Guerra Civil Norteamericana

Causes of the American civil war
When we talk about the causes of the civil war, the first thing that comes to our minds is slavery, although it was an important reason there are other important issues like the economic and social differences between the north and the south, control of the government, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, states versus federal rights, John Brown’ raid, the republican partyand the election of Abraham Lincoln.
Slavery began in the United States in Virginia in 1619. By the end of the Revolution, most of the northern states had abandoned the institution while it continued in the farmer south states; by the time before Civil War most of the sectional conflicts involved this issue.
The Southern economy was based in the production of cotton so they needed a large amountof cheap labor, so it depended on slaves. On the other side the northern economy was based more on industry. The disparity set up a major difference in economic attitudes. The south, agrarian while the north focused in city life; this means that in the North society evolved as people of different cultures and classes had to work together. While the South continued to hold onto an antiquated socialorder.
The south had a slow growth in population while the north experienced high birth rates and a large influx of European immigrants. This boos in population meant that the efforts made by the south to maintain balance in the government were doomed as it meant the future addition of more free states and the election of a Northern, potentially anti-slavery, president.
Senator Stephen Douglas,an ardent believer in grassroots democracy, felt that all the territories should be subjected to a popular sovereignty so he proposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act that essentially repealed the line imposed by the Missouri Compromise. This was seen as a concession to the south, the Act caused violence in Kansas for three years. In 1859, the anti-slavery Wyandotte Constitution was accepted by Congress.The fighting in Kansas further heightened tensions between North and South.
South states felt that the control of the government was slipping away so they turned to a states rights argument to maintain slavery, southern stated that the federal government could not interfere with slavery in the states where it already existed; they felt that this type of strict constructionist interpretation ofthe Constitution coupled with nullification, or perhaps secession would protect their way of life (Kelly 2009).
John Brown, a fervent abolitionist fought with anti-slavery forces in the Pottawatomie Massacre where they killed five pro-slavery farmers. Then in October of 1859 he and other eighteen men attempted to raid the government armory to obtain weapons for the insurrection but they werecornered in the armory’s engine house. Brown was hanged in December that year.
Created in 1854 the republicans, an antislavery party, offered a vision for the future making an emphasis on industrialization, education and homesteading. In the south the Republican Party was viewed as a divisive element and one that could lead to conflict.
In 1860 representing the republicans Abraham Lincoln contendedwith Stephen Douglas, John C Breckinridge and John C. Bell. Breckinridge won the South, Bell the Border States, Douglas Missouri and part of New Jersey while Lincoln won the North; the north with its growing population took control of the government by the free states.
The Civil War begins
On April 12 of 1861 the war began when the General Beauregard opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston harborforcing its surrender. Responding to the attack, President Lincoln called 75 000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion. Northern states responded quickly but Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas refused and joined the Confederacy.
Lincoln appointed General Irvin McDowell to organize them into the army of Northeastern Virginia. McDowell was forced to advance south in July due to...