Civil War Questions!!!?

Question

Do you think the Civil War could of been avoided? How?

If not, why do you think it couldn't be avoided?

Answer 1

Many revisionists are trying to say the Civil War was not about slavery. It was. The South wanted to allow slavery throughout the Union so as to affirm their way of life. As many in the North advocated against slavery, Southerners took that as a repudiation of Southern culture.

It was important for slavery to be expanded, according to the South. They didn't believe a static situation could exist. If it wasn't going to grow, it would then begin to shrink. They had a lot of money invested in slaves, so they needed to make sure slavery stayed a viable economic part of their lives.

There was only one way for the War to have been avoided. That would have been for the government to pass laws to allow slavery throughout the whole country. That wasn't going to happen, therefore the war could not have been avoided. The North wasn't going to allow slavery in their part of the country and the South felt slavery needed to exist in the North for their economic well being.

Answer 2

State's Rights was the issue behind the Civil War. The right of a State to allow or disallow slavery was at the time, an issue that the states controlled. The South felt that the abolitionists would force an end to slavery in the near future without providing any sort of transitory structure. If President Buchanan had taken action, the South might not have seceded, and if it had, wouldn't have had the resources to raise an effective, large army. In this case of hypotheticals, the Civil War of 1861-1865 was avoidable

However Buchanan didn't have the strength morally or politically to stem the tide towards dissolution . It is a little known fact that several Northern states tried to secede back in the 1840's, and South Carolina tried to go it alone in the 1850's. No matter what way you cut it, the issue of a State's right of controlling slavery (allowing, disallowing, protecting runaways, etc) was explosive and would probably have lead to violence. There are things that could have made the war start sooner, or latter, or theoretically at all. This is why I say that the Civil War of 1861-1865 was avoidable, but not a civil war. Every country that I can think of (with the possible exception of Canada, which has only had home rule for 50 years or so) has experienced civil war. America would eventually have developed an issue that would pit brother on brother. Besides Slavery, the civil war formalized the Federal Government's powers and responsibilities, allowed for a coherent plan for westward expansion, entrenched American sovereignty in the eyes of Europe, and most importantly changed 'These United States" to "The United States.

So while the Civil War was avoidable, civil war was not.

Answer 3

I don't believe it couldn't be avoided with such ease. The 11 Southern States, later known as the Confedercy, declared that they have all the right for secession and use of slavery. They were led by President Jefferson Davis. Evidently, the Union, or the other "free states and border states", led by Abraham Lincoln, disagreed. The pursuit didn't turn to violence for awhile, until the Confederate Forces attacked Fort Sumter. Again, I believe it couldn't be avoided. The Union wouldn't ever agree to slavery without a fight. Its basically burning the Declaration of Independence. They'd be just be a bunch of hippocryte.

Answer 4

No it could not be avoided. The south was stubbornly clinging to the old way of doing things, and refused to accept that times were changing. They felt so strongly about it they seceded from the union instead of realizing slavery was ending. The only way it could have been avoided is if Slavery was allowed to continue, or the South was allowed to remain independent. Niether of those options was viable to the North, and as already stated the South was not going to accept progress without a fight.

Answer 5

Many people have wondered the same thing. If you look in your textbook, you can probably find reasons the war started. Slavery was one reason the war happened. If the Northerners would have supported slavery in the South, the war could have been avoided more than likely. Look in your textbook, and decide for yourself if it could have been avoided.

Answer 6

It could have been avoided by not doing anything, but then the problems would have accelerated.