United States Civil War: 1861 - 1865

 

 

Three essential questions: 

 

a. How might the Civil War compare to the war we are currently fighting in Iraq?

- who is ruling who?

- what is right and wrong?

- what is the best form of government? 

 

b. How was the public, aside from the soldiers and leaders, involved in the decisions and actions undertaken during the civil war? What role did other countries play in the Civil War?

 - Literature (Uncle Tom's Cabin)

 - Almost every family was involved, in some way or another...

 

c. What were some major differences between the leaders of the civil war? How did these similarities and differences affect their leadership during the war? How did these leaders serve to achieve the respective visions and ideals of the North and South?

 

~ "Many historians consider Robert E. Lee the greatest general of the Civil War, and it is generally agreed that his military genius, hampered though it was by lack of men and materiel, was a principal factor in keeping the Confederacy alive. Others point out, however, that he never developed a coordinated overall strategy, that he failed to provide an adequate supply system for his armies, and that he was reluctant to deal with difficult subordinates such as Longstreet. Of admirable personal character, Lee was idolized by his soldiers and the people of the South and soon won the admiration of the North. He has remained an ideal of the South and an American hero."  http://www.us-civilwar.com/

 

~ When Grant was appointed commander of the Union army, he was not at a terribly successful point in his life. He had been licked out of the army for excessive drinking, failed at business and farming, and was working in the family shop. Later in his life he became president, and goes to show that those with a lowly start (as the Union army) can succeed in anything (like winning a war, or becoming president)

 

~ As time passed Lincoln became more and more the object of adulation; a full-blown “Lincoln legend” appeared. Yet, even if his faults and mistakes are acknowledged, he stands out as a statesman of noble vision, great humanity, and remarkable political skill. It is not surprising that the Illinois “rail-splitter” is regarded as a foremost symbol of American democracy.

 

 

 

Some other questions:

 

- What caused the states to leave the union? Were the reasons different according to location?

- What advantages/disadvantages applied to each side during the war? Would the outcome have been different if the North and South had been reversed in location but still has the same people etc.? In other words, how much did the economy/location/values of the respective sides effect the war in relation to the people and leaders?

- The South had much more territory than the North. Statistically, they should have won. Why didn't they?

 

 

- Slavery + expansion of slavery; Dred Scott

- morals + fundamental values

- government + democracy; society

- economy, sectionalism, expansion industrialism

- politics 

- power

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Introduction:

 

      It's easy to say that the Civil War was a war over slavery. It is easy for students to create posters and write essays outling the battles of the war, the leaders, the dates, and the statistics. What isn't easy is explaining the true significance of the American Civil War. From the very start of the 'New World', America was in a state of change. Even as the first settlers were arriving, they were changing the way they lived, thought, acted, and governed themselves. As time went on, new ideas were born. Some of these ideas were met with enthusiam and some were dismissed immediately. The myriads of ideas and beliefs often led to conflict, and Americans wasted no time in creating a system in which to keep order and control over their new country. Even as the first 60 people stepped onto American soil, the Mayflower Compact had been written and signed, binding these settlers to one form of government. The Articles of Confederation brought more turmoil to the country, bringing with them the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the ten amendments known today as the Bill of Rights. Every step along the path to control proved to make the journey more difficult than before. As America developed, distinct groups arose, each with their own beliefs and visions for their country. The ideas of a central government who made all decisions versus the idea of states' rights were prominent. With every development in the system, more and more disagreement became evident throughout the course of American history.

 

     This is where many people become limited in their knowledge of this great war. The Civil War is often portrayed from this point on as a war caused by the disagreement over slavery, that the North and South couldn't agree on who was to control what, who was to control who, and what was moral and immoral. This is also where historians begin to take sides. From one perspective, there are the Southerners, who see themselves as sensible and business savvy. They fought to keep slavery, primarily to preserve the booming economy that developed along with the rise of industry and inventions that increased production rates, and because they felt that they were preserving the livelihood of large masses of slaves who would have no place to go otherwise. Were the Southern plantations to keep producing at the rate that they had been, they would have gained much money and, consequently, much power in hopes of becoming the Nation's powerhouse. On the other hand, the Northerers felt that slavery was immoral and cruel, and were interested in the equality for all men and women.The economy in the North was not in bad shape either, as their sustainable farms and merchants were enough to live comfortably by, and they had been living peacefully together for a long time.  Events such as the Dred Scott vs. Sanford case had only served to exacerbate the already simmering hatred between the two sides, and by the start of the Civil War in 1861, the fight was not really about slavery anymore. Instead, slavery was little more than a word which hid the true meaning of the war - the struggle for economic and political power, and the desperate attempt to settle right and wrong forever.

 

 

 

 

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Conclusion:

 

 

   The Civil War affected nearly every family in the South, and many in the North. More than 600,000 people died fighting for what they believed in. The individual became unimportant -an ironic statement considereing the premise of the war itself; anyone who was able was involved in some way or another, whether it was a 17 year-old son given a gun and an inspiring speech, a single mother recruited as a seamstress or a nurse, a young boy instructed to walk in front of the army playing the drums, or a few sisters who were forced to open up their homes to provide residence for soldiers. 

    It is interesting to broaden this topic to include present day events. As the so-called 'War on Terror' is taking place, many similar issues have arisen. The current war has changed its meaning many times, and is most certainly not about what it was originally declared as. The Civil War originated from the dispute over slavery, but was most certainly not fought entirely for that reason alone. In 2008, the meaning of "The War on Terror" has morphed into a war over oil, or perhaps a war on government. The United States is losing hundreds of soldiers each day, and for what? For the same reasons that those soldiers died in 1861: for coveted resources, for money, for power, and for the sickening satisfaction that comes when one side succeeds in forcing their principles and governments onto the other.

     When Lincoln spoke his famous speech at Gettysburg, he meant it when he spoke of a 'new birth of freedom', and a united country abiding to one government. His words "the world will little note what they said here, but can never forget what they did here" are fading. The American Dream is one of equality, freedom, health, and happiness. But the world today has gone wrong; the war in Iraq serves disrespect to Lincoln's epic speech. The Civil War was no more about slavery than the War on Terror is about terrorism. Our Civil War heroes have been forgotten. The land of freedom and equality has been lost and sectionalism is increasing rapidly. The American Dream that once offered open-mindedness and civility to all has been destroyed. Clearly, time has not changed human nature.

 

 

 

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Bibliography/additions to the timeline:

 

 

 

2001: The War on Terrorism begins, initiating a reenactment of the sentiments of the 1800's.

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_Civil_war

 

http://www.us-civilwar.com/

 

http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/war/