Cost Of The American Civil War - Essay Example

Civil War Soldiers who engage in Civil War are doing so because they believe that their actions will ultimately lead to a better society for them, their family and their friends and countrymen. Many of the Confederate states that seceded from the Union did so because they knew that the abolition of slavery would not only destroy their way of live, but it would drastically hinder the families of the south to be able to properly make a living (PBS.com). The entire economic system was based upon using African American slaves in the south to create crops that were used to engage in international trade with Europe at the time as well as to provide basic products and money to other families and services in the South.

Likewise, the Federal soldiers fought to conserve their country that they believed so much in. The Confederacy was a direct threat to their way of life and the nature of the conflict bridging on war threatened the safety of their land and placed an even greater threat on the lives of friends and family (PBS.com). In both cases, each side fought directly to ensure that their way of life remained intact and that nothing would threaten their financial health or their safety. The real cost of the Civil war came in the form of not only financial cost but also in the cost of lives and resources in America.

For instance, the total number of known casualties amounted to 1,094,453 lives lost during the Civil War (CivilWarHome.com par. 1). This was a devastating loss of lives during this time period. However, there may have even been a greater cost in the form of finances. “In dollars and cents, the U.S. government estimated January 1863 that the war was costing $2.5 million daily. A final official estimate in 1879 totaled $6,190,000,000” (CivilWarHome.com par. 2). The costs of the war were much more than anyone could have imagined going in the conflict.

ReferencesCivilWarHome.com. "Cost Of The American Civil War." The American Civil War Home Page. Web. 11 May 2011. .PBS.com. "The Civil War." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 11 May 2011. .