Individualism In The Civil War

The analysis of how the Southern States lost the Civil War is based on three articles, each with a different perspective. According to Died of Democracy by David Donald, the Confederates were defeated because of internal challenges facing the 11 Sothern States seeking independence. Some of the challenges facing the Confederate States of America included a predominantly agricultural economy and slave revolts. In Why the South Lost by Beringer et al., the authors argue that the Confederates lost because of their weak nationalism, which was constantly undermined by the feelings of guilt over slavery. Confederates’ nationalism had shallow foundations, which caused the Southern to lack the will to fight for their nation. In the Blue over Grey: Why the North Won George Frederickson articulates that the North prevailed over the South because the North’s social system was more adaptive to the changing present. From the accounts of the war, it is clear that Southern States had the will to fight for their ideologies and social system. The Southern society was less innovate and adaptive; however, the internal challenges facing the Confederates states of America is the best explanation for why the South lost the Civil War.

The name Civil War is misleading because the war was not a class struggle, but a sectional combat, having its roots in political, economic, social, and psychological elements. It has been characterized, in the words of William H. Seward, as the “irrepressible conflict.” In another judgment the Civil War was viewed as criminally stupid, an unnecessary bloodletting brought on by arrogant extremists and blundering politicians. Both views accept the fact that in 1861 there existed a situation that, rightly or wrongly, had come to be regarded as insoluble by peaceful means.

The controversy over slaves ultimately led to the secession. Abraham Lincoln thinks slavery is wrong and he wants to stop it from spreading. Earlier, he had warned that slavery could separate a nation. In the 1860 election Lincoln is elected, but southerners are worried he will end slavery forever. Southern states start to secede because they are worried. First South Carolina succeeds, then North, Texas, and then Florida too. They give themselves a new name called the Confederate States of America. (Wise...)

Approximately 180,000 Negros served in the Union during the Civil War. The Negro Soldier was overall a good one. One example was at the Assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina. The 54th Massachusetts Colored troops led the assault and scaled the fort’s parapet and were only driven back after brutal hand-to-hand fighting. The Negro faced some discrimination in the Union Army in areas such as pay. It wasn’t until June 15th, 1864 that the Congress granted equal pay to Negro troops. Several Negro soldiers earned the Medal of Honor. The North attitude towards Negro troops was mainly positive, while the South did not want Negros to serve in the Confederate Army. It wasn’t until the Confederates were running low on men did they allow Negros to serve. The Negros serving in the North felt it as their duty to serve and support the cause for their own freedom.

The spread of slavery through Manifest Destiny separated the Union politically because neither State Representatives could agree on whether the new land gained should be free or be slave terrain. States in the North didn’t want slavery to continue, and opposed the idea of any more slave states. The states in the South, however wanted

The United States of America divided by different beliefs and ideas in 1861. Therefore, states were demanding to split up America because of the vast different beliefs. The southern states of The United States formed “Confederate States” because of the desire of central power and state’s rights. They believed that the northern states were trying to take away southern values and society (Blight, p.43). The Confederate states consisted of South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Virginia, and Louisiana.

The Southern states thought that seceding from the North was the only solution to their problems. Lincoln said, “I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free,” and he was right about that. The north wanting to get rid of slaves and the south wanting to keep them caused many problems between the two. Their disagreement on slaves made their lives living together very

The secession of the South right after Abraham Lincoln’s election asserted that the South would not have slavery abolished (Corrick 21). Differences in views on slavery caused several states in the South to threaten to secede (Ushistory). The South supported slavery and held pro-slavery movements in several states, while the North believed that slavery was not constitutional and should be abolished (Civilwar.org; Cavendish). However, the North did not make any laws proclaiming the legality of slavery, but pushed the abolishment of slavery across the United States even further. Due to the secession of the southern states, tensions inevitably increased between the North and the South, thus leading to the start of the Civil War.

The country at this time had different ideologies and ideas on how slavery should be dealt with, leading to the separation of the southern states. But right before that you had the

Before the civil war Abraham Lincoln said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. By this he said the United States needed to remain united. Because in order for the United States to exist as a nation we needed to be united. Lincoln was reacting to the many conflicts dividing the nation. These divisions are called sectionalism.

As the idea of Manifest Destiny spread the country westward and new states joined the union, the disagreement over slavery became more and more heated. With each new state, came new congressman, new lawmakers. Northern states, free states, wanted the new states to have no slavery. The Southern states, pro-slavery states, wanted to extend slavery into the new states.

The Secession of the South from the Union When the United States of America expanded westward, they achieved manifest destiny. This above all, raised tensions between the North and the South. Although they were a union, many problems arose, the main issue being slavery. These problems eventually led to the Civil War. The North thrived on factories, while the South thrived on agriculture, causing them to utilize slaves.

The Civil War happened because of slavery but thats not the only reason. America was on the road to war. (Crash Course #18) After Lincoln became the president, Southerners felt they had no power political system that was controlled by voters in the North that they felt no connection to. The many difference between the North and South caused conflict that eventually led to war.

The Confederate States of America consisted of eleven Southern states that seceded from the Union in 1860 and 1861 to establish a new nation. In 1860, seven states of the Deep South—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi South Carolina and Texas seceded because they thought the election of Abraham Lincoln would threaten their livelihood by abolishing slavery. Later, four states of the Upper South—Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia joined them. The CSA, led by Jefferson Davis, quite simply wanted to keep the Deep South and the Upper South enslaved. The unspoken goal of secession was to ensure that ‘all men were not created equal’. This secession led to the American Civil War—a war fought between Northern and Southern states. The southern states wanted to protect the institution of slavery. Northern states, led by Abraham Lincoln, believed that slavery was immoral and wrong.

Many events in the United States helped form the country today. One of the more prominent events was the Civil War and the antebellum years from 1845-1861. Due to expansion in the West, discussions began about how the state was going to join the Union and later the issue of slavery was introduced. Many Northern states sought to halt the spread of slavery into the new territories while Southern states wanted to expand slavery. These disputes lead to bloodshed as the South began to feel that their way of life and source of income was being threatened. The build up from these events during the antebellum years, lead to the secession of states from the Union, and instigated the United States into the furor of the Civil War.