What was the primary reason for the Civil War?

The primary reason for the Civil War was rooted in slavery and the issues surrounding Union secession. This conflict primarily emerged from deep-seated tensions between the Northern states, which were largely anti-slavery and favored a more industrialized economy, and the Southern states, which depended heavily on an agricultural system that relied on slave labor.

As the United States expanded westward, the debate intensified over whether new states admitted to the Union would be free or slave states. This contention led Southern states to feel that their way of life—and by extension, their rights—were under threat. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, who was perceived as opposing the expansion of slavery, triggered a series of secessions where Southern states left the Union to form the Confederacy. Their focus on preserving the institution of slavery solidified this conflict, making slavery the central issue that precipitated the Civil War.

While economic differences and territorial disputes played roles in the broader context of the war, they were often intertwined with the primary issue of slavery. Immigration policies, on the other hand, did not significantly contribute to the causes of the Civil War in the same way that slavery and secession did.