The American Civil War: an Unavoidable Conflict?

Some historians have argued that different cultures and societies can coexist peacefully, and without ongoing conflict. This is why some believe that the Civil War was caused by a “blundering generation,” or by a generation of people and politicians acting irresponsibly, rather than by an irreconcilable conflict. Although there may be some truth to this theory, it seems that the events leading up to the Civil War paint a picture of a conflict between the North and South that could not have been ended in compromise or understanding, making the war itself inevitable.

As decades passed, and people became more outraged about the question of slavery in the United States, several events took place to push the North and South further and further into a state of aggression that would ultimately lead to war.

The Compromise of 1850 ensured the entrance of California into the Union as a free state, ended the sale of slaves in the district of Columbia, and organized the Utah and New Mexico territories with the citizens of each being responsible for the issue of slavery in their respective states (Stockwell, 2012). It also created a stronger Fugitive Slave Law, which had a swift and negative reaction in the North. The fugitive Slave Act was the source of a great deal of anger among those who opposed slavery, because it would force all citizens to…