Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War - Essay Example

 Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War Introduction The American civil war is a critical landmark in the history of America. The civil war marked an era of conflicts especially between the southern and the northern states. Various historians have postulated different causes of the war and the role played by the civil war leaders. The civil war resolved two issues that the American Revolution failed to solve. Firstly, it addressed the issue of division and recession of other States. Secondly, it settled the issue of slavery in the country. However, the war was destructive with many people dying. Abraham Lincoln is one of the prominent political figures who significantly contributed to both the causes and the success of the civil war. Lincoln’s actions resulted in the success of the civil war. During the American Revolution and the adoption of the constitution, there emerged differences between the North and the South. The conflicts were based on their varying opinions on establishing a new nation. Sectionalism increased in the country prompting the start of the civil war due to the different cultural and economic perspectives between the northerners and the southerners. The interest of each of the sections was more crucial to its people than the interests of the whole country. The civil war could also have started because of the differences between the Free States and the slave States over the power of the national government to stop slavery in the regions that were not yet states. The different philosophical positions of the north and the south over the power of the federal government further facilitated the civil war. Southern philosophers supported the notion of the states’ rights. The southerners feared that the federal government could have the ultimate powers to own slaves as it did in Northwest Ordinance and Missouri. According to the southerners, the states had the authority and not the people who, are represented by the federal government (Finkelman, 2011). On the contrary, the Northerners recognized the ultimate power of the federal government The debate over Slavery is cited as the other cause of the civil war. The Republicans opposed the idea of expanding slavery into the territories and aired their views through their candidate, Abraham Lincoln. On the other hand, the Democrats supported the right of southern states to take the slaves into their territories. The northerners emphasized on containing the slaves claiming that the slaves were valuable to the Northern region. The northerners believed that the expansion of slavery would limit their industrial capitalism. The industrial capitalists in the North would gain a lot from containing the slaves compared to the south because of their industrial capacity. Abolitionists helped shape the debate on slaves by supporting the containment idea. However, some abolitionists wanted to eliminate slavery. Abraham Lincoln ought to send the slaves back to Africa specifically Liberia. Economic issues may have also contributed to the war (Collier & Hoefflert, 1998). It was clear that the north and the south differed economically. The North depended on its industrial power while the south thrived on agriculture. Therefore, the South opposed the tariffs laid by the national government to support internal improvement projects developed by the North. Tariff debates were common where each of the two regions took opposing sides. After winning the election on a Republican ticket in 1860, Lincoln was a leader who pledged to keep slavery out of the territories. Seven states in the south seceded out of the union due to the policies developed by Lincoln regarding slavery. However, Lincoln’s government did not recognize the legitimacy of the secession with the fear that it discredited democracy and would fragment the nation. Most of the Lincoln speeches before the civil war were against slavery in the territories (Zarefsky, 2011). Lincoln used different provisions in the American Constitution to support his actions. Lincoln argued that the law did not support any provision for secession. Based on the Constitution, Lincoln authorized the militia to the civil war. According to the law particularly the section 8, the Congress had power to call the militia, declare war and stop insurrections. Lincoln used these provisions to use the military to win the war. Most of the actions Lincoln took during the civil war were supported by the constitution. After the Confederate attack, Lincoln exercised his authority as the president. Lincoln called thousands of militiamen and other volunteers to join and support the war. The President also directed that both the army and the navy be increased. These actions were justified by the fact that it was the right of every government to use the military to suppress any insurrection that has overpowered the local authorities (Natarajan, 2010). The actions Lincoln took in reaction to the attack on Fort Sumter were fully justified and supported by the Congress. In the position of Lincoln, the Congress had the power to authorize the president to use the military power to stop infighting and insurrections. The Congress also took other measures that supported Lincoln ideas that focused on preserving the union. The Congress actions were directed to promoting the war against the Confederacy supported by Abraham Lincoln. Besides authorizing the president to use military power in the war, the Congress also allowed Lincoln to borrow money from other sources for funding the war. With support from the Congress, Lincoln also increased custom duties to get more revenues and closed the southern ports. Most of these actions weakened the southern people and steered the North to victory during the civil war. The Congress, through the leadership of Lincoln, prohibited soldiers from fighting against the federal government and forced federal officers to take oaths of allegiance to the nation. Most of these actions were developed to support Lincoln’s federal government and ensure success during the civil war (Owens, 2009). In addition, Lincoln also prohibited any commercial relations with rebel states thus, weakening the southern states. Interestingly, none of Lincoln’s actions and Congress measures received any objection. It is clear that the Congress initiated these measures in support of Lincoln. Lincoln clear ideas and leadership abilities ensured the loyalty and support from the Congress. Lincoln’s actions to use the military and preserve the union received full support from the Congress and the federal government (Fisher, 2010). Conclusion The American civil war was a tough time in the history of the United States. The conflict was majorly between the northern states and the southern states. While the northern states wanted to preserve the Union, the Southern states seceded and formed their country. The cause of the war are complex and include slavery, debates over the power of the federal government and economic issues. The southern states mainly fought for state’s rights. However, through the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, the North eventually won the war. Abraham Lincoln was a determined leader during the civil war who was dedicated to preserving the union. References Collier, P., & Hoefflert, A. (1998). On economic causes of civil war. Oxford Economic Papers, 50, 563-573. Finkelman, P. (2011, April). Slavery, the Constitution, and the Origins of the Civil War. OAH Magazine of History, 25(2), 14-18. Fisher, L. (2010). Abraham Lincoln: Preserving the Union and the Constitution. Albany Government Law Review, 3, 503-532. Natarajan, A. (2010). Lincoln& Congress, Myths Aside. University of St. Thomas Journal of Law & Public Policy, III(1), 80-98. Owens, M. (2009). Abraham Lincoln: Leadership and Democratic Statesmanship in Wartime. Philadelphia: Foreign Policy Research Institute. Zarefsky, D. (2011). Abraham Lincoln, "A House Divided" Speech at Springfield, Illinois. Voices of Democracy, 6, 23-42. Read More