What was the main cause of the U.S. Civil War?

The main cause of the U.S. Civil War was indeed a combination of slavery and states' rights. In the decades leading up to the war, tensions escalated between the Northern states, which were increasingly opposing slavery, and the Southern states, which depended on slave labor for their agricultural economy. The Southern states believed in the principle of states' rights, arguing that states should have the authority to make their own laws regarding slavery without federal interference. This belief led to a series of confrontations over following a federal law or asserting state sovereignty.

The issue of slavery was central not only because it was a moral question but also because it was economically intertwined with the South's way of life. As new territories were acquired and decisions about whether to allow slavery in these areas came to the forefront, conflicts intensified. The South felt threatened by the North's anti-slavery sentiments, which they perceived as an attack on their economy and heritage.

While economic differences and expansionist policies certainly played a role in the broader context of the Civil War, they were largely intertwined with the debate over slavery and the rights of states to govern themselves without federal intrusion. Disputes over land factored into the expansion of slavery into new territories, but the heart of the conflict lay