The Civil War was a conflict that began in 1861 and ended in 1865. The Civil War was a bloody conflict fought on American soil. In the years leading up to the war, the nation faced issues that would divide the country into geographic and idealistic factions. Read below to learn about the causes of the Civil War.

Interactive exercise. Assistance may be required. One of the main causes of the Civil War is sectionalism. Click on each tab to learn more.

Interactive exercise. Assistance may be required. Slavery and states’ rights were two intertwined issues that further divided the nation. Click on the images below to learn more.

The Election of 1860

The division of the nation funneled down to two main political parties. The Republicans, whose candidate was Abraham Lincoln, wanted to end slavery and to stop it from spreading westward. Republicans believed that slavery was destroying the idea of democracy upon which the nation was built. Republicans also supported an increase in tariffs. By placing a higher tax on imported goods, American manufacturers benefited from this by eliminating competition from foreign manufacturers. Most American manufacturers were located in the North.

The Democratic Party opposed the ideas of the Republican Party. The Democratic Party had issues within the party. Northern and Southern Democrats were split over the issues of slavery and states’ rights. Democrats from southern states threatened to secede if a Republican was elected. Most Texans were Democrats and they sided with the other Southern Democrats. Southern Democrats feared that the end of slavery would destroy the Southern economy, which was based on slave labor. Southern Democrats especially opposed the proposed tariff, since foreign trade was also a major part of the southern economy.

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln from the neck up

Source: 16al header sm, The White House

Throughout the presidential campaign, Republicans and Democrats continued to debate heavily over these issues. In the end, Abraham Lincoln, a Republican was elected the sixteenth president of the United States.

In this lesson, you will learn about the causes of the Civil War and how the war impacted Texas economically, socially, and politically. You will also learn about significant Texans and important events that occurred in Texas during the Civil War.