The Domino Effect Of The Civil War

The Civil War was a life-changing event which both tore yet at the same time strengthened the young United States. Weaken or strengthen, the Civil War is "responsible for defining the nation as we know it" (Publisher's Bindings Online). Thus, it is one of the most "written-about war in history" (Publisher's Bindings Online). The Civil War was caused by a domino effect of events that started over a dispute over slavery between the North and South. Though slavery was not the only reason the Civil War was fought, it was a prominent underlying reason.

In 1793, when Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, slaves could, as a result, produce up to 50 pounds of clean cotton a day. As a result, cotton became very profitable and the Southern economy turned
The Tariffs of 1828, better known as the Tariff of Abominations, were disagreed upon by many states in the South, but only South Carolina invoked nullification ("The Tariff of Abominations"). The South believed that the states were sovereign, and therefore had the right to nullify federal laws that they thought were unjust. When nullification no longer worked, the states felt their rights were being violated, and turned to secession. The Southern states belief in nullification would eventually lead to South Carolina's succession from the Union, and the formation of the
However, it allowed each territory to decide the issue of slavery based on popular sovereignty. Kansas wanted to be admitted as a slave state; however this would have violated the Missouri Compromise. In the end, when the act was passed, the North was outraged, and as a result, the Whig party split. Former Northern Whigs formed the Republican Party while Southern Whigs joined the existing Democratic Party set up by Andrew Jackson. Later, in 1857, Dred Scott, a slave who sought citizenship through the American legal system was denied his request. The Chief Justice, Roger B. Taney, then declared that all blacks – slaves or free – are and never will be American citizens. He then went to say that since he is not a citizen, he had no right to appeal to the courts. The framers of the Constitution, he wrote, believed that blacks "had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit. He was