When the Founding Fathers created this nation, they believed that the citizens of it would be held together through the common desire for equality and freedom. Contrary to their predictions, the definitions of equal and free came in to question through the persistent plunder of abolitionist and separated the crumbling democracy in to two sectors: North and South. The Civil War emerged out of this debate and started America on the long path towards change. The War, although deeply rooted in our Nation’s beginnings, technically began with the attack on Fort Sumter. The union coveted this spot on confederate soil in order to present their power over the south.To the confederates, the fort was a symbol of the ever-present north, who was set …show more content…
Throughout the dynamic war, change also appeared through the images of African Americans. Although the Fugitive Slave laws were still in place, slaves who ran away and crossed Northern lines were considered free by the Union. Many slaves, viewing Lincoln and his country as their gateway to freedom, joined the union army. Most were employed to do labor such as laundry, carpentry and scouting, but many fought in battle. Beyond the typical dangers of war however, loomed the ever-present scent of discrimination. Early on, Each black solder received a seven dollar salary while white men received thirteen dollars a month. This was discontinued in 1864 when equal pay was granted to black solders. Although black regiments weren't used as often as white troupes due to racial discrimination, there were 80 black officers over the course of the war and several troupes, such as the Massachusetts 54th regiment, who distinguished themselves in battle. By the discontinuance of the war in 1863, 16 medals of honor had been awarded to African American Soldiers. With immense amounts of "contraband" slaves in our army, abolitionist pressed Lincoln to emancipate slaves first he passed the first and second Confiscation Act in 1861 and 1862. They freed all slaves used by the army and slaves whose masters were in the army. Soon to follow in the summer of 1862, came the Emancipation Proclamation. This famous document freed
Enrollment began in September of 1862 (Allen 225). Thousands of black men enlisted. They would be commanded, led, and trained by all white officers. There were not to be any black officers commissioned and all African American soldiers were to be regarded as laborers. They would receive less pay than a white soldier. Instead of $13 plus clothing expenses, they would only receive $10 without clothing expenses (The American Civil War: A Multicultural Encyclopedia 55).
The war began properly started with the battle of Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter was a union fort in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. Later the United States Army troops in the fort denied to leave, Confederate uses strength to fire upon the fort with cannons. It was capitulating without casualty but was forced to be the bloodiest war in nation's history (Historynet.com).
The South began the war by firing on Fort Sumter which forced the North to retaliate by sending troops to the South.
The civil war started on the Fort sumter , there has been a lot of tension because of the Fort sumter between the union and the confederacy for several months. The state wanted the union to return the Fort Sumter but they didn’t want to return they refused to give it up so the confederacy had no choice but to go to war with them to get the Fort Sumter back to them. Everything still stayed the same but when abraham lincoln took office in march 4 , He said you can not have conflict without being yourself the aggressors.
Prior to Civil War, distinct Northern and Southern cultures had been established; The free North occupied the commercial industry, while the slavery-based South undertook an agricultural occupation. The South and the North began to fight over right and wrong. The major issue was regarding slavery, as the South wanted to preserve slavery while, the North wanted to get rid of it. These conflicts rose into sectional antagonism and eventually put the United States and President Lincoln in a loophole. During the Civil War however, Lincoln made some extremely controversial decisions, that resulted in a reduction of the sectional antagonism present, and the United States became truly “one nation.”
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 white soldiers thought that African Americans were less intelligent than them and would be better suited as cooks and cleaners for the war effort than fighting in complex battles ("Black Soldiers in the U.S Military During the Civil War"). This was not the only way that black soldiers faced discrimination. Black soldiers were not paid equal to the white. Black soldiers were paid $10 per month and from that $10, $3 was automatically taken out to pay for the soldier's clothing. White soldiers on the other hand were paid $13 per month and did not have to give any of that amount for clothes ("Black Soldiers in the U.S. Military During the Civil War). When the black soldiers found out about their discriminatory and unfair pay they were very upset. Many protested and fought for equal pay. Their fight was successful. Finally, in June 1864 Congress passed an equal pay to U.S Colored Troops. Black soldiers would now receive the same rations and supplies, as well as better medical care ("Black Soldiers in the U.S Military During the Civil
The Civil War is something almost everyone has a general idea about. It is more than a huge part of America’s history and is the central event in America 's historical consciousness. This war, unlike the American Revolution which created the first American states, determined what kind of nation it would be. Though there are many reasons for the cause of the American Civil War, one of the main reasons is the different attitudes the North and the South had toward slavery. In January of 1863, The Emancipation Proclamation was
Black men were denied the opportunity to fight for the union in the early phases of the war. Ultimately, the union changed their mind and allowed black men. The decision was not a light-hearted one. Even though blacks and white northerners were fighting to end slavery, white men wanted nothing to do with black men. Often times black men faced discrimination and violence. White officers did not want to head black regimes in fear of their reputation. Fortunately, there were successful black regimens. One of those regimes was the 54th
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.
What challenges did the “new immigrants” face (those arriving between 1877 and 1914) that previous waves of immigrants did not? (Discuss at least 2 challenges.)
Who would have thought that a nation could split and turn on each other? The Civil war has main causes, key people, and battles. All of the people, events, and causes effected how the war came to be and how the Civil War was fought. The important people of the Civil war made important decisions that may have caused one side to a victory or a horrific lose. The battles of the war were bloody and devastating, and the causes of the Civil War show how different the North was from the South. Many people know the Civil War was extremely significant, but most people don't know what caused this major battle in history.
There were several primary causes that would eventually lead to one of America’s bloodiest war and now I will explain each one in further detail. One of the main issues that would spark tensions between the northern and southern states was their differing views on slavery. In the North the most prominent idea in peoples mind during the period before the war was the idea of free labor. (Perret 10) They believed that it emphasized economic opportunity in the northern states. (Perret 14) Many anti-slavery movements would soon begin in the northern states and gain great momentum within the 1830’s and 1840’s. What these movements aimed at doing was to change the way people worked and lived which would help the working class adapt to new
The battle between armies did not begin until 1861, however the conflict within the Country began at its founding. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence which included “all men are created equal; and they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” he unintentionally yielded abolitionists stimulation in contradicting the institution of slavery. Despite the controversy slavery faced at the Constitutional Convention, the inclusion of the fugitive slave law, the extension of the African slave trade and the three-fifths clause were added with compromise, in anticipation of founding a Constitution and securing the Union, however it would
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.