Story of the American Civil War, The

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. The American Civil War did not erupt overnight. It was the result of decades of mounting tension between the Northern and Southern states. These tensions were rooted in economic differences, cultural divides, and, most of all, disagreements over slavery. While the North moved toward industrialization, the South remained reliant on an agricultural economy built on slave labor. Slavery was the central issue that drove the North and South apart. Abolitionists in the North pushed for the end of slavery, calling it immoral and outdated. In contrast, Southern leaders defended it as essential to their way of life. This moral conflict was reflected in newspapers, churches, and political debates across the country. Political compromises tried to keep the country united but often only delayed the inevitable. The Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 attempted to balance the interests of free and slave states. However, each new territory added to the United States reopened the debate over whether slavery should be allowed there. The Kansas-Nebraska Act intensified the conflict and led to violent clashes known as "Bleeding Kansas."