/01/2018).

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Thought The Unites States was a unified nation, there was a clear, visible contrast between its two parts. The development and foundation of the economy in the South and North were much different. The farming of cotton and other crops like tobacco was the bedrock of the southern economy. New inventions like the cotton engine developed by Eli Whitney helped the economy strengthened and contributed to its growth. The cotton gin made “Cotton King” ,which was the most valuable produce of the South.

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After the invention of the cotton gin, only then was cotton a profitable resource to work with. Before this indigo and sugar were some of the top exports. Most of these accounted for a large part of the South’s economic productiveness. If the world economy decided to not need cotton anymore, the South would crumble. Most large leaders in the North and South saw this distinction, and it was heavily credited as the leading factor of the Civil War.

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Most of the cotton came from plantation where large number of slaves was forced to work and they were not paid and were treated badly. They worked for long hours and were not given opportunity to learn. The south’s economy was reliant on slave work which appeared to crumple without the slaves.

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In conclusion, the Civil War had many causes and effects. Some of them were positive and some of them were negative. During the Civil War, America was in rough circumstances. People argued and debated against each other. The North and the South had tensions between them which was not good for America.

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Factories began to spread throughout the north as many factories switched over from water power to steam power. Factories gathered up workers into one area and split up the jobs between those workers. This method resulted in faster production of goods, thus stimulating the economy as it’ll force the west and south to produce more goods in order to accommodate for the factory’s fast production. Because the south only have limited manufacturing abilities, they have to rely on receiving manufactured goods from the north. The south produces two-thirds of the nation’s cotton supply, thus they sell their cotton to the north.

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A total of “270 millions acres, or 10% of the area of the United States was claimed and settled under this act.” (About the Homestead Act) Due to this act, anyone, including newly arrived immigrants, could gain 160 acres of land for a total filing fee of $18. However, some believed that the “… Homestead Act of 1862, limiting an individual holding to 160 acres, on the western plains almost an obligatory act of poverty.” (Egan 268) As a result, the act was followed up with the Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909 and later the Stock Raising Homestead Act of 1916.

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