The American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, was fought between North and South United States. The main cause of the Civil War was the disagreement over slavery, which is evident through the analysis of multiple documents of the time. These documents display the ways that slavery divided the country at this time, drawing a very distinguished line through the country. The North supported abolitionism and wanted an end to the slave trade, and they participated in helping many slaves escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad. The South formed the Confederacy, a union of all of the states that supported the slave trade.
In his Seventh Debate with Stephen Douglas in 1858, Abraham Lincoln states that many other conflicts happened because of slavery (Lincoln 1858). This document is from one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates that occurred between the two candidates who were running for president. It is important in the context of the Civil War because Douglas was seemingly on the fence about slavery, having supported some bills that promoted slavery and other bills that did not. Lincoln believed in ending slavery and that it had already been the cause of major conflict. This debate took place in 1858, before the Civil War, therefore this is proof that, according to Lincoln, the disagreement over slavery was hugely important. It also shows that slavery was a big enough issue to divide the nation through the presidential elections. The South were fully supportive of the candidates who wanted to keep slavery in place and the North were supportive of candidates who were in favor of abolition.
The image titled “John Brown-The Martyr,” published by Currier and Ives, is an important document to understand this disagreement as it depicts John Brown receiving an angry look for sympathising with a slave woman and her child (Currier & Ives 1870). John Brown is well known for the sacrifices he made for abolitionism. He was eventually hung for treason in his attempts to start a slave revolt, something that was honored by the North but not the South. This image is important in the context of the Civil War because it displays the disagreement between John Brown and the other man, who is obviously in an authoritative position and does not agree with Brown’s actions. He looks on in disgust. This disgust represents how the South viewed the North, a cause of great conflict and a reason the South wanted to separate.
In “Speech of the Right Hon. Daniel Webster Upon the Subject of Slavery” (Webster 1850), Daniel Webster accuses the North of being unconstitutional for helping slaves. He says that Northerners are bound by the constitution to return slaves to the South, and that “the South is right and the North is wrong” (Webster 1850). This speech demonstrates the divide between the country and the hostile attitudes toward each side. This hostility is the driving factor that led to the Civil War.
The annexation of Texas by the United States, as shown through the Treaty of Annexation, was one of the conflicts previously mentioned by Lincoln in the debate (Texas 1844). This is important because Texas was a slave-holding state, and some branches of the United States government did not wish to bring more pro-slavery in the country. This reluctance to join with Texas shows how big of a debate this issue was at the time leading up to the Civil War. Since the country was divided, adding Texas meant more pro-slavery people to fight the issue. It also shows the divide among the government.
In the Georgia Declaration of Secession, the North is painted in a negative light, showcasing the negative attitudes of the states (Georgia 1861). Georgia was one of the Southern states that supported slavery and this document illustrates their hostility towards the North. Accusations towards one another were common as the states competed for power and victory in the war. This specific document is intended to sway the opinions of the people in power, as they accuse the North of relying on government funding more than the South.
The analysis of important primary documents from the time period around the Civil War demonstrates proof that the leading cause of the war was the disagreement over slavery. The North and South, who fought the Civil War, had opposite views and this created conflict. The North, who disagreed with slavery, and the South, who supported slavery, were at odds until the Civil War brought with it the Emancipation Declaration and slavery was over for good.
Documents Mentioned for Analysis:
Document 1: Abraham Lincoln, Seventh Debate with Stephen Douglas, 1858
Document 2: Currier and Ives, “John Brown- The Martyr,” 1870
Document 4: Daniel Webster, “Speech of the Right Hon. Daniel Webster Upon the Subject of Slavery,” U.S. Senate, March 7, 1850.
Document 5: The Treaty of Annexation, Texas, April 12, 1844
Document 6: Georgia Declaration of Secession, 1861
