Describe the three main causes of the Civil War.

The three main causes of the American Civil War were:

1. Slavery: The Southern states depended on slavery for their economy, especially on large plantations of cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane. The North opposed slavery, considering it morally wrong, and the growing Anti-Slavery Movement intensified tensions.
2. States’ Rights: Southern states wanted no interference by the federal government in their affairs. They claimed the right to reject any federal law they disliked, which created a conflict with the Union.
3. Secession: After Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860, Southern states such as South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America, leading directly to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.