An Optimistic Vantage Point On Human Existence And Natural Behavior

America was founded by multiple states, from different regions and subsequently different styles of life, which made the possibility of their union unstable and uncertain. But, because they were united by a common goal- to break free of Britain’s despotic sovereignty- the American colonies were able to win their independence from Britain and become the United States of America. This dichotomy between the states’ different styles of life and their shared goal laid the foundation for the forces of nationalism and sectionalism in the US. The two opposing forces worked hand-in-hand to manipulate Americans’ views of one another and the American political and economic systems, though the force of sectionalism outweighed the force of nationalism

Ideologically, the socialist state is portrayed as a figure that supports citizens’ interest equally and is open and comprehensive towards their needs. Individuals can trust in making the best decisions in everybody’s interests. The government makes it its goal to carry out socialist values and makes

general system can be adopted. They begin to find that a government with so many heads is a monster in politics” (Humphrey 2003, 109). Rather than working together as a nation for a common cause, states were working against each other. There was no revenue source from the states, and under the Articles of Confederation, there

America is an incredibly vast, diverse country, and has been this way for hundreds of years. The sheer size of America, even when it was only composed of thirteen states with a total population of nearly three million people (Brutus, essay 1, p. 64), concerned many Americans in the 1780s, due to this inquiry: was America simply too large for a republican style government to work? Many anti-federalists claimed that republics could only work on a small scale, while the federalists believed that having a large republic was the only way to go and would be beneficial to the public good. Before this time, history furnished no examples of a well-functioning republic as big as America, so the federalists and anti federalists were stepping into a completely new untouched territory.

Alexander H. Stephen, in the ‘Cornerstone Speech’, firmly stated that, the Confederacy was basically on racial inequality and slavery. He clearly outlined the existing differences between the new nation and the American United States. Stephen made it clear that, the Confederacy of the cornerstone was not primarily of chattel slavery, but the black people subordination benefited the white people. Thus, he tied slavery to race. Confederacy was the origin of the era of apartheid in South Africa. Stephen made declarations that the new government was founded on the great truth , that the negro was not equal on the side of the white people and that, slavery which was to be a subordination to the white race which was superior, was a normal and a natural condition. Stephen criticized the claims of the northern that, African enslavement was a law violation nature and that it was a wrong principle, morally, politically and socially. He clearly put across that his new government had an idea which was exactly different from the northern claims. He argued that, it was a kind of insanity to believe that the Negro will be equal between the white and black people and also that, enslaving the blacks was wrong. He made predictions that, the Confederate constitution has settled all the questions relating to the African slavery which existed among the white people. Stephen’s arguments led to the outbreak of the civil war in 1865 (The Teaching AmericanHistory.org, 2017).

Richard Bensel’s Yankee Leviathan: The Origins of Central State Authority in America, 1857-1877, is a book on the formation of the United States Federal government during the Civil War and the Reconstruction eras. The book deals with the association of the Northern class and the Federal government. It provides a history of the economy during the Civil War and help to reveal why a socialist economy would not further the American economy. Bensel is of the belief that an independent state authority would be a better form of government. He contended the United States Federal government’s growth was as a result of the Civil War during the Reconstruction era. In addition, Bensel believed the Civil War attributed to the Northern Financial class, which ensued from association with bankers in the North. He saw political

As mentioned before, the Market Revolution was taking place. The South was not growing at the same pace that the North had been growing. Due to this, some argue that there was a figurative barrier between the South and the rest of the country. Although the South greatly differed from the North, the two regions were not greatly divided. In fact, these two regions harmoniously worked together. The North relied on the South for agricultural purposes, and the South relied on the North for industrial purposes. Without both regions, the economy of America would have diminished. An editor referred to America as “a truly republican and self-governing people [of greatness and dignity” (Document H). The strength and capability of America was undoubtedly due to its unity. In all truth, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. America would not have been able to function if it were

In Document D, Sam Watkins declares that there should be no sectionalism and his belief that sectionalism was the main cause of war. This can be connected to one of the “good things” the Civil War shaped us into being, which is the United States of America which means that despite the conflict, every state shall be unified as a nation and not as separate sections. The Civil War made us realize that acting as a nation can strengthen, and benefit each and every part of the country, and that we will be stronger when we fight as a

In the late 1700s, the United States had began to split into two factions: Federalists and Antifederalists. Factions are groups of citizens united by a common interest. The reasoning behind the differing views of how the government works across the world was best said by Locke “Men are equal in a natural sense, but society establishes many dimensions that are unequal”. (Barbour and Wright, 2017). In the states, Federalists wanted a strong central government while anti-federalists wanted a weak one. “The Georgians, for example, wanted a strong central authority to provide military protection for their huge, underpopulated state against the Creek Confederacy; Jerseymen and Connecticuters wanted to escape from economic bondage to New York; the Virginians hoped to establish a system which would give that great state its rightful place in the councils of the republic” (Roche, 800). The one thing they agreed on was having George Washington as president. George Washington tried to be a neutral leader of the United States and suggested for the states to stay together rather than divide into factions. “Thomas Jefferson is credited as stating: “North and South will hang together if they have you to hang on””(Jamison, 2016).

The romanticized version of the Civil War creates a picture of the North versus the South with the North imposing on the South. However, after reading “The Making of a Confederate” by William L. Barney, one can see that subdivisions existed before the war was declared. The documents analyzed by Barney primarily focus on the experiences of Walter Lenoir, a southern confederate and a member of the planter elite. His experiences tell a vivid story of a passionate and strongly opinioned participant of the Civil War as well as demonstrate a noticeably different view involving his reasoning when choosing a side. Between analyzing this fantastic piece of literature and other resourceful documents from “Voices of Freedom” by Eric Foner, one

The constitution drawn up at Montgomery defined the new government as the creation of "sovereign and independent" states. Davis subscribed to the principles of state sovereignty but he was far less provincial in his views than were many of his fellow Confederates. As the South's chief executive he was tremendously handicapped by the deep and pervasive attachment of Southerners to states rights(Bell I. Wiley).

The Articles of Confederation had a weak central government. Alexander Hamilton believed that the more powerful state governments would take over. In Federalist Paper 16, he states that the death of the confederacy would be the result of the lack of a large national defense. Hamilton says the government should have control over the individual as well as the states so that the government can protect the “hopes and fears” of the individuals. Government is important to the unity of its country, and Hamilton claims that no government can always avoid or control those who will be disorderly, but it would be “vain to hope to guard against events too mighty for human foresight or precaution, and it would be idle to object to a government because it

If the north was to succeed, they would forever be oppressed by their victory, and slaves of their achievements. The Confederates fought to promote the wellbeing of their family and the protection of their land “from Yankee outrage and atrocity”(Mc.Pherson 20) .

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”1 These words, spoken by Abraham Lincoln, foreshadowed the war that became the bloodiest in all of the United State's history. The Civil War was a brutal conflict between the North and South; brother against brother. With slavery as the root cause, Southern states had seceded from the Union and were fighting for their independence. They became the Confederate States of America (CSA) and were a force to be reckoned with. The Union, however, put up a fierce struggle to preserve the country. If the Civil War was to be a war of attrition, the North had the upper hand because of its large population, industrialization, raw materials, railroad mileage, and navy. But if the war was short lived, the

Confederacies exist as a group of autonomous individual states, regions, or member components who form a national body, or centralized government, to represent their independent interests at a more regional and international level. The existence of the national government is derived from the consent of each governed autonomous state or region. The entities that submit to this central ruling authority are able to withdraw from the compact that binds them together. The national authority created is only bestowed with the powers, authority, and privileges which the independent components in the confederacy allow. If any member component feels its interests are no longer being served or the compact has interfered with its autonomy, then that entity of the confederacy can sever its ties with the national body. This can occur because the state, region, or member component has the supreme ultimate authority over its own affairs. As further examination and analysis will demonstrate there is no inherent authority invested into the national government as is the case of a federalist system.