Question

"The American civil war was caused by economic struggles, rather than political disagreements" Assess the validity of this statement. I need to write an entire essay. any thoughts?

Answer 1

Well to a certain extent it is both. Contrary to common belief, slavery was not the reason the Civil War was fought. It was fought to preserve the union, as the south wanted to secede, especially after the Nullification Crisis in 1832. While slavery was an economic endeavor rather than one that was being fought for human rights. Most of the economy in the south was necessary for the north to thrive. (cotton->textile mills) It is also important to note that the issue of slavery was very important, due to the fact that people believed that it was their "Manifest Destiny" to expand westward. Which brings up the question of whether or not to allow slavery in these new territories.