The presence of slavery and discrimination is frowned upon by
most, if not all, of modern society. The concept of a being placed as lesser or
second to another based on the innate physical characteristics of each is preposterous
– no one should ever carry the title of “second class citizen;” however, during
the 1800’s, this mentality founded and maintained the economy and livelihood of
the Southern United States. What would happen when the other half of the union
demanded slavery, the sustenance of their economy, to be banned? Would the South
succumb to the North’s abolitionist movement and requests? If only. What
burgeoned was a product of centuries of buildup that soon erupted into what is
known now as the Civil War.
The very beginnings of slavery and its impact and journey
throughout the United States’ history occur during the early 1600’s. “Indentured
servants” is what they were referred to as, African Americans who paid their
services for seven years and were then freed, accompanied by their very own
piece of land. However, the ideal and seemingly just nature of this compromise
alters – for seven years of work on tobacco fields proved extenuating and, most
times, ultimately fatal to the workers. And even if they were capable of
surviving their exploitation, the servants were not always given what was
promised. As time passed, the abuse slavery conveyed increased. Now, it wasn’t
treated as a deal, it was a simple property-owner relationship that drained the
slaves until they perished under the conditions. But as the mistreatment
increased, so did the angered voices of those mistreated. AS much as they were
somewhat included in political decisions as the Three-Fifths Compromise, which
gave the enslaved population a count in Congress, proved, other citizen-lead
acts did otherwise on a larger scale. The Black Codes exemplify this as they
were created on the same year as the Three-Fifths Compromise and these made
slavery technically illegal north of the Ohio River, however, whites still
owned and stood highly above blacks.
The controversy surrounding whether or not slavery should be
allowed became so vociferous and relevant that it led to the division of the
nation in what is known as the Missouri Compromise. The compromise separated
the United States in anti and pro slavery areas – the North against and the
South in favor, also creating a new state named Maine from the North of Missouri
to create a fair and proportional count. As much as the division aided in a
consolidation of slavery boundaries, those against it didn’t think of it as
enough. Here is where the abolition, or anti-slavery movement, begins in the
1820’s. The humanitarian response was huge, yet 36% of the white population
owned slaves – making resistance to abolition something to consider. The gag
rule is an example of the resistance; this was a law that tabled all
anti-slavery petitions. But, as some fought against others were quick and just
as stringent when fighting back. The Underground Railroad and founding of
Liberia as a land for slaves are some demonstrations of support.
As the fight
against slavery continued to unravel, another event takes place that will
influence the presence of a Civil War; this is the Mexican War. Americans started
to expand further West in an attempt to claim more territory; they soon reached
Mexican territory that is now known as Texas. United States citizens began to
flood the area, to the point in which there were more Americans in it than
Mexicans. This motivated the Americans to join in an uprising and claim the
land as their own; they succeeded. However, an important event within it called
the Wilmot Proviso stated that slavery would be illegal in all territory acquitted
from Mexico.
The final triggers of the Civil War lie on the differences
between North and South, and an important politic action. There was failure to
address whether or not slavery would be allowed in territories, something
noticeable since slavery’s very beginnings. The North was far more industrialized
and advanced than South in nearly every way possible: communication,
population, industrialization, urbanization, and income in goods. The South
could only compete in manners of enslaved people and cotton – both of which
went, very much, hand in hand. What tipped the glass in this entire issue was
the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Here, they ignored the Missouri Compromise and decided
that a sovereign choice through voting to decide where slavery would be allowed
would be more appropriate. The Northerners were outraged, and a desire for a violent
resolve between the two sides was imminent.
The Civil War was not something to be considered as a product
of a few, shorty separated events. The matter of slavery and its place in
society is something that had been battled, discussed, and fought for many
years before. The latter part of those years is what motivated the violent
solution – the differences between the North and South culminating and
exploding during the acceptance of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. For the parties
involved, a battle was the only way to decide the fate of equality in the
nation.
The divisions between the Northern states, Southern states, border states, and those not organized in the battle.
