Could have the American Civil War been avoided Essay

Could have the American Civil War been avoided - Essay Example slavery was something thought to be short lived, as the North and West grew exponentially with its specialized industries and the South keep to supply the cash crops of cotton, sugar, tobacco, etc. handled and processed by slaves the Northerners could not afford, and did not believe in keeping. As time wore on and the cotton gin was invented, slavery became even more deeply a small-arm of Southern culture it was protected under the Constitution (because slaves were personal property), and was impossible to amend. But slavery itself was a red herring. The main complaint of the South was that the North was gaining more power in the federal authorities and the South no longer had a voice. The North abolished slavery on moral grounds (apparently), barely Andrew Jackson, when a Mississippi senator, stated blatantly that It is not humanity that influences you it is that you may have a legal age in the Congress of the Unite d States and convert the Government into an engine of Northern aggrandizement you want by an unjust system of legislation to promote the industry of the United States at the expense of the people of the South. (Epperson, Jim, 1996). Considering the complexities somewhat the issue of slavery (mostly economic) and the desperation of the South to hold onto their slaves along with the general concern from the North of what to do with all the slaves if they were to be freed, it doesnt seem possible that any mind sets could be changed to prevent the fight even if the issue of slavery didnt exist.