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The American Civil war was a train wreck waiting to happen. The north and south were colliding down to very different paths. The mor industrialized North was strongly against slavery and wanted a free nation, while the more agricultural south needed slavery as it was the backbone of their economy. Books, speeches and actions slowly created a growing tension between the two sides. Uncle toms cabin for instance portrayed southerners as evil, the book sold thousands and was widely influential. The south passed the Kansas-Nebraska act which stated that slavery could be practiced over the Missouri compromise line. The North in response formed anti south parties, this included the free soilers, northern Whigs, and other parties. Later the South, who basically controlled the supreme court, passed the Dred Scott which made slavery legal in all of the U.S. territories. This inflamed the north, especially in Kansas where pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups fought. John Brown, who came from Kansas, led to the war by his holy war attack on Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859. The final push came when Abraham Lincoln was elected president without any electoral votes and barely any popular votes. Southerners knowing what would come next from the anti-slavery president, seceded seven of its states in 1860. After the battle at Fort Sumter 4 more southern states seceded and the south became the confederate States of America. Lincoln maintained Fort Sumter, and in April 12, 1861 the Confederates attacked the Union and started, at the time, Americas greatest war.

The results of the war were astonishing, more than 620,000 Soldiers died(which is more casualties than all of the other wars this country has had). The conflict over Slaves was solved when the slaves were finally freed, which meant that more than four million slaves got their freedom as a result of the Civil War. This also reinforced the idea that America could last as a Country. During this time Women and Slaves sustained the nation during its time of war, this allowed for more than 80% of the eligible soldiers to enlist. After the war the U.S. enter a time of reconstruction where the north and south debated over the future of freed slaves. Since the civil war no other state has seceded from the union. The south also went into a deep state of depression from the devastation the union army caused.
To conclude the war was caused by slavery and the Civil war, one way or another, solved this problem.

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