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Essay / How the North Won the Civil War
The Union North had superior political, social, and economic factors that contributed to its victory over the Confederate South in the American Civil War. The Industrial Revolution began in America in 1850. The North adapted to become a more industrial and urban economy while the South was more hesitant toward technological improvements and remained an agricultural economy. The North has invested in technology that has made the production and transportation of goods more efficient. The South, because of its agricultural economy, continued to purchase slaves for its workforce. Due to lack of investment, transportation was very difficult in the South, which would greatly affect them in the future. In Congress, the Whig and Democratic parties dominated politics, with each party having different philosophies. However, together they passed the Fugitive Slave Act which required citizens of free states to return runaway slaves to their owners. This act was popular among Southern slave owners, while Northern abolitionists were enraged. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay allowing slavery was called popular sovereignty. This act was very unpopular among abolitionists and Whig politicians, notably a young man named Abraham Lincoln. He hated slavery and believed the slaves should be sent back to Africa, but had no economically feasible plan to do so. The consequences of this act led to the collapse of the Whig Party, whose former members created the Republican Party. The Bleeding Kansas event, which took place during a major social celebration, led to increased tensions between the North and South and an economic cost; the United States had to pay damages of $150,000. Lincoln would join the Republican Party and run for president in 1860. Because of his views on slavery, Lincoln was very unpopular in the South, to the point where his name did not even appear on the ballot. The South supported John Breckinridge, who would later join the Confederate Army, but Lincoln won the electoral college vote. Lincoln's electoral victory led the southern states to secede from the Union, fearing that Lincoln would abolish slavery. Fearing that other states would leave the Union, Congress proposed the Crittenden Compromise which would ensure that slavery would still exist in the slave states and included a clause to prevent its repeal or modification. Southern Democrats favored the compromise, but Republicans disliked it and opposed it. After the compromise was rejected, other Southern states seceded from the Union to form the Confederacy. The idea of forming a new nation was very popular among Southern citizens, and many white men volunteered for the army. However, there was one major problem: the Confederate army lacked the supplies to fully support its army, so some volunteers had to be sent home while most Confederate soldiers wore their own clothes and used their own weapons. After the attack on Fort Sumter, Lincoln appealed to state governors to send troops while Union General Winfield Scott proposed blockading Southern ports and forcing submission to the Confederacy. His project was criticized by citizens of the North, who favored a more offensive approach. The blockade of Southern ports greatly affected the Confederate economy, as well as Great Britain and France, which »..