The Civil War
The American Civil War was caused by political differences between the northern and
southern states in the United States. The northern and southern states disputed over slavery and
westward expansion leading to political differences that prompted the war (Foner, Give Me
Liberty). Abraham Lincoln was an anti-slavery leader who influenced states to quit the
confederacy join the Union, which was the federal government army at the time. The war between
the Union and the Confederacy started as an army versus army battle and it escalated into a society
battle, where the difference between militants and civilians disappeared (Long, 103). Apparently,
the Union was more advantaged compared to the Confederates in the battle because of a high
population, financial, and economic resources. Fundamentally, the Confederacy was worried that
if more states joined the Union, it would lose its control over slave trade, which would affect its
economic activities mostly farming and manufacturing. The civil war was inevitable because of
the need for social progress in the United States because there were increased socio-economical
disputes between the southern and northern states. The differences between the issue of slave
ownership and states’ rights between the northerners and the southerners assured that the civil war
was inevitable.
The Civil War began with the Missouri Compromise in 1820 where the House of
Representatives and the U.S Senate aimed at maintaining a balance between the free states and the
slaveholding states. Apparently, the slaveholding states feared that if more states joined the Union
they would lack the power to protect their trade and property interests. Notably, the slaveholding
territory of Missouri was denied admission to the Union by the Confederates fearing the increased
growth of non-slaveholding states; the territory of Missouri applied for statehood through the
Union (Long, 134). The author explains that when Missouri applied for statehood, slavery was
included in their proposed state constitution. For this reason, there were two amendments to
Missouri statehood bill; 1) prohibition of importation of slaves into Missouri and 2) gradual
emancipation of slaves. The Foner text argues that the abolition of slave trade in Missouri led to
the heightened dispute between the Union and the Confederates. The Confederates were against
the abolition of slave trade because of the congressional interference, whereas the Union supported
the abolition of slave trade because of the issue of political morality. The Missouri compromise
indicated that the southerners wanted to expand slave trade amidst of calls to secede from slavery.
The Civil War was centered on the destruction of slavery, which was a major institution of
the Southern society. Abraham Lincoln initial focus in the civil war was to maintain the slave
border states and limit the extension of the southerners in the northern states (Foner, Give Me
Liberty). The main plans for ending slavery before the civil war were slave emancipation and the
