The Civil War in America - Essay Example

Civil War Introduction The Civil War took place in America as a result of a bitter conflict that was sectional among its states. The war broke out after 11 states from the south declared that they had withdrawn their membership from the union and had formed their own ‘Confederate States’ of America after the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860. The aim and plan of this formed Confederate was to wear down the USA stronger morale and also attract the intervention of fellow European powers. This was not to happen as neither of the two worked out the way they expected. The strategy of the Union with Lincoln as the President was to come up and maintain morale through nationalism appeals after which advance to sentiments to antislavery. The Union used its military to bring the economy of the South to a stand still through having the coast blockaded. In addition, it took control of Mississippi and the Tennessee River system from the west as well as the Atlanta and captured the entire territory from Georgia to the Carolinas. The strategy from the east was to capture Richmond, which was under the supervision of Robert Lee before he was forced to surrender by Grant. This decisive Northern victory was followed by a Reconstruction period. By the time the war was over, approximately 970, 000 citizens had been left as casualties with more than 560,000 dead. The leading cause of the war, the nature of its outcome as well as its name have all remained topics of discussions and controversies since then (Cobbs 414). It is believed that the origin of the Civil War can only be traced within the complicated issues of politics, slavery and conflicts arising between the State’s rights scope and the federal powers, modernization, economics, sectionalism, expansionism, and Antebellum period competing nationalism. Despite the disagreements among historians on the causative events of the war and its relative importance, they all agree on the effects the war. War is considered as the most destructive consequent of the political mechanism of man and his ambitions. While all wars are taken as being equally horrific, one war that will always stand out of the rest is the Civil War. Taking place between 1861 and 1865, the war is remembered as being the deadliest war ever witnessed in the history of America. Reasons Why the North won the War Between the participating parts; the Northern States and the Southern States, the Union emerged as the victors and this victory has been associated with several reasons; The Northern States outnumbered their counterparts making the Southern unable to match the advancing force from the north. The north enjoyed a majority of States with the Union having at least 20 pure states while the South had only 11 states. This ensured that the Union’s manpower was greater thus automatically countering the strength of the Confederate army. The Northern State also had far much bigger number of soldiers approximated to be above 2, 400, 000 while the Southern States having an inferior number of soldiers that was bellow 1, 000, 000 (Boyer 500). The other factor that gave the Union an age over the Confederate was the industry superiority of the Union. Its industrial position ensured that the Northern States had more financial resources and money to see them through the war. This financial status meant that the union was well–off when it came to supplying its troops with arms which ensured that they kept fighting, constantly received medical attention and food supply was readily available. The industrial strength of the Union was far much superior. This was characterized a better number industries and factories that offered the necessary fuel, ammunition and weaponry equipment. The Southern States on the other hand were mostly plantation and cotton owners with insufficient advanced depots and suppliers (Cobbs 434). This left the south with limited supply and food resources as well as war equipment thus they had no chance of stopping the Union. The Union location also acted to its favor. The way the Northern States were situated, it was convenient for them to produce several crucial resources and go ahead to ferry the resources to where their troops were in short period of time. The South was not just disadvantaged considering the modes of transport they used but also its location limiting its access to the war front. The Confederate made use of traditional transportation methods like the horse that could not stand the taste of time putting into consideration the time factor (Boyer 482). The South also lacked a key inland mode of transportation as its railroad had no proper infrastructure and was still under construction. This left the South experience serous difficulties in having its resources get to the troops. The Southern troops consequently faced issues such as insufficient arms, famine and absence of medical supplies. Their Northern States had their railroad structure well designed and completed as well as a transport system that was fully functioning making it easy and convenient to have its supplies get to soldiers. The troops from the Northern States also employed better fighting technique. A good example was the blockade used by the union during this war. The move came out as being a cunning and smart one which involved the Union Navy immensely erecting a blockade in all the ports located at the South facing the Gulf coast and Atlantic coast. This strategy was aimed at blocking any resources from being moved across the Southern states. Now that all the sea routes had been cut off, the South was unable to have its cotton exported thus losing its income as well as being unable to replenish its diminishing ammunition stock. The Southern ships were scared of the blockade and opted to stay away rather than trying to break through it. This war strategy is believed to be one of the main reasons why the war duration was cut short as resources from the south were completely cut off thus the south was in no position to continue with war. The union’s leadership skills was also deciding factor on the fate of the war. The union did not concentrate on brutal strength but a keen and sharp military and political think-tank which proved necessary in the strategies and implementation of the wartime plans and actions (Cobbs 414). The political position of the Union made it a formidable side. Having Abraham Lincoln as its President supported with key figures such as Andrew Johnson and Gideon Welles, the Northern States were politically stronger. This political position assumed by the Union ensured that the war was mainly won by the resolve and strong will of President Lincoln who receive much support and inspiration from his fellowmen. The President gave the northerners all the reasons to keep fighting and remained a hero they all looked up to. The Union had brought together several different states thus its operations were freer and the atmosphere was bureaucratic. This made the Union have its key fighting factors being ambition and merit in order to gain positions. The Southern situation was totally different as even the strongest leaders from that side like George Randolph and Jefferson Davis were not in a position to take charge of the Southern politics state that was characterized by rigid and clannish structures with everyone determined to have his own aristocracy ranks and positions. The Southern States had many political conflicts and issues that interfered with its participation in the war. The military officers from the Southern States were well trained and were under the experienced Beauregard Jackson Stonewall and Lee Roberts amongst others who were associated with several major victories in the Southern States. Such positions and leadership ensured that its military was effective and precise in its strategies and tactics. Though not as good as the military force in the South, the Union had an equal talent in its military with the likes of Winfield Scott, William T, and Grant S. forming part of its military officers. Despite having a talented military force, the Southern States could help it but succumb to the Northern military force. This was because the Union’s army, unlike that from the south, practiced cooperation and practiced a high level of camaraderie amongst each other. At no time were they seen questioning any orders or any rank occupied by any officer. The situation was completely different in the South where its military officers used to squabble amongst each other and had defiant attitude when it came to receiving orders or accepting criticism. The ideologies in the north though ignored were influential in the way the Civil War ended. These included; faith, ideals, principles, and beliefs which inspired the North to develop courage and valor in their hearts that kept their willpower going. The decision by the North to fight for slavery eradication was a noble inspiration to the soldiers to fight not just a war but fight for the freedom and human rights of the others. This move won the slave’s hearts who voluntarily decided to be part of the Union that was for their freedom. The rightness of the Northern States made abolitionists such as England to keep off from intervening in the war. Some of the historians and politicians like Robert Toombs clearly stated that it was the nature of the Southern States that led to its defeat in the hands of the Northern States. The Southern States were handicapped ideologically on the rights of the States doctrine as their efforts to fight back were hampered by their internal political culture in their respective states. In addition to the several factors that gave the Union an age over the Southern States, the role played Lincoln is regarded as the key factor for the success of the Northern States. The masterstroke he proclaimed changed the nature of the war to be a war for freedom. This new approach ensured that the Northern gained more supports from the salves and the farmers as well as remained independent from foreign intervention. This move also benefited the North with over 3.5 million soldiers who were previously part of the workforce in the Confederate (Cobbs 483). Effects of the War The American Civil war had several effects with most of them being so adverse. Most of the states both from the north and south lost their sovereignty as well as their independence. The United States of America as a nation was turned from being a union of several states to be a single nation made up of compliant subdivisions referred to as states. This was what the founding fathers of the US desperately faught against. After the war, the South was transformed to being the North’s vassal territory and lost all its chances of being represented in the United States federal government. The North took the advantage of its victory to conquer and then captured potential alliance of the states from the south. The north went further to conserve the cash cow from the south so as to use it in fueling its industries. The main effect of the American Civil War was the birth of a single nation from the once existed states that were quasi-independent. The states had in the past voluntary taken part in the activities of the federal union and having them as part of the centralized government compliant vassals strengthened individual members by having them as parts of the a larger nation. The civil war effects were inevitable with its seeds sowed at the Constitutional Convention. The end of the war was marked by a number of debates on the states rights, federalism, and the unity of the nation. Reconstruction The Black Reconstruction can be traced back to the services offered by approximated 40, 000 African Americans who were free as well as 160, 000 who had been slaves serving as Union soldiers at the time of the American Civil war. The soldiers are remembered not just for their manpower that helped the North to emerge victors but also their significant contribution through their irrefutable claim to be changed from their slavery state to become full citizens. Most of the soldiers remained integral to the existing multicultural and black political and civic organizations. Some of Black leaders have been credited for their contribution during the Reconstruction period. A good example of such leaders is Galloway Abraham. While in the army, Galloway recruited more blacks to join the Union army making him a natural black leader. He was also nominated to be among a blacks delegation in 1863 that met President Lincoln to address the issue of the suffering of the blacks. Among his major contributions was his formation of the local and states chapters on the Equal Rights League. The formed leagues functioned as civic and political associations in the whole country while fighting for equal political, civil and social rights for the blacks. In addition, the leagues represented a burgeoning frame work of the black’s civil life with the help of schools, churches and other organizations. Galloway, together with other leaders like Campbell Tunis, realized that the resistance coming from the whites on black citizenship had become violent and swift (Cobbs 460). In 1866, the whites from the South had enacted the ‘Black Codes’ law that was part of the colonial laws which restricted the blacks freedom both in the Northern and Southern sides. The laws were a restriction to the property and contract African Americans rights, enforced specifically as penury and severe criminal punishments. The reaction to this was the passing of the Civil Rights Act that was meant to counter the Black Codes in 1866, and a further Reconstruction legislation by the Congress which regarded the suffering of the blacks to be a readmission condition of the former Southern States to the Northern States. These movements and laws helped the Blacks to achieve real gains like political representations and suffrages. At this time, Blacks held political positions like senate position. These gains did not last as by the end of 1890, the Blacks had lost most of these gains making them leave under a government that was both brutal and oppressed them. These drastic changes were mainly as a result of the increased violence caused by the whites (Boyer 467). What the former Southerners couldn’t accomplish through the law against the blacks, they opted to have it through violence. This led to several white vigilante and terrorists cases and organizations like the Ku Klux Klan, the Red Shirts and the Regulators. The organizations like the Klan took part in extreme violence mostly against the blacks in order to attain a ‘status society’. They achieved this through political or labor activism, property holdings, or social standings. With such violence facing the blacks, Campbell and Galloway took part in coming up with militias that were meant to offer protection against terrorism carried out by the whites. The freed slaves had to depend on the federal government for protection against legal manipulation and violence from the Southern. The federal also stepped in to help the blacks fight back the violence coming from whites. The violence had gotten too extensive especially from the Klan forcing the congressional Republicans to intervene. The congressional achieved this on the basis of the Fifteenth as well as the Fourteenth Amendments. The Congress came up with a federal legislation that ensured perpetrators were prosecuted by the federal government. In Carolina, the prosecution of the Klan basing on this legislation helped in the curbing violence making it safer for most of the blacks in that state to practice and hold political powers. The combination of the black citizens initiatives through self protection, politics and community organizations and the law enforced by the federal government worked as a viable solution to the white violence (Boyer 486). Declaration of Independence Promises The Declaration of Independence had promised every American liberty and freedom in respectful of their racial backgrounds. These promises gave false hopes to the citizens as they all looked forward to better lives of equal rights and freedom. The period between the War for Independence and the period of Reconstruction proved that a number of the promises were empty as some of the groups living in America faced the same living conditions as before while some faced even worse conditions. Some of the groups of people whose lives underwent noticeable changes during this period include the African Americans, the women and the male laborers (Cobbs 4 14). Gender equality has remained a striking topic of discussion among historian especially during this period. During the Civil War, women from both the South and North received so much recognition and praise for their noble sacrifice during wartime. By the end of the war, some women had gone beyond the practices that had been established. Taking a look at the political, voluntary and economic experience of women during this period, it is evident that the war changed the roles played by gender. A few of the women from the North like Clara Barton went up the national ranks but this did not change the directions of the Christian and the sanitary Commission as they both remained under the control of men. Women from other states such as Chicago assumed authorities that were unfamiliar at that time. This included organizational theories and skills that played a significant role in the modeling of the grassroots postwar activities. The war is seen to have expanded the experience of women but still never changed the common assumption on the way gender is associated with war (Boyer 450). For some of the women, the economic challenges resulting from the Civil war came with new opportunities to them. Despite the fact that the demands for the union’s military did not spare room for army women, it gave rise to opportunities for the Northern women who occupied positions such as nurses, clerks and teachers. In both sides, women were involved in increased agricultural roles every time the white men were not around. This was mostly witnessed in the Confederacy where women acted without any influence from their men counter parts. The war also pushed the women from the south to new position but they still faced cultural barriers. The North was receptive of having the nurses being male. Local women from the North rolled bandages, fed the soldiers who were traveling and visited hospital. White women coming from different classes came together at sewing circles to make all types of goods for their men. The Southern women also remained patriotic to their states and this was seen when the Confederacy experienced financial crisis, the stages fund raisers treasures. The situation of the blacks in the South was very ambiguous, even before the war was over, thousands of the slaves had gained their freedom. The freed slaves had to face the complexities of local, individual and national forces. This led to individual slaves to react to the circumstances to adapt to the challenging life after slavery without the help of the Union troops or masters. The federal government stepped in to salvage the blacks by coming up with laws on equal opportunities and business commitments so as to help them improve the black’s economic position. A good number of the blacks from the low and middle classes rose significantly. However, the majority of the black families continued to be poor as the middle class blacks who were strong became richer. More than one third of the total Black Americans population continued to live way below poverty level. Though the government tried to create jobs for them with the rate of employment going as up as 66%, they only occupied jobs that were in the category of jobs paying the least. The black’s real income dropped by 20% just few years after the Declaration of Independence. More than half of black children grew in poverty. This affected their life expectancy that remained lower than that of the whites (Cobbs 478). The life of male laborers in America profoundly changed during this period from agrarians to industrial workers. Before this period, the states especially those in the South were largely agricultural. The male laborers were mostly unskilled thus the economy of these states fared poorly with the skilled ones being mostly artisans, craftsmen and mechanics. More than 40 Percent of the men were low-wages seamstresses and laborers. The period between the War for Independence and the period of Reconstruction was marked with an industrial growth mostly experienced in the North. This made most of the male laborers to live their small firms to go work in the factories. This industrial environment led to the development of labor unions which improved the working conditions for the laborers. The unions and better working conditions gave rise to more skilled laborers with better payments and better working conditions. The growing number of laborers and the powers held by the labor unions attracted the attention of politicians. Politics had both positive and negative impacts on the laborers but the most of all was that it improved their pay and their working condition. Conclusion The American Civil War, commonly referred to as the Civil War is regarded as the deadliest war in American history not just because of the number of victims and deaths witnessed during the war but the effects the war had in America as a nation. From the role the war played in stopping slavery, to transforming the country from a nation made up of different states to a single nation subdivided into several states, the Reconstruction period which witnessed economic, social, racial, political and judicial changes and lastly the promises of the ‘Declaration of Independence’ that came to pass in some American groups but were never witnessed in others. The Civil war is remembered most among all the other wars in America because of these changes yet what caused the war to start remains a mystery till today. Works Cited Boyer, Paul. The American Nation: Civil War to Present. New York: Holt McDougal, 2001. Print Cobbs, Elizabeth. Broken Promises: A Novel of the Civil War. New York: Ballantine Books, 2011. Print Read More