To What Extent Was The Civil War Inevitable

When the Civil War Became Inevitable There are many instances when the Civil War could have become inevitable. When the Declaration of independence was signed and slavery was still allowed, when John Brown attacked Harper’s Ferry with his small militia, or even when the Missouri Compromise was passed. All these instances showcase the ever growing divide between the Southern and Northern States. One instance though stands out in its direct and public attack. On the surface it was seen in the south as an acceptable reaction, in the north proof of the souths hard ways. Underneath it was a sure sign of crossing a threshold to eventual war. The caning of Charles Sumner sent a shockwave through the north and reassuring one to the south. It was
Ralph Waldo Emerson condemned the south for its actions and wrote this about southerners, “spending his days in hunting and practicing with deadly weapons to defend himself against slaves and against his companions brought up in the same idle and dangerous ways”. To northerner’s slavery was just another aspect of this volatile southern idea. They lived in their own world, handing out their own forms of justice. To southerners Brooks was simply defending his relative who could not and restoring the peace. It only showed how little each side understood the other. The brutality of the south was by no means new to northerners, but to have it brought to their front door was different. Many other members of the senate began carrying their own weapons, lest they be caught off guard like Sumner and end up attacked. The instance did not deter other abolitionist in the Senate. They still spoke out just as vehemently as before. The growing tension between the two sides was becoming more and more obvious. Unless the two sides could come to an agreement then it would surely end in