Unraveling the Causes of the American Civil War: Slavery, Politics, and the Fight for Freedom

Abstract

Instructor’s Name The Civil War befell the Americans in the 1850s leading to the loss of human life. Several factors triggered the civil war. The passing of the Fugitive Slave Act led to a lot of controversies. The act prompted the arrest f any freedom seeker, and Black activists against enslavement rose to reject the slave act. Dred Scott was enslaved and was considered the property of its enslavers. He filed a case in court after his owner took him to a free state, yet he was still considered an enslaved person. The petition was rejected, alluding that he was the property of the enslaver. This fueled activism from the black in 1857, advocating for their rights. The death of John Brown after raiding Harpers Ferry in 1859 fueled the civil war. John Brown was involved in anti-enslavement in Kansas, and his raiding the Harper’s ferry was to lead an uprising with Black activists using weapons. They never fulfilled their plan as they were captured and killed. The core aspect that led to the Civil war was enslavement. The Civil war was due to a series of confrontations about the institution of slavery. According to (Wood, 2005), slavery is often regarded as the answer to the cause of the civil war. It was the critical catalyst that proved to be dirty, costly, and inexcusable, and it almost ruined the world’s quest for democracy. The Southern states believed that the election of Abraham Lincoln would end the institution of slavery. Slavery was the southern economy's economic backbone, and they could not afford to support Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln reentered politics in 1854 when the debate on slavery was flaring up, and new territories were being added to the union. He wanted...