The American Civil War Essay

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 little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are -- perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever."

In 1850, a document called the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. Primarily, this document dealt with the reclaiming of runaway slaves. This law allowed southerners to call upon the federal government to capture runaway slaves who had fled the South and may be living in the North. The Fugitive Slave Act and the laws that went with it only caused controversy in the North. This split the North and South. In reaction to this, some northern states passed laws forbidding state officials to enforce the Fugitive Slave Law, which only angered the southern states. Northerners had become aware of the hypocrisy of slavery and became resolved to end slavery. Many abolitionists started to take action to help slaves escape. This major controversy over the

“Despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, however, if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” (Maya Angelou , n.d.) Angelou says it best; you can’t live until you have lived. Also you never want the future to relive the past of segregation and pain.

The American Civil War In 1860, arguably the world's greatest nation was locked in Civil War. The war divided the country between the North (Union) and South (Confederate). The war lasted five years and by 1865 the Confederate forces were truly beaten. Out of this horrendous war though, where some 600,000 men died grew a greater sense of nationalism than is today, unrivalled around the world.

The American Civil War One of the documents I have chosen is the Address of Negroes. It started in Alexandria, Virginia, from August 2 to 5, 1865 was address to the Loyal Citizens and Congress of the United States of America adopted by a Convention of Negroes. It states that the war is over, the rebellion is “ put down”, and we are declared free! Four-fifths of our enemies are paroled or amnestied, and the other fifth are being pardoned, and the president has, in his efforts at the reconstruction of the Civil government of the states, late in rebellion, left us entirely at the mercy of these subjugated but unconverted rebels, in everything save the privilege of bringing us, our wives and little

The American Civil War lasted from April 12, 1861 to May 9, 1865. It was the bloodiest war in American history, killing approximately 620,000 soldiers in total. The War was fought and won by the North, ensuring that all the United States would stay united and slavery would be illegal in The United States. However, history is one of the most complicated things in the world. It’s also one of the most important things in the world because history is what made the present possible. Historians have debated the cause of The American Civil War for over a hundred and fifty years. This is a very complicated question as history can be a matter of opinion sometimes. When looking at history, one of the most important tools you can have is written words from past men and women of the time. “It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercource with superior minds. In the best books, great men talk to us, give us their most precious thoughts, and pour their souls into ours. God be thanked for books. They are the voices of the distant and the dead, and make us their heirs of the spiritual life of past ages.” William Ellery Channing an American preacher 1780-1842. Writings from the time will reveal the true history of the time. The writings of John C. Calhoun, Alexander Stephens, and Henry Clay, are three opinions that highlight the causes of the Civil War.

Slavery, some historians argue, was the main cause for the Civil War. It was one of the biggest issues in the 1800 's. Slavery generated conflict between the Southern and Northern states. The South was heavily reliant on slavery. They had a lot of plantations, which

In the 1850’s the United States was not so United. There had been many internal problems, that were tearing the entire country apart. Issues such as slavery, and power of the states were coming between the country. The south and north had been arguing about the issue of slavery for a very long time. The North was against it. They had set out to abolish it. But the south was growing very rich off it. It was cheap labor. Al the slave owners had to pay for was room and board, which was cheaper then paying salaries. Since the industrial revolution and the invention of things like the Cotton Gin the south had become a large producer of all things cotton.

The war with the most death of Americans was not the World Wars, Cold War, Vietnam War or Korean War, but the Civil War. The Civil War is one of the most monumental moments in the United States that threaten the stability of the Union. The United States was split into two opposing sides, the Union and the Confederates, with opposing ideas; Americans pinned against one another in combat for their ideals and goals. The Civil War has multiple causes, but the most renowned reason was the abolishment of slavery. With the conclusion of the Civil War and the defeat of the Confederates, many efforts were made to establish the freedom of the slaves, such as the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution, and the status of freedman. However, with the discontent that was harbored in the former Confederates, “white southerners [tried to] reestablished civil authority in the former Confederate states in 1865 and 1866”; this thus led to the creation of the Black Codes ("Black Codes." History.com). The white southerners tried to regain control over freed slaves, acquire cheap labor and establish white supremacy through the Black Codes. The Black Code was mocking the efforts of the civil war since it recognized and limited the rights established in the civil war for the freed slaves, and recreated the slave like working environment before the civil war.

In 1861, the American Civil War commenced after many years of tension building between the Northern and Southern states. The main reason of the tension was said to be the debate of slavery between the North and South, and although some documents support this claim, it is false. The war had been brewing since 1607, before slavery was even introduced to the colonies that would become the United States of America. The debate of slavery did play a major part in the civil war; however it did so in supporting the true cause of the civil war. The main cause of the American Civil War was not the debate of slavery, but rather Europe’s role in the American economy.

The Civil War was an internal conflict between the South and the North in the United States. In 1860, the first shots were fired, and the war would go on for 4 years. There were many events that led up to this war, including the many differences between the North and South. They had differences in their ideas of slavery, tariffs, state rights, and trade. These differences would all contribute to the start of the American Civil War.

     1863 a series of battles were fought between the Confederate army and the Union Army. Battles such as: Gettysburg, Viscksburg, Battery Wagner, Chickamauga Creek, and Chattanooga. Along with these battles the Gettysburg Address was presented, the role of women was noticed, and riots in New York broke out. Many say that these battles were the turning point of the U.S. Civil War. General Robert E. Lee, from the south and George G. Meade from the north lead their troops. On July 4th Robert E. Lee surrendered to the north, and the south was defeated.

In the Civil War the North had many advantages over the South. The South was outnumbered, out supplied, and pushed into a corner using military tactics. Many things changed because of the Civil War. The military tactics used by the North changed how war was fought from then on. Many changes were made politically; some were only temporary, while others were permanent. After the war was over, the country was reunited and the image of the soul and duty of our country redefined.

Slavery was the most important cause of the Civil War, because this single issue divided the North and South to begin with. The ideological differences between the North and South led to economic differences, conflicts over newly acquired territories, disputes over the constitution, and political extremism. The Election of 1860 was the culmination of these disputes and caused the South to secede in 1861 and guided the way towards the Civil War.