The major causes of the Civil War included sectionalism between the North and South, states' rights versus federal authority, and the issue of slavery. The South depended on slavery as central to their economy and way of life, while many northerners wanted to abolish it. The Dred Scott decision upheld slavery, and Abraham Lincoln's election threatened the South. After Lincoln's victory, southern states began seceding from the Union.

1. Some Major Causes of the
Civil War
Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Civil-war-021.jpg

2. Sectionalism: The growing differences between
the North and the South
Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_map_1864_Civil_War_divisions.svg

3. States rights: The belief that states had certain
rights….even above the national government!
Image:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1864_Johnson_Map_of_North_Carolina_and_So

4. Slavery: The
South depended
on slavery as their
way of life. Many
northerners were
“abolitionists” and
wanted to abolish,
or do away with,
slavery

5. The book,
Uncle Tom’s
Cabin: This
book by
Harriet
Beecher
Stowe
caused great
controversy
about the
condition of
slavery!
Image:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Uncle_Tom%27s_Cabin_for_Children_book_co

6. Dred Scott v.
Sanford: The
Supreme Court
stated in this
decision that
slaves were
property and had
no rights as
citizens!
Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DredScott.jpg

7. Election of
Abraham Lincoln:
This was the “final
straw” for the
Southerners.
Lincoln was a
Republican and
southerners felt he
was going to do
away with slavery!

8. Secession: After Lincoln’s election, the
southern states began to secede, or remove
themselves, from the union.
Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CSA_Political_Map-en.svg