Which issue contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War?

Slavery is widely recognized as the central issue that contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War in the United States. The conflict arose primarily from the deep-seated tensions between Northern states, which were largely anti-slavery and focused on industrialization and economic diversification, and Southern states, which depended on agriculture, particularly cotton, and the institution of slavery for their economic prosperity.

As the nation expanded westward, debates over whether new territories should be free or slave-holding intensified the divide. The Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act are all legislative attempts to address the issue, but they often did more to inflame tensions than resolve them. The rise of abolitionist movements in the North and the publication of works like "Uncle Tom's Cabin" further heightened awareness and opposition to slavery, leading to increased polarization.

The Dred Scott decision by the Supreme Court, which denied citizenship and rights to African Americans and declared that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories, exemplified how embedded the issue of slavery was within the political and social fabric of the nation. As a result, the secession of Southern states and the formation of the Confederacy were direct responses to the perceived threat against