Slavery Was The Primary Cause Of The Civil War Essay

The first half of the nineteenth century of the United States has become the time of the expansion and the competition between the North and the South over the rights of slavery. Begins with the Louisiana Purchase, followed by the acquirement of the western regions. Due to these expansions, the issue of slavery rose every time and temporarily settled by the compromises. However, conflict over slavery gradually intensified, strengthening the northern and the southern causes. Some historians argue that slavery was the primary cause of the American Civil War. I believe this statement is half true but half false. Even though slavery was the cause of the civil war, the primary cause was not slavery, it was the territorial expansion.
First of all, to make it clear, it is not wrong that slavery was the cause of the Civil War. As John C. Calhoun stated on March 4, 1850, “the subject of slavery would, if not prevented by some timely and effective measure, end in disunion… adopt some measure to prevent so great a disaster, but without success
But specifically, intensified disputes over slavery was the cause of the war. On March 1854, abolitionist Ralph Waldo Emerson stated that “I have lived all my life without suffering any known inconvenience from American slavery. I never saw it; I never heard the whip; I never felt the check on my free speech and action until… when Mr.Webster brought the Fugitive Slave Law on the country (Document B).” In other words, why didn’t the issue of slavery gained momentum until 1850? There were slaves in 1600s and even much more in 1700s and they were discriminated and took over whites jobs. Why didn't Civil War occur until 1860? It could’ve happened during the eighteenth century caused by the South’s or the North’s secession due to moral and economic frustration from slavery system. However, that is prevented because there was political balance in the Senate between free and slave