While many people argue that slavery was the main contributing factor in the American civil war, others reveal that there were more complex economic and political issues that influenced the war as well. slavery had only contributed to a certain extent but was not the only reason why the conflict occurred. On one hand, the South’s determination to maintain slavery and the opposing Northerners who wanted to abolish slavery and stimulate industrial growth led to the break out of the war ( Locke & Wright, (Eds.), 2019) . On the other hand, political factors with respect to the equality of the Congress and the autonomy of the states is also believed to have influenced the civil war. The war was one of the bloodiest that had resulted in the mobilization of the military in levels that had never been seen before. Simultaneously, women actively participated in the war by providing support to the men who went to battle ( Locke & Wright, (Eds.), 2019) . As a momentous and crucial period in American history, the war brought an end to slavery and provided ways for there to be numerous political and economic changes in the country. However, one cannot deny the momentous influences from sociological, political, and economic perspectives.
Social Factors
The country had already been divided on the basis of race where Caucasians were superior to the blacks and American Indians. As the country sought to develop, they sourced for ways where they could get cheap labor in masses. Majority of people in the North wanted to abolish slavery while the Southerners were rigid in their efforts to mistreat and exploit the blacks. African Americans, irrespective of whether they were free or not, struggled to fight against emancipation and nurtured the transformation. The African Americans joined forces with the north to fight against the Southerner’s emancipation. Even though some slaves were free, they had unequal treatment to the whites and segregation was widespread. The Union, which was supported by Abraham Lincoln and the northerners struggled to have slavery completely abolished across all states ( Lincoln, 1865). Unfortunately, the number of states that entered the union had an equal number of supporters and those who rejected slavery. Abolishing slavery in the south meant that their economy and social structure would be affected as well. Since each side wanted to have an advantage over the other, the civil war was likely to break out.
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Political Factors
Complicated political structures in an attempt to have the country unified also contributed to the break out of the war. The Confederate States of America identified themselves as South wanted sovereignty over the country’s constitution ( Stephens, 1861). They had an exact copy to the constitution except for some few adjustments and even structured their army in a different manner. Instead of falling under the central leadership commanded by President Jefferson, they had their own separate army. On the other hand, while slaver grew in the country, the more they were denied basic political rights due to racial prejudice ( Turner, 1831). At the same time, the disunity of the Whig party between the south and the north and threats from the former to secede from the federation if Lincoln supported the abolishment of slavery further fueled the political tension that contributed to the war.
Economic Factors
The North had an upper hand since they were larger in size with 23 states while the south had only 10 states. While industrialization grew in the North, cotton farming was dominant in the South. Nonetheless, the trade had favored the north. America was also expanding its territories in Haiti, Japan, and Mexico in order to tap into new markets ( Sectional crisis , 1856) Therefore, the South was more driven to get more slaves to work in the plantations. As the tensions rose between the two regions, the north blocked much of the South's export to cotton to France and Britain with the intention of hindering the financial growth. The blocking of cotton is believed to have led to the focus on other alternatives such s Egypt’s cotton. On the other hand, the increased taxes on trade affected the southern economy that created more tension between the union and the few states. Even though the intention was to create a favorable interaction between the two sections, the results were bitterness and the civil war.
Other Contributing Factors
The severity of the war affected everyone including women and children. Nonetheless, women also contributed to the war by acting as spies. Even though others sought to have the war end, quite a good number of them acted as spies by feeding information to their supporters. Pauline Cushman was an American actress and a spy snuck military drawings to the union from the south in supporting the northerners’ efforts. Whether they were nurses, factory workers, or spies, they were critical in helping the union ( Poem about, 1866) . On the other hand, African Americans were also forced to join in the battles despite not being considered as soldiers who could fight alongside their masters ( Benjamin,1861). The Union military began accepting slaves to fight alongside them despite disobeying the policy of not interfering with runaways. Additionally, even though some native Indians tried to adopt the American culture, others responded violently to their encroachment ( Cherokee Petition, 1836) .
References
Benjamin, F. (1861). General Benjamin F. Butler reacts to self-emancipating slaves, 1861. Retrieved from http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/the-civil-war/general-benjamin-f-butler-reacts-to-self-emancipating-slaves-1861/
Cherokee Petition Protesting Removal, 1836. Retrieved from http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/manifest-destiny/cherokee-petition-protesting-removal-1836/
Lincoln, A. (1865). Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address, 1865. Retrieved from http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/the-civil-war/abraham-lincolns-second-inaugural-address-1865/
Locke, J. L., & Wright, B. (Eds.). (2019). The American Yawp: A Massively Collaborative Open US History Textbook, Vol. 1: To 1877 . Stanford University Press.
Poem about Civil War Nurses, 1866. Retrieved from http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/the-civil-war/poem-about-civil-war-nurses-1866/
Sectional crisis map, 1856. Retrieved from http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/sectional-crisis-map/
Stephens, A. (1861). Alexander Stephens on slavery and the Confederate Constitution, 1861. Retrieved from http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/the-civil-war/alexander-stephens-on-slavery-and-the-confederate-constitution-1861/
Turner, N. (1831). Nat Turner explains his rebellion. Retrieved from http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/the-cotton-revolution/nat-turner-explains-his-rebellion-1831/
