Final Exam Civil War - Essay Example

The Missouri contract of 1820 was a warning signal of the civil war that was looming. When Missouri applied for admission in the United States in 1918, people were awakening on the issue of slavery. At that time, the issue of slavery was very sensitive between the southern pro slavery states and Northern antislavery states. Consequently, the requirements set for Missouri’s’ admission suggested that it had to restrict slavery within its boundaries. Moreover, before its admission, the number of slave states and Free states in congress was equal.

The admission of Missouri in either category would result in a shift in power. The admission of Maine as a free state, however, resulted in Missouri’s admission as a slave state with all the benefits that the other slave states enjoyed. Later on, the pro slavery Missouri state presented a law, forbidding legislature to free slaves against their masters’ wishes (McDevitt 121). The southern states felt threatened by the rapid growth of power of the Northern states politically and economically.

They feared that the Northern states might stall slavery expansion as they had tried before the Missouri Comprise. The Northern legislators wanted to prevent the spread of slavery to the new states. However, Southern legislators wanted the new states to be allowed to carry out slavery (Burgan 6). This and other differences resulted in the civil War (Gallagher 239). As mentioned earlier, the south was predominantly agrarian. They produced tobacco, cotton and other products, which the north used as raw materials in their industries.

Since the Northern States were industrialized, they manufactured most goods thereby benefiting most. They invested the revenues collected in economic expansion. On the contrary, the Southern states who were the producers paid high manufacturing tariffs and other shipping costs. They felt exploited by the North because 90% of their revenue at that time went into taxes