Civil War and Reconstruction - Assignment Example

Civil War and Reconstruction Order No.263079 December ‘08 Civil War and Reconstruction Was thesecession of the 11 southern states in 1860-61 a logical response to the crisis they perceived? Why or why not? The United States earlier was divided into two distinct regions, the North and the South. There were many geographical and cultural differences between the North and the South and these differences caused tension between the two regularly. The North region had a large and rapidly growing urban population and its economy mainly depended on farming and industry. There was no slavery outside the border states. The South on the other hand was dominated by a plantation system that was based on slavery. It had few cities or towns, and very little manufacturing activities. Slave owners controlled the politics and economics of the region. North’s population as well as its industrial output was growing faster than the Southern region and this made it difficult for the South to continue its influence on the national government. The tension between the reached its peak in the 1850s, over the right to hold slaves in new territories. Many politicians in the North especially of the Republic Party opposed slavery, resulting in numerous compromises such as the Missouri Compromise of 1820. However this did not completely resolve the issue of the power of slaveholders to control the national government. Many leaders of the new Republican Party in the North believed that a small number of Southern owners of large plantations continued to control the national government The Wilmot Proviso of 1846 resulted in physical violence during the period of ‘Bleeding Kansas’. Finally in 1860, the election of Abraham Lincoln, who the Southerners thought was an Abolitionist, triggered, the secession of the 11 states of the South from the union and the Confederate States of America was formed. Secessionists like Howell Cobb, Thomas R. and others, believed that Lincolns election violated the spirit of the U.S. Constitution and the North that had a majority would crush the rights of the South and ultimately abolish slavery. From this it does seem that the secession was a result of the fear of the Southerners that the North was trying to stop further expansion of slavery. According to McPherson, “Slavery was at the root of economic, moral and political differences that led to control issues, states rights and secession of seven states. The secession of four more states was a protest against Lincolns call to invade (from the Southern point of view) the South.” According to him although speeches and editorials in the South were full of references to rights, liberty, state sovereignty, etc., this did not conceal the fact that the fundamental issue of slavery. The upper South, like the lower, went to war to defend the freedom of white men to own slaves. 2. Did the North win the Civil War or, rather, did the South lose the war? Defend your answer. Many books and articles have been written about who won the Civil War. Explanations have been written as to "Why the South Lost" or "How the North Won" and some have written about how it was not the North that won the war, it was the South that lost the war, meaning to say that the South might have lost the war but not their pride. Right from the start of the war the North was in a more advantageous position than the South, in terms of manpower as well as resources. The North had a very powerful industry. The Southerners believed that their thriving cotton industry would support them through the war. Unfortunately it did not. As for manpower the numbers were clearly one sided, with nine million inhabitants living in the southern states and 22 million living in the northern states. The North also had plenty of land for growing food for its soldiers and also to provide money for its industries. The South depended mainly on cotton. Raw materials too were entirely concentrated in northern mines. Railroads and telegraph lines were used extensively by the North while the South remained isolated because of its outdated and underdeveloped infrastructure. The lack of adequate resources proved to be the devastating factor that led to the South being defeated. The North had all the resources and manpower to win the war and win it did. But here a point made by James McPherson is worth considering. .James McPherson argument is that even though the South was at a disadvantage because of insufficient resources and manpower and were likely to lose the war, there was no need for them to win the war. They had to just prove to the North that the cost of winning was too high. There was no need for them to invade and hold on to enemy territory and win the war. They only had to fight a defensive war and prove as mentioned earlier that the cost of winning was high. The North on the other hand had to conquer enemy territory in order to defeat the Confederate armies and win the war. Viewed from this angle one can say it was not the North that won the war but that it was the South that lost the war. 3. What was the key turning point in the Civil War? Defend your answer For over four years during the American Civil War there were dramatic shifts in the outcome of the military efforts between the Union and the Confederacy. As the Union and Confederate armies fought for supremacy, the battlefield witnessed successes and failures that significantly influenced political affairs and the morale of people at home. For several years after the Civil War historians and others have argued about the turning point that decisively turned the war in favor of the Union. James McPherson, the famous historian, is of the opinion that the Battle of Gettysburg proved a significant turning point in the war. However he also asserts that the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Vicksburg also represent critical turning points. Though there is considerable disagreement over the turning point of the American Civil War the Battle of Gettysburg has been widely cited as the turning point. The Battle of Gettysburg fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,between July1-3, 1863, saw Union Maj. Gen.George Gordon Meades Army of the Potomac defeat Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia The battle ended Lees invasion of the North. It had the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War but turned the Civil War completely in favor of the Union.The victory was a much needed victory for the North. Gettysburg proved that the Union was more than a match for the Army of Northern Virginia, the most accomplished army of the Confederacy or even the Union. The defeat shook the confidence of Lee, who was considered invincible and admired by both the Southerners and Northerners. After this battle the Army of Northern Virginia did not mount any significant offensive attack or attempt to capture any Northern territory in the manner of the Gettysburg campaign. The reputation of invincibility the Army of Northern Virginia had till then was destroyed, and victory for the Union was only a matter of time. Up to this point the successful leadership of the Southern generals saw the rebels winning battles. The Northern armies were being defeated and the Union was in trouble. The North, by winning the battle of Gettysburg crushed the rebels spirits and put a stop to the Confederate army terrorizing the Union. Some historians argue that Vicksburg and Shermans march to the sea also were major turning points of the war. To a certain extent they were. With The loss of Vicksburg the Mississippi River was also lost. This meant that the Union could stop the flow of men and supplies to places in the South. Shermans march to the sea demoralized the Souths will to continue fighting. Sherman and his men inflicted sixty miles of destruction in the heartland of the Confederacy that hurt the Confederacy greatly, which up to this point was on a winning tide. The battle of Gettysburg made many Northerners think that they could win the war. If General Lee had successfully won this battle, the war would have ended in favor of the South as Lee would have had a clear road to march into Washington D.C. This is what makes Battle of Gettysburg the turning point of the Civil War. References 1. McPherson James, Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction, New York: Knopf, 1982 Read More