The United States And The Civil War Essay

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."

From the years 1861 to 1865, the United States was at war. But not just any war. America was fighting each other, over national issues such as slavery and states’ rights. The outcome of this war would determine the future of the United States. Events that led up to the American Civil War include the compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act which instigated fighting in the state of Kansas. The election of Abraham Lincoln as President resulted in the secession of the southern states from the union, and the formation of the Confederate States of America.

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 Civil War was one of the most important events in the history of the United States. It was the cause of death for 700,000 Americans, abolished slavery, and completely obliterated the life of a renowned president. There were plenty of issues that helped build the tension that caused this great war. Three of the largest contributing factors would include the Missouri Compromise, the Dred Scott Decision, and John Brown’s Raid.

The lives that we live and the freedoms that we have today may be considered great for the majority of our population. This could be attributed to the history of the United States and the civil war. What would our country be like if the Confederacy won the war? How would our lives be impacted and what freedoms would we have today if that were the case? What if the major Union victories were actually Confederate victories? The following is just an idea of what potentially could have happened if this were the case. There was intense fighting that occurred throughout the United and Confederate States of America ranging from Texas and as far north as Pennsylvania as well as Naval battles Atlantic Ocean and a few in the Gulf of Mexico. Coupled

The United States has been involved in a lot of wars and battles throughout the past. The Civil War was one of the most significant moments in the history of the United States of America. The Civil War took place between the North and South of the United States of America following the Confederacy seceding from the Union after Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and fought to maintain their independence. The war started off as a war regarding the rights of the different states. As the war progressed, it ended up turning into a war about freedom, slaves, white Northerns rioting against the draft and black Americans, Union troops, and much more.

Starting in 1865, the United States began to experience a series of changes and transformations that completely altered the landscape of the country. On the political side, the federal government had to deal with the aftermath of the Civil War and faced the challenge of reintegrating southern states back into the union while also attempting to institute desegregation movements in the South. From a social standpoint, almost four million slaves were freed by the end of the Civil War and in search of a better life, while a wide majority of women saw their roles begin to change–as there was a 307% increase in women joining labor forces from 1880-1930. Meanwhile on the economic side, the entire nation was undergoing the most significant industrial expansion to date, which would completely alter everyday life. All of these profound and rapid changes left American citizens in a state of disarray and in search for order, as they worried about how these changes would affect their lives and social statuses. This growing paranoia among American citizens, especially in the upper class, culminated with laws and court rulings being passed that ultimately favored the wealthy elites and prevented these changes from taking power away from the hands of the people that already had control.

"All Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among there are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" (Declaration of Independence). According to the U.S. Constitution the purpose for which the United States was created was to establish a perfect union within the citizens of the U.S. through justice, safety, welfare and liberty. In my opinion, although the U.S. Constitution states this, I do not believe this perfect union is in favor for everyone in this country because of the unjust events that have taken places within this country such as slavery. I believe the U.S. Constitution purpose only applies to those who are in higher power. The Civil War started because of unbending

The United States dealt through many problems and challenges that they were forced to overcome. Throughout the battles that The U.S. faced, they encountered many benefits that shaped them. Such as the conflict in the west, the gilded age the change and industrialization, along with the progressive area were events that lead to the problems and issues that the United States addressed.

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.

July 10, 1863 was a beautiful or a bleak Friday depending upon one’s allegiance to the Union or to the Confederacy. For ten bloody days prior to July 10, Union and Confederate soldiers were embroiled in intense fighting in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Vicksburg, Mississippi. Both battles were resounding and triumphant victories for the Union that decisively turned the war against the Confederacy in the Union’s favor. During this period of military conflict, both the pro-Union The New York Times and the Confederate-leaning The Richmond Daily Dispatch served as vital sources of wartime reporting, agents of one-sided propaganda and unflagging patriotism, as well as important mouthpieces for the public to express their opinions about the war, slavery and other issues pertinent to the time. Reading the July 10, 1863 editions of both newspapers gave a brief but compelling glimpse into the attitudes, viewpoints and lifestyles of people deeply divided along ideological and political lines in the midst of a bloody and violent civil war.

The word “freedom” has always been a cornerstone of the numerous transformations of the American society. It is the notion that is found in speeches of both Republican and Democrat politicians, the idea that connected the mind of an affluent Southern plantation owner and that of a radical abolitionist. Generally, the understanding of any period in the United States history as a whole relies heavily on acquiring the knowledge of the way of life, and the patterns of thought of the American public. The meaning of freedom provides a unique insight into social models, and can be considered a crucial factor when examining the impact of the key events in the history of the United States, namely the Civil War. The three speeches by the prominent American politicians and presidents from 1850’s throughout the Civil War era will be compared and analyzed with respect to their definition of freedom in order to demonstrate the different perceptions of this concept in the 19th century American society.

The War of Succession, universally known as the Civil War, was a war unlike any other. According to the Civil War Trust, “ it was the most immensely colossal and most destructive conflict in the Western world between the cessation of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the onset of World War I in 1914.” It commenced when the Confederate army assailed Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. The Civil War was a rigorously catastrophic event for both the North and the South. About 360,000 of the Union’s men were killed ( Some passed later on because of their fatal wounds or diseases.), the rest of the casualties were on the Confederate side. That makes 600,000 men killed in this war. It was not easy but, after four years, the war ended on April 9, 1865.

​The effects of the Civil War brought about changes in the United States. The country had to answer the question: To what level of moral and ethical conduct do we want Americans to be held? Loyalties were seriously evaluated. People had to decide if they held their loyalty to the country as a whole, their state, their families, or even to humanity as a whole. They had to decide if it was right to own another person, or if the slavery system was justified as a way to keep the Southern economy going. Through all this contemplation, people wrote about their thoughts and fears, and as a result, people abandoned romanticism and became realists. Many writings of the Civil War, whether informational or literary, reflect