Summary of the Civil War

The Civil War (1861 - 1865) took more American lives than any other war in history. It so divided the people of our nation that in some families brother fought against brother. It is often said that war is hell, but civil war must surely be the most brutal kind of hell, where people with so much in common - family ties, geography, history, language - become so bitterly divided that they killed each other. What causes and emotions led to this bloody battle that was responsible for a war that pitted brother against brother? To try and understand what the emotions of the North and South were before and during the Civil War we need to look at some important factors and secondary issues that eventually led to the war.

The Civil War is far too large to blame on a few simple factors. Leading to the causes of the war were a number of factors, one of the largest, slavery, in the Southern States. Slavery had caused a great division in our country by the 1850's. It had a direct effect upon the economy of the South. The South, which was mainly agricultural, depended upon slave labor to run its large plantations where cotton was grown. Cotton produced most of the South's wealth. The Southern States felt it was important to preserve slavery which was their agricultural way of life and which they depended upon. The Southerners were indignant and disturbed by the threat of totally changing their economic system and they did not like being told they were morally wrong. Not only was slavery an important factor in starting the Civil War but also the Southern States had different view points on important issues such as states' rights and property rights. The number one goal of the South was the preservation of their main source of capital: cotton and slaves.

At the same time, the North was turning more and more to manufacturing. The Northern States were dedicated to a more modern way of living (industrialization). The work in these factories was done mainly by immigrants.... [continues]

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