Each country has such events, which have played a fundamental role in its development. In the history of the American people, one such significant event was the American Civil War. Initially, it was a bourgeois-democratic revolution, which had evolved into a war. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the causes of the conflict between the South and the North of the country, which has evolved into a war and reviews the ramifications of this confrontation.
Causal Chain
In general, the causes of the conflict between the South and the North of the United States were multifaceted and complex. A chain of events and factors led to the military conflict, which marked the irreconcilability of the two parties. In the South, absolute slavery was prevailing (Wells 18). Slaves had to experience numerous hardships and assaults since their landlords believed that they had the right to subject their slaves to any form of treatment or harassment. Also, the living and working conditions for people under oppression were almost unbearable.
Apart from slavery, sectionalism was another cause of the conflict, which was initiated in 1861. The political forces of the South sought to establish a slave system throughout the country (Wells 18). These attempts were racist, which continued to aggravate the situation. In its turn, the North tried to extend the capitalist regime to the southern part of the country. Residents and the political authority of the North believed that the presence of slaves (as well as slavery in general) on farmlands was unacceptable. These factors resulted in the inability of the two sides to reach an agreement, which also led to the unleashing of war.
Another cause of war initiation in 1861 was the confrontation between state and federal authority. The southern part of the country aimed at initiating a stronger state control. The North strived for the greater control of the federal government. Therefore, the two sides were unable to agree upon the state’s and federal rights. These causes led to the fact that the South decided to separate from the country (Lande 3). However, this solution was unacceptable for the president since the south was supplying the country with raw materials, and in 1861, one of the southern ports was shelled, which triggered the unleashing of the military conflict.
Ramifications of the Event
The confrontation between the two sides led to the fact that in 1861 a civil war broke out in America. It lasted for several years; however, its results were of great importance for the life of society. In particular, a law abolishing slavery was introduced, and many people started to support the position of the North in the struggle for the rights of the population (Wells 274). Even though many states did not favor the prohibition of social oppression, the war has shown that the greatest part of the American population supported the views propagated by the North of the county. As a consequence, the abolition of slavery was confirmed constitutionally.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that three different causes have led to the conflict between the North and the South of the country. The main factor was slavery; however, apart from that, the inability of the two sides to reach consensus, and the confrontation between state and federal authority have resulted in the military conflict initiated in 1861. The main aftermath of this event was the abolition of slavery, which was an event of paramount importance for the entire nation.
Works Cited
Lande, R. Gregory. Psychological Consequences of the American Civil War. McFarland, 2016.
Wells, Jonathan Daniel. A House Divided: The Civil War and Nineteenth-Century America. 2nd ed., Taylor & Francis, 2016.