Dbq The Causes Of The Civil War

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The Flames that Created a Fire across the Country: The Civil War The Revolution created the United States, but the Civil War determined what kind of nation it would be. Disputes kept building onto each other and eventually burst into a “fire” over the entire country. This would come to be known as the Civil War. The Civil War was not only fought because the North and South differed in their views on slavery, but through a combination of causes. Although there were many, the three most important causes of the Civil War were slavery, the Constitution and Compromises, and Lincoln’s ideas.
Slavery was one of the biggest causes of the Civil War. “On the night of October 16, 1859, (John Brown) led a band of 18 men, black and white, into Harper’s …show more content…

“It is the opinion of this court that the Act of Congress (the Missouri Compromise) which prohibited a citizen from holding and owning property of this kind (slaves) in the territory of the United States north of the line therein mentioned, is not warranted by the Constitution, and is therefore void,; Have we no tendency to the latter condition?.. Let anyone who doubts carefully contemplate… the Nebraska doctrine and the Dred Scott decision.” (documents L and M) In Lincoln’s famous “A house divided” speech, he brings up the Nebraska doctrine and the Dred Scott decision in which as stated before, slaveholders could take their slaves anywhere, even free territories. The North was upset about the power the Southern slaveholders held. The everlasting debate of free or slave was one that Lincoln’s speech was based around. He stated, “I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free…. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward till it shall become a lawful all the states, old as well as new, North as well as South.” (document M) Document N shows that Lincoln won the Election of 1860. This was the breaking point for the United States- the flames had finally created a fire. The North was overly excited as they had control of both the House and Senate (all of Congress) as well as presidency. The South’s reaction was much less enthusiastic. They felt extremely threatened which led to South Carolina seceding from the Union almost immediately. Most other southern states had joined within three months- the war had