Conflict And Compromise In America On World History

In others, compromise was reached before any major conflict occurred. In the end, some conflicts were prevented with compromises like treaties. However, history shows that events in the past had both conflict and compromise.

Before the civil war happened in America, the South seceded from the North due to many different reasons. They had had nearly four decades of sectional conflict including differences in economic, social and political ideas. The South, which was known as the Confederate States of America, wanted to become an independent nation primarily because of the view the North, known as the Union, had on slavery. However, there were other reasons too which resulted from the North’s loose interpretation of the United States Constitution. The North wanted to grant federal governments more powers, while the South wanted individual states to get undefined powers. They even disagreed on internal improvements sponsored by the federal government which the North wanted.

However, the major point of conflict between North and South was ultimately slavery. South wanted to keep slavery. At this point, there were around 4 million slaves in the South and were highly valuable to the slaveholding planters. Slaves were used as helpers in the cultivation of tobacco, rice, cotton, and indigo as well as many. Many Southern preachers claimed that slavery was sanctioned in the Bible. After the American Revolution, slavery died in the North but became highly popular in the South. The North wanted free public education, better salaries and working conditions, rights for women, and better treatment of criminals. The South did not think these issues were important.  

When new territories became available in the West, the South wanted to use slavery in there. However, the North opposed it and wanted to stop slavery from reaching the new territories. The North also wanted to limit the number of slave states in the Union but the South felt that a government dominated by free states would endanger slaveholdings. In 1819, Missouri asked to be admitted into the Union and the Congress passed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and this was a legislative measure that regulated the extension of slavery in the United States for three decades. Maine too asked for statehood in 1819, and it was admitted as a free state.

However, the Compromise was not enough to save the conflict that followed after South Carolina adopted an ordinance of succession. This then gave impetus to Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas to follow suit. On February 4, 1861, delegates from these states drafted a constitution for the Confederate States of America, which ultimately led to the Civil War. Efforts were made to prevent a war but North and South had opposing views on slavery. In hindsight, although compromises were made, the conflict was inevitable.

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