The American Civil War has become a point of controversy and argument when discussing key events in shaping America. The arguments that arise when discussing the war tend to focus on whether the Confederate was constitutionally justified in seceding, or whether the North had the right to prevent the secession. However, when discussing the America Civil War and the idea of separation, it is important to be mindful that separation did not simply end at the state level. Letters written by Jesse Rolston, Jr. and Jedediah Hotchkiss portray two significantly different attitudes toward the war, despite the fact that the writers both fought for the Confederate States and give accounts of the same battle, one of which ended in the Confederate’s favor. When examining the documents, both writers express different viewpoints on life on and off the battlefield. This significant difference represents a division amongst the Confederate army.
A Civil War is a battle between the same citizens in a country. The American Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 to determine the independence for the Confederacy or the survival of the Union. By the time Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1861, in the mist of 34 states, the constant disagreement caused seven Southern slave states to their independence from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy, generally known as the South, grew to include eleven states. The states that remained devoted to the US were known as the Union or the North. The number one question that is never completely understood about the Civil War is what caused the war. There were multiple events that led to the groundbreaking, bloody, and political war.
The Civil War was caused by many several pressures, principles, and prejudices, fueled by sectional differences, and was finally set into motion by a most unlikely set of political events. From economic differences to political differences all the way up to cultural differences, the North and the South opposed each other. These tensions were further increased after the western expansion of the United States. By the early 1850’s a civil war was known to be likely coming soon.
When the American Civil War began in the spring of 1861, those flocking to enlistment stations in states both north and south chiefly defined their cause as one of preservation. From Maine to Minnesota, young men joined up to preserve the Union. From Virginia to Texas, their future foes on the battlefield enlisted to preserve a social order, a social order at its core built on the institution of slavery and racial superiority . Secession had not been framed by prominent Southerners like Robert Toombs as a defensive measure to retain the fruits of the revolution against King George, a fight against those who sought to “intrique insurrection with all its nameless horrors.” (Toombs Speech) On January 1, 1863, when Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect the war became a revolution. The Union, the soldiers in blue fought to preserve could no longer exist. On every mile of soil, they would return to the Stars and Stripes from that moment on, the fabric of society would be irrevocably changed. In May of 1865, with the abolition of slavery engrained into the Constitution with the passage of the 13th Amendment, the Confederate armies of Lee and Johnston disbanded, and Lincoln dead of an assassin’s bullet; this change was the only certainty the torn fabric of the newly reunited states was left to be resown. Andrew Johnson and Southern Democrats believed the revolution of 1863 had gone far enough. Radical Republicans and African-Americans sought instead to bring it to
The years of 1861 through 1865 are known as the Civil War. This was a time of bloodshed, broken families, and a torn nation. The United States of America had become the depressing picture of a war and politically torn nation. The number question whenever we as humans arrive to a bad scenario is, “How did I end up here?”. The causes of the Civil War were all based off of two different economic and political ideas, the acts made by the government concerning the differences, and morals.
The American Civil War saw its beginning between 1789 and 1859. However, the effects of this war were highly pronounced between 1861 and1865; leading to over 600,000 casualties. A number of historians have agreed on the fact that the causes of this war can be traced to the United States of America’s political history and movements that rose against human injustices which were prevalent at this time. Elizabeth Varon’s Disunion! The coming of the American Civil War, 1789-1859 gives an analytical overview of the conditions and events that prevailed in the period leading to the commencement of the Civil War. Varon approaches the
When people talk about wars they refer to them as battles that were held and a number of deaths. But wars have bigger consequences. Long term issues. The American Civil War was no exception of it. The repercussions of this moment in history lasted years. No doubt it was not an easy transition. The reconstruction was not simple, after four years of war, the cities were burned, the fields didn’t produce, the economy was damaged, and the country was split. From 1865 to 1877 America lived what every family faces after rough moments, the “Reconstruction Era”.
When you hear about the civil war and what caused the feud between the North and the South many people believe it was due to slavery. Too some individuals however, this claim is considered a misconception. James Rhodes was amongst those people who didn’t believe slavery had been the main cause, instead he believed in the Impending Crisis, which was the belief that the cause of the civil war was due to aspects other than slavery such as the difference in views economically, socially, and politically between the colonies. Rhodes stated in his seven-volume History of the United States the Compromise of 1850 that “the moral conflict over slavery, had suggested as well that the struggle also reflected fundamental differences between the Northern and Southern economic systems” (380). The North compared to the South was extremely advanced economically, due to entering the industrial revolution. Northern sectionalists had about two times as much man power as the south, and were open to the idea of advancement in technology such as, railroads and factories. The South was contempt with the life they had been living due to agricultural incomes from products like tobacco and cotton. Money was being made for the South without people having to do anything because slaves had done all the work to make the citizens of the South revenue. This comfort of living is what did not prompt the South to enter the industrial revolution, they rather just stick to the basics
The American Civil War began over 150 years ago, eventually preventing a permanent disintegration of the then-existing United States. Though fractured, the country mended itself following the war and moved forward with incremental steps of maturation and a vision of social justice among many other imperatives. That process continues to this day and moves beyond as the need for justice changes. At the time of the American Civil War, the United States as it existed at the moment was less than a century old and had only 34 states. It was a still a young country and in development, not reaching the fifty-state level until the mid-twentieth century.
Three years after the attack on Fort Sumter, one of the most controversial battles of the American Civil War was fought in West Tennessee. The battle at Fort Pillow, located near the Mississippi River about 50 miles north of Memphis, was a bloody slaughter of a mixed Union garrison. The garrison was comprised of 557 men total, about half of those men were African American 's in the 6th U.S. Regiment Colored Heavy Artillery, and the 2nd Colored Light Artillery, commanded by Major Lionel F. Booth. The other half was made up of white soldiers from the 14th Tennessee Cavalry, a Federal regiment, lead by Major William F. Bradford.The fort became engulfed by Confederate personal resulting into a tactical stalemate. However, when giving chance to
When the Civil War started both sides thought the war would be over by Christmas. But little did they know this small war would turn into the deadliest war in American history. The Civil War was fought between the Confederacy and the Union. The Confederacy was consisted of Southern states that did not agree with the views of the Union states. After years of sectional differences in the United States between the north and south, tension between the states grew and a war between the north and south began.
On September 27th, 1864, Union forces, under the command of Brigadier General Alexander Asboth raided the small town of Marianna, FL. The battle will be virtually unknown in the history of the Civil War, but its success marked the longest successful incursion of Union troops into Florida (Cox, 2014). This raid had two goals; the first was to rescue the reported Union prisoners and the second was to liberate and enlist any slaves found along the route (Calvin, 2014). The prisoners were not located, but more than 600 slaves were liberated along their route (Cox, 2014). The subsequent battle did not last long, with minimal losses on both sides, but led to the decline of the Confederate stronghold in Jackson County.
The North’s Union states and the South’s Confederate states fought to either abolish slavery completely (North objective) or to allow it completely (South objective). The war began when radical opinion began to occupy formal debates and both sides realized the topic was non-negotiable outside of court, that the only way to save more lives from being affected as soon as possible was to go to war. During this time, many flocked to armies, volunteering to protect their nation and their beliefs, some to just try and help out. Many saw it necessary to fight not only to defend their opinion, but to reunite their country by ending the war. Some people ached to see their country divided, a country built upon liberty and freedom breaking due to horrific punishment being enacted upon citizens the Constitution viewed as
One of the most, if not the most, pivotal battles in American History was the Civil War. In this mêlée of brother vs. brother, that lasted 4 years, it would be the Union that would come out on top and assert the victory against the Confederate. If we observe the simple particulars of the war, we realize that the Confederacy was predestined to lose this battle; they were out-financed, out-equipped, and without a doubt out-numbered. They have been many scholars; conversely who have given their diverse theories on how the South could have in fact defeated the Union and triumphed in the war. So in this assignment, I look to examine these theories and dispute them on each hypothesis.
On September 17, 1862, the Union and Confederate armies met near the Maryland village of Sharpsburg in a battle that still remains the single bloodiest day in American history. The battle consisted of many attacks and counterattacks between Union General George B. McClellan and The Army of the Potomac against Confederate Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Confederates managed to fight relentlessly over the course of the struggle. However, after losing over a quarter of his forces, the following day General Lee pulls his army and retreats back to Virginia, ending the Confederate offensive attack. Although the Battle of Antietam was not a complete victory for the Union, it was a major