Long Term Causes
There were several political, economic, and social reasons for the start of the Civil War. The Dred Scott Decision was a major act of racism by the supreme court saying no blacks could become citizens. The book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, started a wave of anti-slavery across the nation by exposing the horrors of slavery. After the Harper's Ferry Raid, abolitionists acknowledged how far John Brown went to try to end slavery, and many were inspired. Another cause was the difference in the South's slave labor, and the North's Wage labor. This difference increased tensions between the North and South over time, and the abolitionists contributed to the obvious separation between the North and South. However, the South relied on slave labor, for their economy, so they would not give it up. Yet another long term cause was the abolitionist movement in general. With the help of many other causes, the abolitionists grew in numbers and spread throughout the north.