Origins of the civil war

Some of the events that contributed to the civil war were not compromises but occurred due to social and developmental factors. This essay will highlight these compromises and how each of them propelled the country closer to the eventual civil war in the 1960s. The gold rush that was witnessed in America after the discovery of gold in 1949 had a significant impact on the state of California’s governance and the growing tension between the free states and the slave states. News about the wealth of gold in California attracted people from all over the country who sought to mine the mineral. Large mining companies were better placed to exploit the resource; however, this did not deter individual miners from travelling to California to pan for gold.

President Taylor was keen on ensuring his decision maintained peace and the fragile sense of cohesion throughout the union. President Taylor sought to make California a state and allow the issue of slavery to be decided through popular sovereignty. This would include asking the residents of the state to vote on the issue where the majority wins. The idea was not acceptable to the slave states as they were aware of their imminent loss to free states. As a result, another compromise was formulated to guide on the issue. Under the leadership of a new president supported by the moderates, the compromise was passed. The people of South Carolina sought to convince the extremists, with emphasis to those in the slave states, to adopt the compromise and protect the union of the country.

States such as South Carolina that were at the border of the north and south were at a difficult position in choosing between the opposing sides. The state called for the adoption of the constitution and the values it embodies (Convention of South Carolina, 1). The marginal success of the compromise led to deep-rooted issues within parties on both sides of the slavery argument. Two major national parties were created based on their view of slavery in America. This set the stage for a battle, both in and out of Congress, as each party sought to ensure Americans adopted their ideology. Kansas provided the ground for the battle as it had been the latest region in the country to be adopted as a state and turned into a slave state.

A popular vote was expected to recognize the new state as a slave state. Both parties from opposing ends sent groups loyal to them to pose as residents and vote in favor of their party’s cause. The emergence of leaders such as Abraham Lincoln ensured the ideology and promise of a country free from slavery were alive. When Republicans under Lincoln won the election in 1860, the southern states were aware of the threat to the institution of slavery. As a result, they opted to leave the union and establish themselves as territories that could dictate their future. Texas had already instituted the process of secession as early as 1845 but abandoned it to promote their interests (Texas State Library and Archives Commission, 1).