The main motive of the American Civil War was the issue of slavery, which was a moral, political, and economic divide between the Northern and Southern states. The Northern states were largely industrialised and opposed the expansion of slavery, while the Southern states relied heavily on an agricultural economy based on slavery.
Factors Leading to the Civil War:
* The Abolitionist Movement: This movement, led by people like William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass, sought to end slavery in the United States. They campaigned against the expansion of slavery into new territories and called for the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
* The Expansion of Slavery: The issue of slavery became more intense as new states were added to the Union. Southern states wanted to extend slavery into new territories like Kansas and Nebraska, while Northern states opposed this expansion, leading to conflicts and tensions.
* Dred Scott Case (1857): This landmark Supreme Court case ruled that enslaved African Americans were not citizens of the United States, and therefore had no legal rights. This decision further inflamed tensions between the North and the South.
* The Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860): The victory of Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, triggered the secession crisis. Southern states started to secede from the Union, leading to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.
While slavery was the primary cause of the Civil War, other factors such as states' rights, economic interests, political power dynamics, and the issue of tariffs and trade policies played supporting roles in the conflict.