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The Civil War:The Real ReasonWhat was the Civil War??The Civil War began April 12, 1861 with the attacks of Fort Sumter, and did not end until April 9, 1865 with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army. Over 620,000 died in the war, along with disease killing twice as many as those lost in battle. 50,000 survivors returned home as amputees. So why was this war fought? A common misconception ??It is a commonly held view that President Lincoln fought the Civil War to free the slaves.
Many believe that this was his goal, that he was the first president to care about the slaves. Based on facts from the video: The Anguish of the Emancipation, I do not agree with this common misconception. The abolishment of slavery was just one of the results after the war. We discuss the common scapegoats, such as slavery, or economics, or tariff policy, or even political power, however these are not the kind of things that a man would sacrifice and die for. The Civil War, I believe was a fight between the North and the South. Each trying to protect their own system and way of life.
The Civil War was not fought to free the slaves but to make America into what it would be and what it would mean to be an American. The north vs. the south??In the 1800’s America was divided into two parts, North and South. The clash between the two different systems held by each caused there to be tension and eventually caused the inescapable war. The North was an Industrial land. Their factories consisted of paid workers. Slavery was no longer something that the North relied on or believed in. Slavery was now against their way of life and ultimately the North wanted to protect that.
The South, however was a much more agricultural land, which produced natural goods. Slaves were the backbone of the South’s economic status. The South still believed in the system of slavery and knew it was a major part of their success. Tension between the North and South aroused because both wanted to protect their own separate ways of life. However, the North felt as though the south had an advantage over them by having slaves and not paying laborers. The union vs. states rights??New territories were being settled.
The South wanted new territories to be admitted to the Union as Slave states. This was mainly to prevent the slaves from escaping to the free territories. However, the North believed that those new territories remain free. States Rights was the idea that these territories have the right to vote whether to be free or slave. Lincoln was elected president November 6,1860, whom had declared” Government cannot endure permanently half free and half slave. South Carolina immediately removed from the Union along with six other states to dorm the Confederate States of America(CSA).
The South feared that Lincoln would free the slaves and take away their economy and way of life. A moral issue??In the nineteenth century slavery was not a moral issue, but more of an economic issue first and a moral issue second. This was mainly because the South’s economic system was based solely on cotton which was produced by the slaves. If the slaves were taken away that would immediately bring the collapse of its socio- economic system. The whole concept of America becoming a country was based on all men being created equally, yet they allowed slavery because it was a major part of the economy.
In conclusion??Slaves were eventually free at the end of the Civil War with the ratifying of the Thirteenth amendment of the constitution. This was first passed December 6, 1865 later being ratified to free the slaves January 31, 1865. Although this was a great achievement for African Americans, it was not the reason for the Civil war. Many of Lincolns admirers have said that at the onset of the civil war he had no intentions at all to abolish slavery. What began as a bitter dispute over the Union and States rights ended over the meaning of freedom in America.
America was divided and each side fought to protect their own systems. Who was right and who was wrong? The war had to be fought in order to create a better nation, however neither side realized the real problem it faced…Slavery. America was supposed to be a free land however, it still stood on the basis of slaves. No Lincoln did not fight the Civil War to end slavery. He did not feel bad about slavery and the mistreatment of slaves. He was concerned with making his country equal, because at that time the South had an advantage over the North. He fought the Civil War to protect and defend their ways of life.