Slavery
Slavery was a major cause of the Civil War. The disagreement about slavery had been going on since the Revolutionary War, and its effect in the Civil War was simply an escalation of the disagreements between the North and South.
The North believed that slavery was against the Constitution, and, moreover, was immoral. It violated the very beliefs on which the United States had been founded. The United States was supposed to be a democracy for everyone, they reasoned. There was supposed to be freedom for everyone. Not just the people with white skin. Not just the people with a good education (education which was denied to the slaves in the first place, which they deemed unfair as well).
The South, however, saw slavery as a way of life. The main southern business was farming--or, more specifically, running plantations. And plantations could nt be run without the slaves. If the slaves were paid and free to leave, then the plantation owners would gain no profit. And if there were no slaves to begin with, a good deal of business in the South would peter out and die. The South did not want to be weak and beholden to the North. The South wanted to remain strong, and slaves were necessary to do it. They had to have slaves, else they would weaken and the economy would fall to bits. That was not any reasonable choice for them. The blacks had ever and always been enslaved, and they did not think that the slaves were badly treated. Why ruin such a profitable way of life when no one was discontent with their position? Those of the South did not believe that the slaves were unhappy with their lives, and thusly there was little reason to go and set them all free.
The North believed that slavery was against the Constitution, and, moreover, was immoral. It violated the very beliefs on which the United States had been founded. The United States was supposed to be a democracy for everyone, they reasoned. There was supposed to be freedom for everyone. Not just the people with white skin. Not just the people with a good education (education which was denied to the slaves in the first place, which they deemed unfair as well).
The South, however, saw slavery as a way of life. The main southern business was farming--or, more specifically, running plantations. And plantations could nt be run without the slaves. If the slaves were paid and free to leave, then the plantation owners would gain no profit. And if there were no slaves to begin with, a good deal of business in the South would peter out and die. The South did not want to be weak and beholden to the North. The South wanted to remain strong, and slaves were necessary to do it. They had to have slaves, else they would weaken and the economy would fall to bits. That was not any reasonable choice for them. The blacks had ever and always been enslaved, and they did not think that the slaves were badly treated. Why ruin such a profitable way of life when no one was discontent with their position? Those of the South did not believe that the slaves were unhappy with their lives, and thusly there was little reason to go and set them all free.
A Letter from Abraham Lincoln to George Robertson
This is a letter that Abraham Lincoln sent to his friend George Robertson, who was a fellow abolitionist. In it, Lincoln stated that while he wished Robertson's dream for the peaceful destruction of slavery could be fulfilled, none of the slaveholding states would be willing to do that. Those who had already did it only in the excitement of freedom that came after the Revolutionary War; not a single state had worked towards the abolition of slavery since, and it was unlikely that any others would without some type of war. And while Lincoln said that he did not want war, it had become apparent to him that it was unavoidable.
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman was born as a slave, but by no means did she remain one. She escaped to Philadelphia in 1849. She did not remain there, either. Instead, she went back to her former home in Maryland to rescue her parents. After that, working as a part of the Underground Railroad, she freed another 300 some slaves. When the Civil War began, she took an active part in it, beginning as a nurse and cook. However, she soon became an armed scout and spy, and gathered much information for the Union. Tubman was the first woman to lead a war expedition (the Combahee River Raid). Even after the Civil War was won, Tubman did not stop contributing to society; she battled for women's suffrage and rights up until her death in 1913. She helped many lives by her actions, and played a key role not only in slavery, but in the war itself and the times after it.
David Walker
David Walker was a free black man. He was a devout abolitionist, and was outspoken in his attempts to end the institution of slavery. He published many works, such as An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, which called out to the black population to unite and help better their own lives. He was also a writer for the short-lived but very well-kown Freedom's Journal, which was the first abolitionist newspaper. He was known throughout America for these publications and left a lasting impression on the population of the United States.
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was a part of the Compromise of 1850. While the Compromise itself was not specifically involving slavery, this portion obviously did.
The Fugitive Slave Act stated that any runaway slave had to be returned to his or her owner, even it that slave had escaped to a free state.
This, of course, went against a great deal of what the Northerners believed in and helped out the Southerners quite a bit. It increased tensions between the North and South and, in essence, pushed the extremists even farther apart. Those against slavery were galled by the passing of this act, and became even moore determined to stand up for themselves. Those who advocated slavery were glad that their beliefs were being supported by the government, and as such they became even more certain that slavery was not a bad thing. A good deal of Southerners even thought that slavery was a good thing, and of course, as was already stated, the Fugitive Slave Act assured them that they were right.
Because of this, the Fugitive Slave Act hastened the coming of the Civil War. The increased tensions and hard feelings between the North and South escalated more quickly because of the act, and so the Civil War came swiftly.
The Fugitive Slave Act stated that any runaway slave had to be returned to his or her owner, even it that slave had escaped to a free state.
This, of course, went against a great deal of what the Northerners believed in and helped out the Southerners quite a bit. It increased tensions between the North and South and, in essence, pushed the extremists even farther apart. Those against slavery were galled by the passing of this act, and became even moore determined to stand up for themselves. Those who advocated slavery were glad that their beliefs were being supported by the government, and as such they became even more certain that slavery was not a bad thing. A good deal of Southerners even thought that slavery was a good thing, and of course, as was already stated, the Fugitive Slave Act assured them that they were right.
Because of this, the Fugitive Slave Act hastened the coming of the Civil War. The increased tensions and hard feelings between the North and South escalated more quickly because of the act, and so the Civil War came swiftly.