Final answer:
The major cause of the Civil War was not Lincoln's election, but rather the longstanding sectional tensions primarily involving the institution of slavery and its role in the Southern economy, as well as socio-economic and cultural differences between the North and the South.
Step-by-step explanation:
While Abraham Lincoln's election was a significant event that led to secession, it did not cause the Civil War. The main causes of the Civil War were deeply rooted in the nation's history, with slavery at the center of the conflict. The institution of slavery was crucial to the Southern economy, which was heavily dependent on it for agricultural production, leading to significant economic and ideological divisions between the North and the South.
The buildup to the Civil War included decades of sectional tensions, with economic disparities and political differences over slavery fueling the strife. Such underlying issues, alongside the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, ultimately ignited the conflict. Certainly, Lincoln’s election was important, but it functioned more as a catalyst, precipitating Southern actions rather than being the underlying cause.
Motivations to argue that the Civil War was fought over something other than slavery often center around the complex socio-economic factors and cultural norms that were inextricably linked to the institution of slavery. When examining the motivations behind separatist movements, including the Confederate secession, economic control and local governance were frequently cited, though these issues were also intertwined with the perpetuation and control of slavery itself.