As we look back on how America became the nation we both love and hate, we can't help but think of the Civil War. This war divided a nation and its outcome paved the way for how our nation still functions today. The issues between the North and the South, or as they were called in 1861, the Union and the Confederate States of America, could not have been negotiated. The war lasted four years and ended in victory for the North. I have to say that I agree with historians who believe that the Civil War was inevitable. The type of conflict between North and South was ultimately about money and such issues can probably never be resolved peacefully and without bloodshed. This remains true even today, given how our current government handles similar issues. Many may say that most conflicts can be resolved without conflict, but my position on this particular issue is that when it comes to money and people's livelihoods, no amount of speech can satisfy one or either party. Civil war was inevitable because the South did not want to abandon its slaves. The work slaves did provided them with much wealth and, in their eyes, opportunities to obtain even more. The South's profits came primarily from agriculture and the North had evolved and earned its means through industrial efforts. Since the South was determined to keep slavery active, it was more than displeased when Abraham Lincoln was elected president. Lincoln was very openly opposed to slavery. But it wasn’t necessarily about ending slavery. He just wanted to stop the expansion of the practice. However, the South saw this as a threat and assumed that the abolition of slavery would be the inevitable...... middle of paper ......sions because they knew it was against slavery. slavery but the nail in the coffin was the attack on Fort Sumter. Once there was an attempt at bloodshed, there was no turning back. Issues were no longer up for discussion and the only recourse was war. Works Cited Roark, JL, Johnson, MP, Cohen, PC, Stage, S., Lawson, A., Hartmann, SM (2009). The American Promise: A History of the United States (4th ed.), The Slave South, 1820-1860, The House Divided 1846-1861 (Vol. 1, pp. 434-509). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's. “States Rights”. Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, nd Web. December 10, 2013. “Fort Sumter.” Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, nd Web. December 10. 2013. .