Essay --

In 1861, conflicts and tension between the northern and southern United States erupted into the Civil War, the bloodiest war in American history. Economic differences existed between the north and south, which made the Civil War inevitable. The south’s economy was largely agriculturally based and dependent on slave labor, while the north was more industrial and based on free labor. The issue of slavery is often cited as the main cause of the Civil War, but it is actually the economic dependency of the South on slavery that caused the Civil War. Slavery being the backbone of the South led to conflict on whether or not states should be admitted as free or slave states, which could potentially tip the balance of free states vs slave states’ representation in the Senate. The North and South being so radically different in economy and culture created conflict between them. Their differences actually made the Civil War an inevitable event, because as the saying goes, â€Å" United we stand, divided we fall†. Their differences divided the country, ultimately leading to the Civil War. Starting from the end of the American Revolution, the north had developed differently than the south. This was largely due to differences in geography. There were more seaports in the north, and factories became more prevalent. A commercial economy resulted. Roads and canals were built, and cities grew. Many people were merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, and salesmen. The north became more and more metropolitan. There were still farmers living in the north, but they differed from southern farmers in that they used more modern technology to farm and became more efficient. Farming was easier in the north than the south as well, because of the south’s difficult ... ...t states, â€Å"Upon the whole, therefore, it is the judgment of this court, that it appears by the record before us that the plaintiff in error is not a citizen of Missouri, in the sense in which that word is used in the Constitution; and that the Circuit Court of the United States, for that reason, had no jurisdiction in the case, and could give no judgment in it. Its judgment for the defendant must, consequently, be reversed, and a mandate issued, directing the suit to be dismissed for want of jurisdiction.† This meant that Scott was not considered a citizen, so he had no rights, could not sue, and had to remain a slave. The court further ruled that banning slavery was unconstitutional, since slaves were property and property is protected under the Constitution.The controversy over slavery was intensified,and further deepened the rift between the north and the south.