Could The Civil War Was Avoidable?

The Civil War was utterly devastating. There are more American casualties resulting from that war than any war combined. The effects of the war still resonate today, including racism. A question that historians, Americans, and the President of the United States have pondered is: could the Civil War been avoided? Writer and historian James McGregor Burns argued that with the right leadership, the Civil War was avoidable. I am in agreement with Burns, with the potential help of better political leaders the Civil War would have not occurred. Primarily, not one compelling leader emerged to inform the South that Southerners could not and should not secede from the Union. Secondly, the states were provided too much sovereignty. Lastly, tensions between
One of those was President Andrew Jackson, who instituted a new wave of leadership. He paved the way for the foundation of a new age in American democracy. President Donald Trump stated that if President Andrew Jackson was alive during the Civil War, he would have been able to prevent it. However, that is not equivalent to Jackson ending slavery. According to the Hermitage , Andrew Jackson owned a 1000-acre field called The Hermitage which was occupied by slaves. In fact, slave ownership was how Jackson acquired most of his wealth. According to an article from CNN , if Jackson was alive during the Civil War, he would have prevented the South from seceding from the Union by allowing slavery to continue and expand. However, Jackson was against succession. This is evident when South Carolina called for the nullification of the Tariff of 1828 and 1832 . South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union if the federal government strived to collect tariffs. Enraged, Andrew Jackson threatened to send 50,000 troops to South Carolina. In addition, James McGregor Burns argues that a “great national leader” was needed: “someone who was equal to the deepening crisis, someone with the power to appeal to the hearts and minds, to the fundamental wants and needs and aspirations of the people able to apply steady moral and intellectual standards to
The states were given too much sovereignty and, consequently, abused it. As previously stated, South Carolina called for state sovereignty after the Tariff of 1828 was announced and called for secession. A prime example is present in the Compromise of 1850. Henry Clay proposed that the New Mexico and Utah territories decided whether slavery should be legal or not. Any appropriate leader would have decided for them. Popular sovereignty was an issue that divided politicians in the North and South. Abraham Lincoln, a prominent and promising leader, did not believe in popular sovereignty, instead believed in minority rights. After Lincoln was elected President without any Southern electoral votes, Southern states