The factors that led to the Civil War include the disagreements on some core issues and values between the communities in the North and the South. Ultimately, the Civil War was a result of prolonged tension among the American citizens about the values and politics of the state. For example, the people have been debating about the issue of slavery for over eighty years prior to the Civil War’s beginning (“Causes,” n.d.). However, apart from slavery, there were other political and social problems where there were substantial disagreements. Thus the Civil War was caused by a set of complex reasons linked to legislations, values, and political influence.
The main problem that led to the outbreak of the conflict was the rights of the individual states. On one side, the Southern states wanted to take control over the federal laws, which would allow the politicians to eliminate the legislations that they did not support. The majority of these policies were linked to slavery, as the South supported slavery and wanted to continue the practice. Additionally, the SOuthern politicians wanted to expand the slavery legislation to the West, which would support the economic development of the region, while the politicians and community members of the North were determined to ensure that the West was free from slavery.
Lincoln’s victory in the Presidential elections intensified the tensions between the North and the South as he was a republican. Despite having no support in the South, he was able to win the elections, which showed that the South had been losing its political influence. Hence, the engagement in the Civil War could help the Southern states regain their influence and promote their political agenda.
References
Causes. (n.d.). National Park Service. Web.