While studying the Civil War in school, American students were taught that slavery was the single issue that triggered the conflict. With 19 free states and 15 slave states making up the Union, Abraham Lincoln had already declared the nation to be “a house divided” even before he became president. While slavery was a major factor in the struggle, many historians think there were other factors at play throughout the horrific four-year fight.

It was by the mid-1800s that significant distinctions had evolved between the South and the North—and many historians believe that these divisions, or remnants of them, are still present in the nation today. The economy of the South was centered on agricultural, whilst the economy of the North was built on indu

stry; the values and lifestyles of each area mirrored the economic reality of their respective regions. Southerners thought that their agricultural culture was reliant on the work of slaves, and they were correct. For a long time, some saw slavery as unavoidable. However, this attitude has changed. However, by the early 1800s, the idea that slavery is morally wrong was starting to gain traction among the public. Northern abolitionists had begun a campaign to end slavery in the United States. However, with the exception of a tiny antislavery minority, the majority of people in the South did not hold these beliefs.

A number of additional issues had a role in the declaration of secession and establishment of the Confederacy, but some historians still contend that these concerns were only smoke screens for the protection of slavery in the southern states. In the wake of disputes between the federal government and the states, Southerners questioned whether the federal government should limit the authority of the states. Furthermore, the political party structure in the United States was in turmoil in the mid-1850s. Due to the disease, people began to have emotions of mistrust against the elected officials who determined national policy. Before the 1860 presidential election, Southern leaders pushed the South to separate from the Union if Abraham Lincoln, who had vocally opposed slavery, was elected president. The South eventually did so.