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1、AmericanCivilWarPage10of10AmericanCivilWarI.CausesoftheCivilWarThechiefandimmediatecauseofthewarwasslavery.Southernstates,includingthe11statesthatformedtheConfederacy,dependedonslaverytosupporttheireconomy.Southernersusedslavelabortoproducecrops,especiallycotton.Althoughslaverywasillegali
2、ntheNorthernstates,onlyasmallproportionofNorthernersactivelyopposedit.ThemaindebatebetweentheNorthandtheSouthontheeveofthewarwaswhetherslaveryshouldbepermittedintheWesternterritoriesrecentlyacquiredduringtheMexicanWar(1846-1848),includingNewMexico,partofCalifornia,andUtah.Opponentsofslave
3、rywereconcernedaboutitsexpansion,inpartbecausetheydidnotwanttocompeteagainstslavelabor.1.EconomicandsocialfactorsBy1860,theNorthandtheSouthhaddevelopedintotwoverydifferentregions.Divergentsocial,economic,andpoliticalpointsofview,datingfromcolonialtimes,graduallydrovethetwosectionsfarthera
4、ndfartherapart.Eachtriedtoimposeitspointofviewonthecountryasawhole.AlthoughcompromiseshadkepttheUniontogetherformanyyears,in1860thesituationwasexplosive.TheelectionofAbrahamLincolnaspresidentwasviewedbytheSouthasathreattoslaveryandignitedthewar.2.PoliticalfactorsIntheearlydaysoftheUnitedS
5、tates,loyaltytoone’sstateoftentookprecedenceoverloyaltytoone’scountry.ANewYorkeroraVirginianwouldrefertohisstateas“mycountry.”TheUnionwasconsidereda“voluntarycompact”enteredintobyindependent,sovereignstatesforaslongasitservedtheirpurposetobesojoined.Inthenation’searlyyears,neitherNorthnor
6、SouthhadanystrongsenseofthepermanenceoftheUnion.NewEngland,forexample,oncethoughtofseceding,orleavingtheUnion,becausetheWarof1812cutofftradewithEngland.AsNorthernandSouthernpatternsoflivingdiverged,theirpoliticalideasalsodevelopedmarkeddifferences.TheNorthneededacentralgovernmenttobuildan
7、infrastructureofroadsandrailways,protectitscomplextradingandfinancialinterests,andcontrolthenationalcurrency.TheSouthdependedmuchlessonthefederalgovernmentthandidotherregions,andSouthernersthereforefeltnoneedtostrengthenit.Inaddition,Southernpatriotsfearedthatastron
