"How did the american civil war begin?" Slavery is the generic answer - what are the other reasons?

by Lord_Chodelot

I know that there were already a lot of tensions between states considering westward expansion, vastly different lifestyles, and differentiating values, but how did all of this come together to create a schism between a country that was less than a hundred years old? There must be a few factors that they just don't teach you in school.

HerpingDerp

Here is one of the best answers ever given.

You can check out the FAQ for questions like these that have probably been asked several times in the past.

Edit-Wrong link, woops!