Could the Civil War have been avoided?
Quick Answer
The Civil War was a complex conflict stemming from myriad causes including slavery, trade, and federal structure, and as such it is a matter of opinion as to whether or not it was preventable. Many forces were in play at the war's outset and at the time many outcomes seemed possible.
Continue ReadingFull Answer
Efforts to end slavery were well underway during the events that led up to the Civil War. Slave rebellions had spread like wildfire around the slave-owning Western world while abolitionists crusaded against its continuation and freedom fighters like Harriet Tubman struggled to ferry slaves to safety along the Underground Railroad.
Determining whether or not a war was preventable is a practical impossibility. Speculation is the only tool available, no matter how informed. That there was considerable resistance to the war is undeniable, but equally undeniable is that the season of war prevailed and the fight was eventually waged.
Had a non-violent solution to the problem of slavery's gross injustices succeeded in freeing the slaves, war might have been delayed or prevented. The North and the South might also have avoided combat if President Lincoln had been removed from power, or if he had not been elected, though what course history would have taken otherwise is impossible to say.
Learn more about US HistoryRelated Questions
-
Q:
What were the pros and cons of the Civil War?
A: Positive outcomes of the Civil War included a stronger United States government and the abolition of slavery, while negative outcomes included a high death... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What was the cause of the Civil War?
A: Some of the major causes of the Civil War were state rights and differences in the social and economical structure between the North and South. Slavery fit... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What were the causes of the Civil War?
A: The main reasons for the secession of the Southern from the Union were states' rights, unfair taxation and slavery. In general, the states that seceded fel... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
When was the Civil War fought?
A: The Civil War spanned from 1861 to 1865. The war began with the first battle at Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12th, 1861, and the final battle too... Full Answer >Filed Under:
