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Bruce Levine “Half slave and half free: the roots of the Civil War”
The American civil war, fought from 1861 to 1865, was the most important moment in the history
of the United States. The civil war was the war between the Union (the North) and several Southern
slavery states which declared secession and formed the Confederacy (the South). Bruce Levine in his
book “Half slave and half free: the roots of Civil war” argues that slavery was not the main reason of the
Civil war, but demonstrates that the northern and southern states were deeply diverged one from
another in their economies (industrial vs. agricultural), labor systems (free vs. slaves), religious doctrines
(Northern Evangelicalism vs. Southern Evangelicalism), gender roles, status of women in the society,
social, and cultural differences. Moreover, he also points out that disagreements over tariffs, flowing
immigration to the North (growing population), the growth of big cities in the North, political
compromises, foundation of the Republican Party, and secession from the Union were the causes that
led the country to the Civil war.
Free labor ideology (“each person works for himself” (46)) dominated in the North emphasizing
economic opportunities. The early nineteenth century (1800-1860) is known for an explosion of
economic, industrial and urban growth in the northern states. Bound labor such as slavery or indentured
servitude was not essential to the Northern economy after the Revolution in 1783. Changing from
production of goods for themselves (their own families’ needs) to production for the market, farmers
started to produce more goods and sell their surplus for cash in order to pay taxes and purchase more
land in the North. However, the northern farmers couldn’t expand their commercial activities to the
West because transportation and communication networks were undeveloped in the country. The
government decided to build bridges, roads, canals (the Erie Canal in 1825), steamboats, and railroads,
because an increase in transportation was instrumental for the expansion of trade. These improvements
led to transformation of printing and the telegraph as well. People in the rural areas were not so isolated
anymore. In addition, production of most textiles moved people from home to factories because they
were motivated to earn more. Since every man worked for himself, small workshops expanded and grew
into larger factories shifting their production to larger scale. Thus, working for wages was a better future
that made production more efficient and diversification of production in the north gave people wealth.
In addition, the northern cities became centers of wealth and manufacturing that attracted skilled
workers (immigrants). Skilled workers from England, Scotland, Wales, Germany, and Scandinavia brought
not only experience with them, but also ideas of labor reforms.
Slaves (our labors are our property) were a source of cheap labor for the South prior to the Civil
War. By the late of the 17th century, Southern colonists came to the conclusion that using “a labor force
