Question

The struggle over slavery had been a part of the U.S. since its founding. The institution was common in the 13 American Colonies. Gradually, Northern U.S. states ended it, partly because of the influence of abolitionists—people opposed to slavery. Also, slavery was not as essential to the Northern economy. Yet the rural South, which relied on the profits from growing cotton and other crops, viewed the labor of enslaved people as vital. During the writing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, delegates from Southern states had threatened to walk out unless slavery was protected in their part of the country. That didn’t end the debate though. As the young nation expanded in the decades that followed, the argument over whether the practice should be allowed to spread to new states continually threatened to pull the country apart. For the South, the last straw came in November 1860 with the election of Lincoln as president. At the time, about 3.9 million people of African descent were being held in bondage in the U.S. The majority of them were in the South. Lincoln had steadily opposed the spread of slavery. Southern leaders feared that, under Lincoln, the federal government would try to end slavery nationwide. They thought that each state should make that decision for itself. America's Civil War Watch a video about the lead-up to and fighting of the U.S. Civil War (1861-65). Declaring Lincoln and the North “hostile to slavery,” South Carolina seceded from the Union in December 1860. Within months, 10 more of the 34 U.S. states followed. Together, the states that had left the Union declared themselves the Confederate States of America. Lincoln still hoped to keep the country together, even if it meant letting slavery continue in some places. At his inauguration on March 4, 1861, he said: “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists.” But the wheels were already in motion. On April 12, Confederate guns opened fire on Union-held Fort Sumter

Answer 1

The enduring struggle over slavery in the U.S. stemmed from economic and ideological differences. Abraham Lincoln's 1860 election heightened tensions, triggering Southern secession and the onset of the Civil War.

The persistent conflict over slavery in the United States evolved from its prevalence in the Southern agrarian economy, contrasting with the Northern states where abolitionist sentiments gained traction. As the nation expanded, the debate intensified regarding whether slavery should extend to new territories.

The Southern states' demand for slavery protection during the drafting of the U.S. Constitution underscored the deep-rooted divisions. Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860 further exacerbated tensions, as Southern states perceived him as a threat to their institution. Fearing federal intervention against slavery, Southern states seceded, forming the Confederate States of America.

Despite Lincoln's initial intent to preserve the Union without directly challenging slavery, the attack on Fort Sumter in 1861 marked the onset of the Civil War. The conflict, fueled by economic, social, and political disparities, ultimately aimed at resolving the question of slavery's future in the United States.

Complete question below:

What factors contributed to the long-standing struggle over slavery in the United States, and how did the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 escalate tensions, ultimately leading to the secession of Southern states and the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861?