Slavery Was The Primary Cause Of The Civil War Dbq Essay

I agree with the statement: Slavery was the primary cause of the American Civil war, because some politicians wanted to abolish slavery in fear of the separation of the Union, also citizens in the northern states also were affected by slavery, and slavery also affected other races other that the blacks and the whites. The issue of slavery became a priority of the united states congress and thus the civil war began. The fear of the separation of the union was in the minds of many of the northern congressmen. For example in John C. Calhoun states in document A, “The agitation of the subject of slavery would, if not prevented by some timely and effective measure, end in disunion.” this shows what some politicians are thinking about slavery and what needs to be done to prevent “disunion” in a timely manner. War with the south (at the time) was estimated to be a short war with the north completely decimating the south. John C.Calhoun also uses the words “adopt some measure to prevent so great a disaster” (Document A) This phrase shows his fear of a disaster or the separation of the Union.

In Document B Ralph Waldo Emerson states, “The new Bill made it operative, required me to hunt slaves, and it found citizens in Massachusetts willing to act as judges and captors. More, it discloses the secret of the new times, that Slavery was no longer mendicant, but has become aggressive and dangerous” This phrase shows a white man living in a free states being forced to go and hunt down escaped slaves. The slaves had no say because the citizens of Massachusetts were their judges and their captors. The also calls slavery dangerous because citizens have to risk their lives hunting down the escaped slaves. It also made escaping more dangerous than it was before. He also states that the south no longer needs lavery to make cotton