If our Civil War could be compared to a messy and contested divorce, we could

extend the metaphor further to its causes: irreconcilable differences. Those

differences were the causes and their effects would be long lasting. Let's look at
the main causes of the Civil War in terms of differences between the warring
parties. How did we evolve from a relatively homogeneous country into "two
distinct and confrontational sections where, 'e pluribus unum' devolved into 'us
versus them'?" [1]

According to Flagel, the top ten causes of the Civil War were:

1. Northern industrialization. Our country became two economic entities: The

industrialized North and the agricultural, slave-holding South.

2. Population disparity. In 1860 there were 22 million northerners and 10 million

southerners, 4 million of which were slaves. Politically, the South, already
worried about its rights, was outvoted in Congress.

3. The debate over the morality of slavery. The polarizing moral arguments
(abolitionists versus southern apologists) were as irreconcilable back then as our
ongoing debate over abortion is now.

4. Southern nationalism and "states rights." The South became polarized and
unified as they saw their struggle one of "David (the South) versus Goliath (the
oppressive federal government).

5. Slavery's intrusion into free states. The Fugitive Slave Act, the Dredd Scot
Decision, and the Supreme Court's ruling that outlawing slavery in any state was
unconstitutional miffed and frustrated northerners.

6. Northern nationalism through "union." Northerners tired of making concessions

to the minority "slavocracy." The idea of "union" was that the majority ruled and
southern interests were undemocratic.

7. Territorial expansion. As "Manifest Destiny" resulted in war with Mexico and

the territory of the United States doubled, the issue of whether a territory would
be slave or free led to failed federal policies like "popular sovereignty." What
was intended was for the settlers to decide. What happened was "Bleeding Kansas"
and a full-scale prelude to the Civil War.

8. Poor leadership. After Andrew Jackson left office in 1836, we had a succession
of weak one-term Presidents, who seemed incapable of uniting our country.
Likewise, national politicians tended to focus on rather than resolve what was
ailing our disintegrating country.

9. The rise of the sectional political party. The Republican Party grew from and
existed to serve the interests of the North. When Lincoln won the presidency in
1860 with 40 percent of the popular vote, but a majority of the electoral vote,
southern secession began. It could be argued that the Civil War started because
the South lost a presidential election.

10. The South's dependence on slavery. Slave owners in the South truly believed
that Lincoln and the "Black Republicans" wanted to strip the south of their
slaves. Given the fact that about one-third of the South's financial worth (a
total of about $3 billion) was tied up in slaves, the South had a serious
financial stake in wanting to go their separate way.

What were the effects of the Civil War? For a start, the question of "states
rights" was resolved forever (in favor of the federal government). Slavery was
abolished and citizenship and civil rights were granted (on paper at least) to
former slaves. Unfortunately, political expediency led to the end of
Reconstruction, and the beginning of repressive southern Jim Crow laws. Racial
prejudice remained an open wound on the American body politic for years and years,
and we are still dealing with it today.

Source:
[1] Flagel, Thomas R. "The History Buff's Guide to the Civil War," Cumberland
House: Nashville (2003), (p. 19-24)