Could 1860 Civil War Be Avoided - Essay Example

Thus, each person who is going to understand the American character absolutely needs to explore the great catastrophe of the XIX century, to explore the Civil War. In such a way the main aim of this paper is to assume an American leader role on self, in 1860, and imagine whether it was possible to avoid the Civil War. First of all it is necessary to understand the main reason for this large-scale military conflict, forced the citizens of one country to stand up against each other with arms in their hands.

The most common cause of the Civil War is usually considered to be a struggle for the abolition of slavery (Boritt, 1996). Of course, the abolition of slavery was not the only one that caused so far going opposition, so, the growing influence of the North in making some policy decisions that would benefit it also raised questions on the part of the Southerners, and increased the difference in the overall lifestyle of the two parts of the country. Such actions caused great tension, but it was a cornerstone in building a relationship of North and South for many years of the country's history.

Basing on the opinion that the abolition of slavery was the main reason of the Civil War it is necessary to mention that slavery was more economic than racial phenomenon. In this context we see that the position of Lincoln was not as radical as we sometimes suppose, because he was a proponent of the abolition of the further spread of slavery, but agreed with the right to own slaves in the southern states. Thus, being a president I would be able to try to minimize harms of Lincoln’s views using better considered positions which would help to solve political and economic contradictions between North and South, to look for the solution of territorial expansion, economic crisis and modernization of the economy in those times period.

It is possible to suppose that the abolition of the slavery would have more mild character if the state would be able to unite two parts of the country into one organism and buy all slaves from their masters and made them free, giving them an opportunity to change their status from ordinary slaves on wage slaves. In some degree this proposition would cost a lot of money for the state, but this step would overcome many contradictions between South and North, giving both states equal opportunities, using implementation of one strong ideology on the whole nation.

One more reason that may explain the necessity of buying slaves by the state is the fact that such actions would help to stop armed revolt among slaves making them free. The main aim of many slaves was to find own freedom, because some slaves had an opportunity to pay money for their lives and become free, while others were very poor and only state could help them to fight for their rights and prevent their participations in rising against the state. Thinking about the main reasons of the Civil War it is important to add that Americans also fought for a principle, this mean that they also need to know which laws were more important - the laws of the State or All-American laws (Higham and Woodworth, 1996).

It shows that the nation needed one strong ideology which would be able to organize nation around one big aim in spite of anything. Agreeing with the fact that the Civil War is a big pain of American nation it is necessary to state that scientists, researchers, politicians, historians, and even ordinary people are still debating the topic