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Civil War
Culture Among the Most Significant Causes of Civil War
Like few other events, the Civil War has left a profound mark on American history culturally, politically, militarily, and in many other ways. According to Kelly, there are five primary causes of the civil war, which include differences between the North and South, the campaign for states' rights, the slavery issue, abolition, and the election of Abraham Lincoln. While all of these, certainly, added fuel to the fire between the North and the South during this tumultuous time, the most clear cause of war between the North and the South were the cultural and economic differences these areas faced. Affecting the legacy of reconstruction and the Civil War, these differences have shaped the U.S. culture even today.
According to Kelly, the Southern Economy was almost wholly dependant on agriculture, more specifically the production of cotton, while the North had become an industrial center. Thus, slaves were needed in order for the South to remain economically competitive with the North. Furthermore, the idea of slavery has become an important dividing point between the regions. So integral in their economy, slavery had become an important part of the South's culture, society, and even religion. In the North, however, abolitionists groups began to see slavery another way. Finally, when Lincoln -- who was perceived as anti-slavery -- was elected, the South fought to exercise what it believed were its states rights by seceding.
After the war concluded, these cultural and economic differences were not gone with the wind. Instead, they were prominent during reconstruction and continue to characterize the culture of the North and South today. McElrath's timeline of reconstruction shows several attempts at making the South racially equal, which can be defined as one of the goals of reconstruction. The Civil Rights Bill and 14th amendment were methods by which this was accomplished. However, Civil War era culture has left such an impact on the region as to make race relations in the American South still stereotypically tenacious.
Works Cited
Kelly, Martin. "Top Five Causes of the Civil War." About.com 2009. 26 July 2009.
McElrath, Jessica. "Timeline of the Reconstruction Era." About.com. 2009. 26 July 2009.
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