The statement “had the leaders of this country controlled the extremists on both sides the war could have been avoided” is totally false. The Civil War was definitely unavoidable. Because of regional and political disputes the country would have continued to boil even if the extremists on both sides were kept under control. The true statement is “No matter what was done politically a conflict was necessary to eradicate slavery from this continent.” Anger in the South was becoming a growing trend. The Southerners were angered by the fact that, in their view, the North was trying to dissolve their way of life.
Congressman Robert Toombs of Georgia says, “if by your legislation you [northerners] seek to drive us from the territories… I am for disunion” (A).
This Congressman from the South is so intent on making slaves legal in the territories that he is willing to break with the North over it. He also says that California and New Mexico were “purchased by the common blood of the people” (A).
This was the view of John C. Calhoun that people from every state fought to gain these territories so everyone should have equal access to them. It was not only the people of the South that were taking on these feelings of hatred toward the North, but the government also. The South Carolina government said “this government… [has] been defeated and the Government itself has been destructive of them [principles] by the actions of the non slaveholding states” (I).
The Essay on Government by the People
The population growth has caused concern for many Americans because of the terms of numbers and poverty that comes with this growth. There is a pattern showing of wealth transferring from poorer nations to the richer nations of the globe and the information technology revolution is speeding this cycle up. With population growth reaching new heights new concerns for increasing urban growth has ...
If your government, which includes some of the most educated people from your region, believes wholeheartedly that the North are acting against those in the South wouldn’t that make you a little more incline to believe it yourself? With this type of thought becoming more and more the normal view of the South it would be impossible to avoid some kind of conflict.
In the North opposition to slavery and the belief that the country can not survive divided were becoming the more dominant train of thoughts. Abraham Lincoln said that “a house divided can not stand” (F).
He felt that either the country would be all slave or all free, but he knew fully that abolitionists would not give up. He also felt though that this issue would be resolved and that he did “not expect the Union to be dissolved” (F).
He obviously thought that the South would give up easier, but he was wrong.
In Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe she shows how evil slavery was in Document C by basically showing the cruelty that slaves had to endure and that Southern slave holders were evil with no remorse. She shows that slaves are mistreated and that this can not go on (P-C).
With political leaders such as Lincoln believing that someone, particularly the South, would give in and authors such as Stowe showing the evils of slavery people in the North were bound to believe that slavery should be abolished. With more and more people feeling strongly about this in the North a conflict was bound to occur. In conclusion the question “why… can we not withdraw this vexed question [of slavery in the US] from politics” (D) posed by Stephen Douglas can be answered in this way.
The reason why the US could not just forget about the slavery issue and let people decide for themselves if they wanted slaves in their area is because of stubbornness. People that thought slavery was evil and that it should be abolished would not give up until their views were excepted, and people that thought slavery was fine and should continue to thrive were not going to give up until there views were accepted. Because of these reasons the Civil War was definitely “irrepressible.”.
The Essay on Slavery Abolitionist vs. Slave Holders
Slavery. This was the cause of major debates in American history that contributed greatly to the differences developing between the northern and southern states of America during the 1800’s. These differences would eventually lead to the Civil War, which would cause the still newly formed America to diverge. During the debates over slavery, both the abolitionist and the slave holders fought ...
