The American Civil War - Essay Example

The American Civil War Grade 6 Dec 2008 Introduction The American civil war was fought primarily between the Northern and southern states of the United States of America. After the revolution of 1776, the American people were disillusioned to believe that the Union would be long lasting since their independence had been purchased by the blood of their forefathers. However, the union had largely been a consequence in point of time and after the revolution the idea of establishing a grand consolidated government of the thirteen states that had gained independence was really upheld in the north but only tolerated in the south. The union was, for all practical purposes, largely deceptive and pretentious. The North pretended to give in to the states laws and policies while the southerners merely tolerated them It is against this background that rising discontent due to the biggest issue that divided the country, the issue of slavery, was brought to the forefront. This laid the ground work for one of the most violent moments in the United States of America that would forever remain etched in their history (Hesseltine 44-45). The Civil War Central to the civil war was the very thorny question of slavery. The Northern states were against slavery while the southern states still owned slaves. This led to rising discontent as neither side was willing to concede to the other. The admission of Missouri into the union was a clear example to the Southerners of the almost condescending nature of the Northern states. The Northerners did not respect the constitutional equality of the states in the union and insisted on the state of Missouri to abolish slavery, eventually reaching a 'compromise'; acting as though the south had no guaranteed rights in the bond of the union. This seeming lordship of the North over the south served to fuel even more, the underlying discontent (Hesseltine 46). The eventual cessation of the southern states thus marked the beginning of the war that would later unfold. South Carolina was the first state to secede adopting its declaration on 24th December 1860. Mississippi was the second state to withdraw from the union, her ordinance of cessation being adopted on the 9th of January 1861.she was followed by Florida on the 10th , Alabama on the 11th, Georgia on the 18th and Louisiana on the 26th; all in the same month of January (Hesseltine 138). Hesseltine points out that the war did not really come to head until the President Lincoln rose to power. The continued use of slave forces especially against the Union brought this issue for discussion at the thirty seventh Congress. The North attempted various measures to end this issue once and for all and reintegrate the south back to the union but this proved futile as the southern states rebelled at whatever suggestion that was put forward to address this issue. The signing of the emancipation proclamation was the straw that broke the camel's back and the stage for the civil war was set (267- 268). The confederates viewed slavery as the cornerstone of the Confederacy while the Northerners viewed it as morally wrong, as all men were created equal. The slavery issue was of great concern because it had implications on the economy of the states. The southerners were concerned with the economic loss that would come about as a result of the abolition of slavery. The slaves provided them with free labor and ensured huge economic gains. Getting rid of them would mean a need for the hiring of waged labor and this would translate to smaller profit margins for them. The southerners were also gravely concerned by the prospect of racial equality. Indeed in the Texas declaration of causes for the Secession it was asserted that the African race was successfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race and thus the proclamation of the blacks as equal men degraded and demoralized the southerners (Hesseltine 269- 270). On April 12th of 1861, the armies linked to the confederates attacked a U.S military installation at fort Sumter in South Carolina in protest of the emancipation. He responded to this by marshalling forces from each state to protect the union and squash the rebellion. A million volunteers were called into the field and there were some three thousand drafted men in reserve. It was time for the states to decide and while some sent troops to join the federal army, others announced their cessation and joined the Confederates. The war had officially begun (Hesseltine 273). The battle raged on for close to five years. Each side fought to defend their idea and honor. Both armies believed in the strength of their armies and anticipated victory in the war but in the end, the Confederates were defeated. The winter of 1864 - 1865 witnessed the end of the war with the confederate side hardly believing their defeat. There was rage, anger, hopelessness. The confederates having been thus humiliatingly defeated submitted to rejoining the union with no conditions. Thus the war had managed to reunite the Union and also abolish slavery (Hesseltine 464-466). Similarity to the First Revolution The first revolutionary war, the period of 1775 to 1783 that marked the struggle for American independence, shares some similarities with the second revolutionary war. In both wars, the war was for freedom and emancipation. The first revolution was to free the Americans from the colonialists while the second one was to free the blacks from slavery. In both wars, there was a treaty involved; the first revolution culminated in the signing of the American Declaration of independence and the second revolution culminated in the signing of the Emancipation proclamation. In both wars also, the American union was established. In the first revolution, the Union was first established in order to arise against the colonialist and in the second one the Union was re- established after the defeat of the confederates in the civil war. The Reconstruction Era This was the name given to the period after the civil war from around 1865 to 1877. With the war successfully ended and the confederates subdued, the federal government now focused on the abolition of slavery, destroying the confederacy, restructuring the south and the constitution. These were to be the hall marks of the reconstruction in the post civil war era. In a way, this can be seen as the second revolution and it has recorded quite a number of successes (Franklin, 32). The reconstruction is divided into phases. The first phase is the presidential reconstruction from 1863-1866 which basically referred to the preservation of the union. Having suffered a humiliating defeat, the southerners complied to joining the union with no conditions. They were defeated and hopeless. The federal government now set out to restructure the south in terms of each of the southern states obtaining self government, the status of the confederate leaders and the legal status of the freed men (Franklin, 32-37; 127-132). The second phase of reconstruction was the radical reconstruction, named thus because of the influence of radicals in the government and the dominance of black voters. The war had managed to completely abolish the slave trade thereby effectively addressing the 'Negro question'. For a long time, the blacks had been treated as second class citizens and a mere chattel whose ownership could be transferred at will. With the emancipation of slaves the black men was fro the first time considered equal in status to the black man. The hall mark of this victory was the enfranchisement of the black man and his being risen to the ranks of a citizen and a voter (Franklin, 127). Franklin portrays Black suffrage as a major achievement of the second revolution. However, their oppression still continued long after the emancipation as other than suffrage, they were still in a disadvantaged position compared to the whites. It was long after the reconstruction era and numerous racial conflicts that the blacks gained an equal footing with their white counterparts (Franklin, 132-133). The second revolution can thus be said to have achieved major successes. The Union had been preserved, the blacks could now vote and the constitution was amended to legalize all the changes. However, conflicts between the North and South still spilled over into the new government as both sides treated each other with suspicion. The assassination of President Lincoln worsened the situation and some radicals in the government went as far as not wanting the ex- confederates to vote and even spoke of hanging them. The issue of reintegrating the south back into the union was a thorny one but in the end, it was successful, marking the end of the bloodiest period in American history (Franklin, 53-56). Conclusion The civil war was a turning point in the history of the American people, especially the African Americans. They were emancipated from slavery and their rights duly documented in the Black codes. For the first time, the blacks were considered on the same level as the whites though they were not entitled to the same privileges until much later. The United States of America has stood the test of time and can be said to have come out stronger and with a more consolidated government. The lessons learned in the American civil war are unlikely to be repeated and should instead, be a model for warring countries to emulate. References: Hesseltine, William B. The Tragic Conflict: The Civil War and Reconstruction. New York: George Braziller, 1962. Franklin, John Hope. Reconstruction after The Civil War. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994. Read More