What was the primary issue that led to the Civil War?

The primary issue that led to the Civil War was slavery. This institution was central to the economy and social structure of the Southern states, which depended on slave labor for agricultural production. Tensions had been growing between the Northern and Southern states for decades as debates over the morality, legality, and future of slavery intensified.

As new territories and states were added to the Union, there was significant conflict regarding whether these areas would allow slavery. The Missouri Compromise and the Kansas-Nebraska Act are examples of attempts to resolve these tensions, but they often led to further discord. The election of Abraham Lincoln, who was perceived as anti-slavery, heightened fears in the South that their way of life was under threat. This ultimately led Southern states to secede from the Union, which was a direct catalyst for the Civil War.

While taxation, industrialization, and territorial expansion were indeed significant issues of the time, they were often intertwined with the slavery debate. For many in the South, the preservation of slavery was seen as essential to maintaining their economic and political power, making it the cornerstone issue that ignited the Civil War.