Final answer:
Historians agree that the Civil War was fought over slavery, but they debate other causes such as economic disparities, cultural differences, and states' rights. They also discuss if and when the war became inevitable.
Step-by-step explanation:
Historians have debated many aspects of the Civil War, except for the question of whether it was really fought over the issue of slavery, as this is widely accepted. The debate has included topics such as: if it was an irrepressible conflict, if slaves contributed to the Northern victory, if the failure of the party system caused the war, and if divergent culture and commercial interests were a cause. The key contributing factors for the war, beyond slavery, included economic disparities, cultural differences, and the struggle between states' rights versus federal authority. The question of whether the Civil War was inevitable and at what point it may have become so also sparks significant debate among historians.