The Civil War: A Nation Divided

Introduction

• Everything eventually breaks over time.
• Analogy: Reusable grocery bags wear out, similar to how nations can break apart.

Historical Context

• Civil War began in 1861, lasting four years.
• Resulted in over 600,000 American lives lost.
• The nation was split between the North and South.

Causes of the Civil War

• Differences Between North and South:
  • Economic Differences:
    • North: Factories and railroads driving the economy.
    • South: Plantations focusing on cash crops like cotton and tobacco.
  • Labor Supply:
    • South: Millions of enslaved individuals working without pay.
    • North: Immigrants working for wages in factories and railroads.
  • Political Power:
    • North wanted more free states (no slavery).
    • South wanted more slave states (allowed slavery).
    • Both regions feared losing political power.
    • Compromises were made, but tensions remained high.
  • Beliefs about Freedom:
    • Enslaved people in the South could only be free by escaping to Canada.
    • Underground Railroad helped some escape but faced dangers from Southern slave catchers.

Key Events Leading to War

• Election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860:
  • Caused fears in the South regarding potential attacks on slavery.
  • Southern states decided to secede from the Union, forming the Confederate States of America.
  • This decision mirrored the American colonists' secession from Great Britain.

Conflict

• Northern states (Union) fought to keep the South from leaving.
• Southern states (Confederacy) fought to defend their right to secede.

Conclusion

• The Civil War was a catastrophic conflict driven by economic, social, and political pressures over time.