Causes of the Civil War Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Causes of the Civil War Activity - Essay Example It has been a common belief that the northerners supported the abolition of slavery. This however was not the case since most northerners were more concerned with freeing the land from the colonizers than the abolition of slavery (Katcher, 2011). Although the northerners did not fully support the abolition of slavery, they had little concern over the issue. The difference between northerners and southerners concerning slavery arose from different agricultural practices in the two regions. The southerners were large-scale farmers and therefore slaves a supplied cheap labor. The cotton boom proved slavery to be an important part of the economy leading to a delay in the abolition of slavery (Varhola, 2011). The northern economy depended more on industry than agriculture, the northerners were city dwellers, and therefore slaves were insignificant to them. Proposals to abolish slavery therefore caused tensions between the two regions and were major cause of the civil war. Gender roles also played a major role in creating the differences between the north and south. Women have always fought for freedom or equality and this struggle is a common feature that characterized the antebellum period. Most American women were against slavery, their struggle against slavery was intended to unite them in their quest for equality between men and women. Unlike the southern women, the northern women had common interests that contributed to their unity. The differences in southern and northern women arose from their duties and roles in the society. Northern women mainly worked or preferred outdoor duties while the southerners preoccupied themselves with domestic duties. The differences in roles played by southern and northern women in the society furthered the differences between the women in the two regions. The issue of states’ rights versus federal rights arose during the antebellum period and