Spanning from 1861 to 1870, the American Civil War and the resulting Reconstruction period were a time of great change for the United States. In 1861, the southern states of the US seceded from the union due to conflicts in regards to the status of slavery in the US. This newly formed Confederacy waged war upon the remaining Union in order to reaffirm slavery. During this civil war, there were amendmendments to the constitution that abolished Slavery. In 1865, the Confederacy surrendered and the Union won the war. In the aftermath, the US began an era of “reconstruction” in which the conflicts from the Civil War were resolved. Former confederate states were admitted into the Union and services were provided to newly freed African Americans. Although these events came after the establishment of the US, the American Civil War and early Reconstruction period, between 1861-1870, was akin to a second American Revolution because of the ideological and political changes caused by the inception and aftermath of the war. These changes included the …show more content…
This was caused by the recurring conflict of the status of slavery within the US. The Northern states were against slavery as it went against the Constitution while Southern states favored slavery as they used slave labor for their crop production. Slavery was prohibited in the Northern states, while many Southern states practiced slavery. When various aspects including the election of Abraham Lincoln threaten the status of slavery, South Carolina seceded from the union. This led to the secession of the remaining Southern states and the formation of the Confederacy. This was a politically revolutionary event because the American union was split into factions. In addition, the radical division of factions led to a Civil War which in itself is revolutionary. The sanctity of the American union was destroyed by the institution of
“The Second Founding: How The Civil War And Reconstruction Remade The Constitution '' by Eric Forner is about how the American Civil War and the period of Reconstruction converted the Constitution and the country itself. In the book Eric Forner analyzes many different struggles that the United States went through during the era of Reconstruction. Despite Eric Forner analyzing different struggles, two of the struggles that are mentioned a lot in the book are the political and social struggles of the Reconstruction era. Despite there being many different points Eric Forner makes throughout the book, the main argument that Eric Forner argues is how the Reconstruction era after the Civil war was a crucial transformative moment in United States history. Impact was most noticeable in the constitution being adjusted and a lot more comprehensive which made a
1. “How did Lincoln and Johnson each approach reconstruction?” Johnson did not have Lincoln’s moral sense and political judgement when it came to reconstruction. “As wartime president, Lincoln had offered amnesty to all but high-ranking Confederates” (464). Lincoln had proposed that when ten percent of a rebellious states voters had sworn loyalty (taken an oath), then the state would be restored to the Union as long as it had approved the thirteenth amendment to abolish slavery.
Southern states started to secede after Lincoln was elected, but they seceded because they were scared that he was going to end slavery. The whole Southern economy was based off of slavery because they had an agricultural economy and not an industrial economy like the North. The North and the South were completely different. The North did not need slaves, while the South feared what would happen without slaves. “Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world.
The value of slaves skyrocketed due to the suitable conditions in the South; in fact, both the tropical climate and the invention of the cotton gin allowed the habitable environment of the South to Flourish. Also, Abraham Lincoln being elected encouraged the Southern States to secede. The South feared that he would end slavery, so there was no trust toward Lincoln. Keeping in mind that slavery was the heart of the Southern States, Southerners did not want to risk losing slaves, so they chose to leave the Union to preserve their most prized possession, slavery. As a result, the Southerners labeled themselves as the Confederacy while the northern States were the Union.
In 1861, after years of violent tensions between the Northern and Southern United States over the issues that many Southern states wanted more authority over the federal government, so they could abolish federal laws they did not agree with them, like the right to keep slaves and they believe if slavery were to be abolish it could collapse the United States economy. Slave owners wanted to take slavery into the new territories in the west, but the North wanted to keep them open to white labor alone. When Abraham Lincoln was voted into presidency, the south knew that they have lost all influence and decide to separate from the Union which lead to the civil war. The civil war could have not been settled in a diplomatic as that many southern slave
In the early 1860’s the Southern states seceded from the Union due to the uproar of disputes over, slavery in the territories, the Northern abolitionists growth in power and the
The Southern states were still strongly in support of slavery in the 1860s, while the North was strongly against it. The North was almost completely free states, and had new states entering as free, while the South was still fighting to keep slavery. The fight between the North and the South continued to progress, until the South felt that they no other option, so they decided to secede. They seceded one by one, each state persuading another. There were many issues, complaints, and fears that eventually led drastic decision of the South to secede.. .
The Civil War was one of America's biggest wars and was all based on the different opinions of the North and the South. When the North wanted to outlaw slavery the South responded when South Carolina seceded from the the Union and brought many other states with them. Clearly the South did not agree with the Norths opinion and wanted to do something about it. After South Carolina seceded Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida followed shortly after.
The Slavery states were feeling discriminated against by the non Slavery states. The north was no longer willing to tolerate Slavery states. They wanted to abolish slavery throughout the states and as thought, the south fought back. “The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states.” When Lincoln got elected he promised to keep Slavery out of the new states and that’s when most of those states seceded and became The Confederate States Of America.
Most understand that America was built largely on the backs of African slaves and that a civil war was fought over the right of white people to own slaves. This war began when the southern states decided to secede from the rest of the United States in order to keep their slaves; these formed their own country, the Confederate States of America, and created two flags of their own. This is one of the darker parts of American history that many would like to gloss over. The end of the civil war led to both the abolishment of slavery, and the end of the Confederacy as the involved states returned to the union. At the time the war ended, the flags of the Confederacy were mostly retired, but some of the men who had fought for the Confederacy refused
It led to the abolition of slavery, which had been a contentious issue in American society for centuries. Additionally, it fundamentally changed the balance of power between the federal government and the states. The Union's victory over the Confederacy also solidified the country's position as a world power and paved the way for many technological and industrial advancements in the years to come. To understand the
Reconstruction is the time period after the Civil War, where the country attempted to improve the Union. There were many successes, but what also comes along with success is failure. During the reconstruction many failures were present; such as the lack of racial equality and blatant racism towards blacks, a failing economy in the South, and tense relations between the North and the South. This created a very intense and challenging period of time for the Union.
The Civil War was fought during 1861 through 1865 between the Southern and Northern parts of the United States. The North, or the Union, wanted to abolish slavery, but the South, called the Confederates, wanted to keep slavery as well as secede from the Union. This war started at Fort Sumter and was won by the North. Hostility between the North and South grew noticeably after the year of the Missouri Compromise, 1820 (“Civil War” 1). In 1852, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a book about slave life, became the second best-selling book in 19th Century America, behind the Bible, and opened the eyes of Northerners.
In 1861, the South seceded from the Union. This act began the long and bloody Civil War that spanned from April 12, 1861-May 13, 1865. Many people think the Civil War was simply over slavery but there was a lot more conflict than what is remembered. The South seceded from the Union over differences in opinions concerning slavery, states’ rights, tariffs, and sectionalism.
The American Civil War, which took place from 1861 to 1865, was a defining moment in the nation's history. It was a violent conflict between the Northern states and Southern states that tested the nation's ability to withstand division and uphold its reputation as a country. This treatise will explore how the Civil War