THE CIVIL WAR

The Civil War

The Civil War

One may believe a civil war is an oxymoron. To most people a civil war is civil if two communities brought their different points to a big meeting and then came to a compromise. Even then one should have doubts of calling that a civil war.

The civil war was the one and only war Americans had with themselves. In other wars America fought for their countries freedom or to assist other countries in need, the civil war was Americans in opposition to Americans, North against South. The civil war was an all American war, where each side had a motive, and a principle for why they fought in this war. Now, centuries later, we've come to the question, "can a civil war be civil?" (Coward 2-5)

One of the few causes of the Civil War was the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration states flatly that "all men are created equal." It expressed the common belief that free citizens were political equals. The Declaration of Independence led to the Civil War because it gave most of the control to the North and not everyone had the chance to vote. (1, p. 55) Eli Whitney's invention of a cotton gin (short for "cotton engine") in 1793 helped set the South on a different course from the North. His gin made it possible for Southern farmers to grow cotton more profitably. Although, the North was against having more slaves and the invention of the "cotton engine" because not only did it make cotton more profitable, but it also made the need for slaves greater. (2, p. 125) The American System was a system that united the nation's economic interests. The industrial North would manufacture goods that farmers in the South and West would buy. On the other hand, the agricultural South and West would raise most of the grain, meat, and cotton needed in the North. The North profited from the system, while the South couldn't. It caused the North to get rich and the South was angry because they couldn't profit from it. (3, p. 126) The Missouri Compromise admitted that Maine was a free state and Missouri as a slave state. The rest of the Louisiana Territory was split into two parts. The dividing line was set at 36 30` north latitude. In the South of the line, slavery was legal and North of the line-except in Missouri-slavery was banned. The Missouri Compromise led to the Civil War because it forced other states to be slave states. (4, p. 127) Trouble for John Quincy Adams began with his election in 1824. Jackson won more popular votes, but he lacked most of electoral votes required to take office. Adams, on the other hand, supported Clay's American System. Therefore, Adams was elected president by a majority of the states represented in the House. The House showed favoritism in choosing John Quincy Adams as president. The North controlled the House and the South thought it was ...