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Civil War Essay

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Civil War Essay
Civil War Essay

The Civil War was the most divisive war in American history. In the early 1800s, the United States experienced a growth of nationalism and unity, but it was replaced by sectionalism, leading to the Civil War. There were many reasons why the South wanted to secede, reasons the North wanted to maintain the Union, and the controversy surrounding slavery and steps taken to abolish it. The main reason the South wanted to secede was to become independent. Southerners did not want to get rid of slavery because it was critical to the southern economy. The Election of 1860 was another reason the South wanted to secede because Southerners were afraid that President Lincoln would abolish or get rid of slavery in the South. Sectionalism was another problem because the South had made their needs or desires more important than the Union itself. The main reason the North wanted to maintain the Union was because they had not want other states seceding. Slavery was a very big issue for the North. Abolition and journalist, William Lloyd Garrison, stated in Document 4 that, “Slavery’s spirit is as brutal as unnatural; as it means it is wicked, as relentless as it is monstrous.” Even though, it’s true, the North did not want to abolish slavery from states that were a part of the Union. This was a way the North maintained the Union. The controversy surrounding slavery between the North and South was crucial. The North did not want to have slavery because it was evil and cruel, but the South wanted slavery because it was their way of making money in the economy. Northerners had wanted to get rid of slavery, but Southern states seceded, leading to the Civil War. During the Civil War, in late January of 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the Confederate states. Freedmen were allowed to join the Union army as shown in Document 5. After the Union won the Civil War, the 13th amendment was issued, abolishing slavery in

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