Kelvin Hernandez
Erik Diaz
3/24/13
Mr.Avila

The Beginnings Of The Civil War No event affected America and its people more significantly then the secession of eleven southern states and the civil war that followed. Americans who witnessed the secession of the southern states, and historians ever since, have argued over the causes. Some say it was the North’s fault and some say it was the South’s. But the causes that everyone agrees on is Lincoln’s election, the John Brown raid including the stealthy tread of abolitionists among them ,the burnings of Texas, and lastly the universal suffrage are at the root of their troubles. To begin with, Lincoln’s election included many doubts. The south was afraid that Lincoln would gain overwhelming power and make slavery extinct. “The north is accumulating power, and it means to use that power to emancipate your slaves” (Brown pg.222). In this quote it shows how the south is scared and feeling weak. This is all because Lincoln was elected. Furthermore, States wanting to leave the union were the John Brown raid, the burning of Texas, and the stealthy tread of abolitionists among us while the north was accumulating power which means to use that power to emancipate your slaves. “Disunion is a fearful thing, but emancipation is worse. Better leave the union in the open face of day than be lighted from it at midnight by the [arsonists] torch” (brown pg.222). In this quote a Mississippi politician is explaining how he thinks the northerners hate the south and how leaving the union is much better than losing their slaves. Nevertheless, universal suffrage was another cause that led the southern