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Slavery Was Responsible For The North And South Going To War In 1861 Essay

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The issue of slavery was a crucial factor in the North and South going to war in 1861 because those in the Southern states had relied on agrarian methods to maintain their livelihood such as tobacco, sugar and cotton. Southern cotton plantations held global dominance in the industry due to their unmatched efficiency and the use of slaves maximised profits. However, slavery cannot be seen as solely responsible for the North and South’s war in 1861. A key attributing factor was sectionalism, which led to secession and conflict following the rapid territorial expansion in the United States during 1846 to 1854; states had different agendas, environmental circumstances and beliefs regarding their rights. This was a key issue stemming from the formation …show more content…

This authorised federal marshals posses to pursue fugitives on Northern soil and targeted not only recent escapees but also those who had run away decades before the Act was enforced. Those who did not join would also receive a $1000 fine which is equivalent to about $38,355 today with inflation. According to to historian Alan Farmer, the Fugitive Slave Act was slightly controversial and displeased many moderates and abolitionists in the North; this is supported by the Burns Affair of 1854 when a Boston mob broke out and resulted in the death of a guard in an effort to rescue the fugitive slave, Anthony Burns. A number of free states such as Vermont and Wisconsin also passed new measures to nullify the law such as by forbidding the use of state jails to imprison alleged fugitives; this made it difficult for federal law to be enforced. Moreover, abolitionist efforts to help fugitives escape to Canada increased in Northern communities. This resistance brewed resentment in the South despite the law being enforced in most of the 16 free states without further issues. This evidence supports Spicer’s argument (Appendix 2a) as despite the 1850 Compromise terms being made to protect the North and South’s stately rights and prevent secession, there were still issues linked to slavery following the creation of the Compromise which arguably exacerbated the issue by igniting Northern sympathy for fugitive slaves; this can be seen in the impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin which was a novel published in 1851 by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Appendix

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