The American Civil War was not inevitable, but by the time tensions between North and South had reached a certain level in the months before war was declared, it probably could not be avoided. The roots of separation between the North and the South can actually be traced back to the early colonial period. Some of the cleavages after 1850 were embodied in the developing Federalist Party representing the mercantile interests of the North and the Republican Party representing the agrarian interests of the South. The two regions had different philosophies of government. Originally, the coastal region wanted little government interference, while the people of the interior wanted government protection. These philosophies shifted with time until the South was the region opposing government interference and the North was more willing to seek government control and protection. In addition, economic issues were a source of dissension between the two regions, especially in terms of the exercise of constitutional power by the central government in economic matters. The popular view has long been that the war was fought over slavery, but while slavery was an issue, other concerns were more key in bringing about the conflict, as will be seen through an analysis of the literature on the subject offered by various historians.
The roots of separation between the North and the South can be traced back to the early colonial period. Some of the cleavages after 1850 were embodied in the developing Federalist Party representing the mercantile interests of the North and the Republican Party representing the agrarian interests of the South. The two regions had different philosophies of government. Originally, the coastal region wanted little government interference, while the people of the interior wanted government protection. These philosophies shifted with time until the South was the region opposing government interference and the North wa...