What caused the Bloodiest War in American History ?

People have long debated what caused the war that killed over 200,000 more Americans than World War 2. The Civil War. According to Pulitzer Prize-winning author James McPherson, "The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states."

Although many argue that other things such as power, economic issues, and states rights caused the civil war, Slavery was it's main cause. Sure other things may have played a part but Slavery was the issue that drove each side to hate each other more than anything.

Even President Abraham Lincoln acknowledged this fact when he said "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other" in his "House-Divided" Speech in June of 1858.

More About The Civil War:

https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/civil-war-facts