Civil War Dbq Essay

There was no sudden start to the civil war. Slavery has been a major issue since the United States gained independence from Great Britain in 1776. Unlike the northern states, the southern states believed in slavery. It was time for the states to be united when Abraham Lincoln became president in 1861. In the past, these differences caused tensions between sections and constant debate The Constitution of the United States of America was written in 1789. The purpose of the Constitution was to make sure that America would never again be ruled by another group of people (Document 1). Nevertheless, the Americans were using slaves for their own economic purposes at this time. Neither slavery nor the rights of black Americans were directly addressed

The North consisted of all free states. They started abolitionist movements alongside former and current slaves. Northern newspapers claimed that the United States would be freed of slavery and kept out for good (Document 3). Frederick Douglass was a former slave who openly advocated for abolitionism. In a speech he gave, Douglass addressed the fact that black people were not given the same rights as white people in America. However, it was stated in the Constitution that all men were created equal (Document 2). Northerners supported these beliefs and aimed to rid the country of slavery, while Southerners argued the opposite. This led to large regional divides in the USA. The southern states were economically dependent on slave labor and agriculture, meaning that abolishing slavery was not an option in the minds of many Southerners. The slaves were treated horribly by their masters, yet the masters did not see this. Along with other Southerners, the masters believed that they had the most difficult lives. They believed they were bound to their work, meaning it constantly had to be their priority (Document 4). This led to the view that slavery was a vital aspect of the economy, which was justified by the notion that slaves fared better than masters. This worldview created a severe schism between the North and the South, resulting in the Civil War. The master, according to Southern writer George

Originally from the South, Lincoln grew up around slavery and racism. However, his main concern was his country. In a speech, Lincoln expressed that, although he believed slavery was morally wrong, “he did not expect the Union to be dissolved; he did not expect the house to fall; but he did expect it would cease to be divided. As a result, it will become all one thing or all the other” (Document 6). Lincoln wanted what was right for the country, to become a more unified nation. His predecessor, James Buchanan, had the same ideas as Lincoln. In his inaugural address, Buchanan stated that slavery has alienated and estranged the Union people (Document 5). This scared both Northerners and Southerners, as they did not know which way the president would lean, which led to the start of the Civil