What is regarded as the "spark" that ignited the Civil War?

The issue of slavery is regarded as the "spark" that ignited the Civil War because it was the central and most contentious topic that polarized the North and South in the years leading up to the conflict. While factors like the election of Abraham Lincoln and states' rights played significant roles in the tensions, it was primarily the debate over slavery that fueled the most passion and conflict. Slavery was not only a moral issue but also a deeply embedded economic system in the Southern states, impacting their way of life and driving their desire to maintain it against the growing abolitionist movement in the North.

The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, while pivotal, was a reaction to the ongoing tensions surrounding slavery and was viewed by many Southern states as a direct threat to the institution. Similarly, the issue of states' rights often intertwined with the defense of slavery, but it was ultimately the institution itself that generated the most fervent disputes. The abolition of the slave trade, while significant, occurred earlier and did not directly spark the war compared to the immediate and continuous debates that slavery presented leading into the 1860s. Thus, slavery can be seen as the underlying cause that ignited the Civil War, making it a fundamental issue in understanding the context of the