Origins of the American Civil War

Historians debating the origins of the American Civil War focus on the reasons why seven Southern states declared their secession from the United States (the Union), why they united to form the Confederate States of America (the "Confederacy"), and why the North refused to let them go. While textbooks today all state that conflicts over slavery caused the war, they disagree sharply regarding which kinds of conflict—ideological, economic, political, or social—was most important.