What are three causes that lead to the American Civil War?

Answer 1

This question is a broad one and historians cite more than three causes for the US Civil War. Here are some important reasons that this writer believes are especially relevant:

A. The founding fathers failed to properly deal with the better goal of ending slavery in a step by step plan, which would have gradually ended slavery either by plans that the British Empire later used or some other formula;

B. Slavery had existed in the British colonies since the 17th century and thus had become an accepted "institution";

C. The slave free Northern US States had been complacent over the slavery issue;

D. The slavery issue became more complicated when solid Union States were also slave States such as Delaware and Maryland plus even in Washington DC; and

E. Statesmen nationwide failed to solve the issues dividing the nation by diplomacy rather than war.

Answer 2

There were many causes that led to the US Civil War. Here are three that were significant, among the many others:

1. The inability of the South to believe that the new US President Lincoln had no intentions of abolishing slavery in the South;

2. The belief by Southern leaders, that it had every right to leave the Union. Based on this, 11 Southern States eventually "left" the Union; and

3. The tenacity and belief of Abraham Lincoln that the South was in rebellion and he would do anything possible to keep the Union intact. His aim to keep the Union together, slavery was secondary to Lincoln.