The History Of United States Civil War - Report Example

THE HISTORY OF UNITED S CIVIL WAR Introduction The United s civil war occurred between 1861 and 1865. The war was between the Northern and the southern states that had by then formed the Confederacy after ceding the Union. It is believed that the war that broke in the Southern Union was also referred to as the war for the southern independence, the war of succession, and the war for the Rebellion. Though criticized widely, the war is considerable accepted. With its name, the war was not all about the class struggle, but a sectional fight based on political, psychological, and social as well as economic aspects that the historians did not agree upon themselves. These aspects have been categorized in the William H. Seward’s words of irrepressible conflicts. In another perspective view, the Civil war was also viewed as a criminal act that led to unnecessary blood shedding that was as a result of careless and much egotistical politicians in the country1. Both ideological views did accept the fact that there existed a situation in the country that was considered an unfathomable by the diplomatic means within the country. During those days, the American Revolution enhanced the drafting of the constitution to try and solve the grievances among the two sided; the Northern and the Southern part. The differences that existed between the North and the South in the constitution were drafted and their common interests effectively taken care of. In the 19th century, the two parts had completely continued to practice sectionalism with the Southern part being specialized in agricultural activity. The economic and social life of the region was based on plantations and slavery. These two dependent sections produced a lot of staples such as cotton, which is the main source of income in the southern region. The Northern side owns resources in the agricultural sector that is more economically advanced and that has greatly contributed to industrial growth and development in the country. Causes of the United States Civil War The Missouri Compromise The United States civil war was as a result of various factors in the country. They include; the hostility that grew after the 1820s, the Missouri Compromise that was taken as a permanent solution for the issues that had emerged due to the federal territories extension, and the prohibition of the slavery during the period in the west. Tariff difficulties arose that resulted to the nullification of the South Carolina and John C. Calhoun and the internal improvements that resulted in problems with the territorial issue being the largest issue. In 1830s, the abolitionists increased in the North since there were difficulties in adapting slavery in most of the lands in the territories. As a result, the Southern part became much eager to maintain its position as an equal part in the union2. The North part would be declared a free state with the continued abolition of slavery. The people in the Southern region continued to strongly reinforce the seizure of Texas and the Mexican War and even disconcerted for the certification of slavery in Cuba. The Compromise of the 1850 In 1850, the compromise marked the termination of the compromising era. Henry Clay and Daniel Webster’s deaths left no leader in the national stature with only the sectional spokesmen such as Salmon P. Chase and W. H Sumner in the North, Robert Toombs and Jefferson Davis in the South. In 1853, the Kansas Nebraska Act first scuffle for hemorrhage resulted in shooting. Many people from the South were always excited of the Northerners abolitionist John Brown actions, and the dynamic pro slavery statements of one of the fire-eaters in the Southern part called William L. Yancey. The Election of 1860 Between 1860 and 1861, the United States separated. This can be attributed to the activities that had taken place in the earlier years within the country. Before 1850s, there had already been a gradual disequilibrium in the political sector of the country. The Northern part had been joining the antislavery Republican Party as the politicians from the Southern part started getting the fear of their place in the union for the slavery’s future. The positions in the union hardened as the Republicans asserted the majority rule in the union thus the Slaveholders had an increased threat from the Republicans based on their way of life, as well as their abolitionist3. This was to entail both the whites and the blacks who supported the slaveholders thus soughing to end the slavery. The Territorial Crisis and the United States Constitution This separation resulted in a large split between the two parties. Most of the Southern joined the Democratic Party that was one of the few remaining parties in the whole nation. The Republican Party was purely for the Northerners from the Free-soil Party and the Liberty party. The party was strictly based from the North and only for those with than Northern phenomenon. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln who was a Republican candidate was elected into the presidential position on the basis of the stoppage of slavery from extending to the other areas within the Southern part. He had defeated three candidates John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), Stephen A. Douglas (Northern Democrat), and John Bell of the Constitutional Union party. Nullification Crisis The win by Lincoln was a clear indication of South Carolina’s succession (Dec. 20, 1860). The state was later followed by other states such as Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. The quest for the federal resources within the states became the main issue. Federal property had become quite important especially with the forts located in the Charleston harbor. By then, outgoing president, James Buchanan, who was from the Northern Democrat was tracking the southerners pro slavery section of the party. Averting a war was among his key attempts, as well as pursuing a vacillating progression. The question regarding the forts remained unsettled despite the inauguration of Lincoln as the sitting president. However, there had been great efforts to reunite the two sections. Lincoln was able to hold Sumter through his resolving efforts. In April 12, 1861, a confederation was held shelling the Sumter Fort in the South Carolina. This was to provoke Lincoln to call about 75,000 volunteers from all over the states to stop the rebellion and maintain their Union by the use of excessive power4. The affected states were those that had refused to withdraw slavery. Examples included states such as Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, and North Carolina and they came to understand that they could not have escaped the war. A line had been clearly drawn deciding on those who would save the movement, as well as those who would leave it. The Confederacy was not predestined to win but the armies from the Southern region had an advantage since they had their fights in line with the interior. Their military was also at an advantage in that it had the basic knowledge from the areas historical events of the United States before the 1860s. With the Confederate long coastlines of about 3500miles, the president of Confederate, Jefferson Davis was hoping to receive foreign aid as is seemed to defy obstruction. Economic value of slavery to the South The United militias were fighting in order to attain an independent and a distinct country that would be based on their own perception which they regarded as Southern institutions, which was a chief slavery’s institution. In the early period of 1961, the Fort Sumter was destroyed by the rebels as they fired it on the entrance to Charleston harbor5. In the United States history, this would be designated as the bloodiest war but unfortunately, there were no victims. Bombardment, Maj. Robert Anderson surrendered the command he has of about 85 soldiers to about 5,500 troops from the Confederate under P.G.T. Beauregard. In a period of about one week following the surrender, some more states left the Southern union and joined the Confederacy among them being Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina and Virginia. Following the emergence of the war in the land, 75,000 soldiers were called by President Lincoln to serve for a period not exceeding three months. The president proclaimed a naval blockade that belonged to the states that had joined the confederacy. The amount of $2 million would be directed to the troops rising by the president and he also deferred the writ of habeas corpus. This suspension started in the East Coast and was later spread to the other parts of the country. From the troops figure that been previously called of 100,000 militias it was now increased to 400,000 within a period of at least a period of six months. Consequences of the War Loss of lives With the civil war lasting for four years, many people lost their lives while more than a million United States citizens were being injured. A lot of capital was used to stop the war, as well as to facilitate the war thus down seizing the United States economic stability. Due to the economic instability as a result of the war, the United States would find it less worth investing over the period of the four years thus dragging behind in terms of economic growth and development6. A United States historian called Philip Paladin wrote “No war… That has enduring influences in the United States civil war.” The writing influenced the three amendments of the constitution; election of slight five presidents. This had a total negative impact on the economic status, as well as the social lives of the citizens all over the country. Over 4,000,000 people were freed from slavery while over 3,000,000 men were swept into the militia service. These negative impacts are always and highly attributed to the Southern part and affected the whole country at large. Pennsylvania was the highly affected state due to its location, as it is a large state at the border. The state contributed to more than 10 percent of all the three million militia men, as well as the essential raw materials and all the manufacturing that was taking place during the civil war. Poor living standards The citizens of the country suffered a lot after the war as they were not immune to the consequences that were brought about by the war. This left them devastated thus degrading their living standards. This brought down the country’s social, economic, political as well as environmental pressures to the citizens as they tried to coup with the changes. Economic impacts This war was the most costly with 630,000 citizens dead after the entire amount spent to propel it with an approximate number of 33,000 Pennsylvanians. With the large number of the wounded people, the country had to cater for them. This was much expensive to have the affected personnel taken to medical centers for treatment as others were taken for checkups from the psychological tremors they had undergone during the war7. There was also a need to reconstruct the states to their normal form in order to clear all damage that had resulted from the war. Given the magnitude of the repairs, it turned out to be much expensive to regain the original state of the country. A lot of money was spent with those who had been left disabled as they required special care to diagnose their disabilities and effectively respond to them. S. Weir Mitchell, a researcher from Philadelphia found that soldiers were left addicted to certain conditions that he termed as neurasthenia and he would call it post-traumatic stress disorder in the modern era. This costed the government a lot to cater for the addicted militias and to fully rehabilitate them. Unity of the States After the war, the differences that were there between the Southern and the Northern states were settled and the states were brought together with a common goal of maintaining peace. Those in the Southern region were placed under the military and they were also sub divided into districts that comprised of the militaries8. This promoted growth and development of the United States social, economic and cultural growth as well as the political stability among the states. Reconstruction After the war, there was the prevailing peace within the country that created a conducive environment for the investors to venture all over the country thus bringing about the growth of the country’s economy. This way, innovation was propelled thus coming up with new and unique features and processes of undertakings of duties. This boosted the United States economy to a much higher percent making it among the highest countries with economic status. With the continued growth, the United States erupted to be among the super powers due to its enormous growth in the innovation. Works Cited A&E Television Networks. "American Civil War." History.com. http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war (accessed April 20, 2014). Brandt, Dennis W.. From home guards to heroes the 87th Pennsylvania and its Civil War community. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2006. Faust, Drew Gilpin. This republic of suffering: death and the American Civil War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. Gingrich, Newt, William R. Forstchen, and Albert S. Hanser. Gettysburg: a novel of the Civil War. New York: St. Martins Press, 2003. Keegan, John. The American Civil War: a military history. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. Stanchak, John E.. Civil War. New York: Dorling Kindersley Pub., 2000. Taylor, Amy Murrell. The divided family in Civil War America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2005. Read More