Why did non-slave owners fight in the civil war - Research Paper Example

?Why did non-slave owners fight in the civil war? The American civil war is one of the most important events in US History. Not only did it revolutionize the US constitution, but it changed the life of many who had previously been living in conditions of slavery. It is estimated that over three million soldiers took part in the civil war, with two million fighting for the Union states and one million fighting for the Confederate states (Catton & McPherson, 2004). Around 600,000 of these soldiers died in combat, making it the deadliest war in American history (Catton & McPherson, 2004). One of the main reasons for the American civil war was that many people in the northern states felt that slavery was immoral and unnecessary, whilst those in the south wanted to keep their slave-owning plantation way of life. It is easy to understand why those in possession of slaves would want to keep their lifestyle and their cheap labor source, but why did non-slave owners fight in the civil war? Inequality Whilst it may seem ridiculous to some to support a system that does not benefit yourself, such as non-slave owners supporting slavery in the civil war, but there are many reasons why. One of the main reasons is that black people and white people were not seen as equal at the time. The general consensus of the time was that those of African descent were a slave race (Hansen, Gallagher & Jakes, 2010) and deserved to be treated as such. This is one of the reasons why inequality lasted for such a significant amount of time after the civil war; it was difficult for some people to accept equality. Despite many soldiers fighting for the Confederate states not owning slaves, it may be that these individuals wished to maintain the quality of life. In the case of those who were termed ‘poor whites’, it may have been that they enjoyed being part of a system in which they were superior to one set of people; the African slaves. The abolition of slavery meant that everyone was equal, but those with money still retained some superiority. Those who were part of the ‘poor white’ lost their superiority altogether and may have felt uncomfortable with this idea. The culture of slavery was deep-rooted in society at the time and many are often uncomfortable with changes to the social order, and this may have been an example of this phenomenon (Catton & McPherson, 2004). The abolition of slavery did require a significant change to the social system of the day, so the Confederate supporters were not wrong to be worried. However, in recent decades the status of African Americans is now seen as equal to that of whites in the United States, so it is evident that some time has shown that there was a reason to fight for this equality, despite the problems it may have caused the Confederate soldiers at the time. It is interesting to consider how those labelled ‘poor whites’ of the day reacted to the abolition of slavery, and how they were now seen as equal to black, whereas prior to this the colour of their skin still set them apart. This was probably one of the major reasons why non-slave owners fought in the civil war. State Pride Something that may be easier to understand for modern Americans is the concept of state pride. As the ownership of slaves was so deeply ingrained into culture, some soldiers may have wanted to go to war to prevent themselves being under the legislation of the Union states who did not necessarily understand the way of life in the south (Hansen, Gallagher & Jakes, 2010). In many cases, soldiers would have been proud to be fighting for their state, despite their beliefs or their slave ownership status. Slavery was one of the main issues in the American civil war, but it was not the only one. Many people on both sides of the civil war believed in what is known as State Sovereignty, which essentially maintains the right of each individual state to control and create its own laws (Catton & McPherson, 2004). The Union was fighting to unite the states, both southern and northern, to create a more harmonious single country (what is now the United States of America). This would change the face of the United States forever, creating a constitution that was applicable to all. Again, this was not just an issue of slavery (although this is often cited to be one of the more important features of the Union laws) but an issue of retaining the autonomy to freely create laws that are applicable to one state. Social Pressures Something that seems to be prevalent in many wars involving large numbers of young men as soldiers is social pressures. In this case, when someone saw a friend or relative going to war, they may feel the social pressure to go along. It may be seen as unpatriotic not to accompany the troops onto the battlefield (Fields, 1990), and many who did not join in may be labelled as cowards. Although a non-slave owner may not feel the impetus to go along to war to protect his way of life, he may be interested in protecting his role in society and he may be supporting those who support the cause more fully. Men seem to be particularly vulnerable to this pressure. Equally, if the wife of a young man supported slavery or came from slave-owning stock, she may desire her husband to go and fight for the cause. This may seem ridiculous to people of today, as the label ‘coward’ no longer seems to hold such a stigma and there are less societal pressures to go to war. Protecting the Southern Way of Life Something that is linked to many of the causes that is often cited is that some soldiers may be fighting to protect the way of life that was so prevalent in the south, including slave ownership. As a non-slave owner, the impetus may be less on protecting existing slaves but protecting the lifestyle that accompanied slave ownership. Many of the other traditions of the south were felt to be at risk, such as the dances, the typical southern belle and the social hierarchy. Someone that did not own slaves may not have access to all of these elements of the southern lifestyle, but they may be fighting to protect it for others or still prefer this to what they foresaw from a Union win. This is again linked to state pride, but on a much larger scale, as it involves customs and traditions rather than fighting for the state itself. It also involves more complex rituals that may be unknown to the people of today. Additionally, the desire to protect the southern way of life may be linked to social pressures, as it may have seemed unpatriotic or unsympathetic to not go to war, despite the fact that these individuals did not own slaves (Catton & McPherson, 2004). Conclusion Whilst it may not necessarily be immediately obvious why a non-slave owner would go to war, when the depths are explored it seems fairly obvious. A young man may not wish to be branded a coward or unpatriotic, something that held even more weight at the time than it does today. Black people were still seen as inferior, and losing their slave status required a whole reinterpretation of the social system, something that went on for decades after the abolition of slavery (Fields, 1990). There may have been additional pressures linked to protecting the southern way of life, something that was very precious to many living in the era. It is obvious after these explorations that many of the people involved in the American civil war may not have been pro-slavery, and may not even have owned slaves themselves, but they still found many reasons to fight and join their compatriots on the battlefield. Works Cited Catton, Bruce, and James M. McPherson. The Civil War. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2004. Print. This is a well-known paper about the race issues in the civil war. It is good for this research as it illustrates how African Americans were viewed at the time of the civil war, showing how important the issue was, even to non-slave owners. Fields, B.J. “Slavery, race and ideology in the United States of America.” New Left Review 181.1 (1990): 95–118. Print. This book is a general civil war history book, with authors well known for writing lively civil war history. It is useful in this project because it illustrates that slavery was not the only reason for the civil war. Hansen, Harry, Gary Gallagher, and John Jakes. The Civil War: A History. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated, 2010. Print. Thiis book is a general civil war history book that gives a great detail about the reasoning behind going to war. It is for students and those interested in the histor of the American civil war. It aids this research by giving reasons why non-slave owners might fight in the civil war, and the authors are well known for writing books on this topic. Read More