Was Economic disparity an instrument in creating the Civil War? If so, why?

Question

What role did it play, explain please.

Answer 1

It all depends on which economic disparity you choose to concentrate on. There were two major issues over which the Civil War was fought, tariffs and slavery (in that order).

Northern manufacturers successfully lobbied the U.S. government to set high tariffs on imports of agricultural implements, so that they could sell their wares in the South at higher prices. The Southern planters knew that and viewed the North and the federal government doing its bidding as threats to their wealth.

At the same time, Northern workers (especially recent immigrants) were worried that if slaves were freed, they would flock to the North and by doing so drive the (already not-so-high) wages down. Northern industrialists, for the same reason, looked forward to ending slavery...

Answer 2

I agree with NC. But is was tax disparity. Since the South was primarily an agricultural economy it exported and imported goods. Which means most of the tariffs were paid by the Southern states. The revenues were then spend on the construction of Railroads in the north which subsidized the Northern steel producers. Which meant the south was paying for the industrial developement of the North.

After seccession South Carolina and Georgia threatened to open tariff free ports on the Atlantic coast which would have ruined international trade for the Northern states and undermined their system of tariffs. That is why they invaded the southern states.