Although the American Civil War was a war fought between brothers, it is still thought of as being one of the bloodiest wars in American history. Ever since slavery was brought to the American Colonies there has been controversy over whether slavery should exist or not. It is because of this that the American Civil War always shares conversation with slavery. These events are what led to the splitting of a nation and what caused brothers to spill the blood of their own.
The first major event that led to the civil war was the introduction of slavery to the British Colonies around the early 17th century before the American Revolution. “The British colony of Georgia actually banned slavery from 1735 to 1750, although it remained legal in the other 12 colonies” (Trust 1). There were already controversies over slavery before America even separated from Britain. This may lead a person to believe that the American Civil War was inevitable due to slavery being one of the foundation blocks of the country.
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The second major event was John Brown’s raid in 1859. “John Brown was tried for murder, treason, and insurrection on the Jefferson County courthouse at Charles Town, convicted November 2, 1859, and hanged there a month later” (Encyclopedia 1). Although what John Brown did may have been against the law, the North stated that his actions were for a just cause and were infuriated when he was hanged. The south was infuriated for the opposite reason: John Brown had violated the rights of the southern states to own slaves. This event in American History further divided the Northern and Southern states.
The third major event was the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the Battle of Fort Sumter in 1861. “On April 12, 1861, forces from the Confederate States of America attacked the United States military garrison at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Less than two days later, the fort surrendered. Only one U.S. soldier lost his life” (Geographic 1). When the confederate states decided to attack the Northern-Owned Fort Sumter, the Civil War officially began. The Northern states were sending in supplies necessary for life, so the Southern states had no reason to attack the fort, but they did so anyways.
These three major events are what led the United States of America to tear itself apart. There are many arguments that the American Civil War could have been avoided. Realistically thinking, there was no way to avoid this conflict between the Free states and the Slave states. It is quite ironic how the greedy nature of mankind let to the splitting apart of a nation founded under God.
Works Cited
- “Trigger Events of the Civil War.” American Battlefield Trust, 1 May 2019, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/trigger-events-civil-war.
- “John Brown.” Encyclopedia, https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/668.
- National Geographic Society. “Battle of Fort Sumter.” National Geographic Society, 24 Mar. 2014, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/apr12/battle-fort-sumter/
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Major Events that Caused the American Civil War: Slavery in the British Colonies, John Brown’s Raid, and Election of Abraham Lincoln.
(2022, August 12). Edubirdie. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/major-events-that-caused-the-american-civil-war-slavery-in-the-british-colonies-john-browns-raid-and-election-of-abraham-lincoln/
“Major Events that Caused the American Civil War: Slavery in the British Colonies, John Brown’s Raid, and Election of Abraham Lincoln.” Edubirdie, 12 Aug. 2022, edubirdie.com/examples/major-events-that-caused-the-american-civil-war-slavery-in-the-british-colonies-john-browns-raid-and-election-of-abraham-lincoln/
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Major Events that Caused the American Civil War: Slavery in the British Colonies, John Brown’s Raid, and Election of Abraham Lincoln [Internet]. Edubirdie.
2022 Aug 12 [cited 2024 Apr 24].
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