3. Short term causes: westward expansion and the crises of the 1850s
This page examines the short term causes of the Civil War: the turbulent years of the 1850s which saw divisions in America deepen and set the stage for the outbreak of civil war. Why was Westward expansion of the US a source of controversy? What was the impact of the Mexican-American War? Why was the Compromise of 1850 needed? Why did Sectionalism grow in the 1850s? What was the significance of the Lincoln–Douglas...