Abstract
This paper aims at discussing the causes, effects, and aftermath of the American civil war that took place between 1861 to 1865. The American civil war began in 1854 when the US congress enacted the Kansas-Nebraska policy that promoted all forms of slavery. However, the opposing forces to the rule struggled earnestly in a war called the “bleeding act” in their quest to end this inhumane act. Additionally, there was another movement in the north, the “republican party” which was a political organization that created various policies to oppose the act of extending the slavery policy into the western communities. In 1857, the Dred Scott Case, a Supreme Court ruling confirmed that the slave trade was legal. However, in 1859, John Brown, one of the opposers convinced the southern communities that the legalization of the slave trade was bound to destroy the peace and harmony of their neighboring communities and that they should stand against it. The war finally ended in April 1965 when the main antagonist, General Lee surrendered to the opposition General Mr. Grant at the battle of Appomattox house. The war ended and millions of black slave prisoners were freed.
Summary of the American civil war
The practice of legalizing the slave trade was one of the turning points of the United States during the 19th century (Foster, 2018). The US was thrown into a crisis when Abraham Lincoln was elected as the US president in 1860 but on the condition of an anti-slavery platform. However, the southern territories that supported the slave trade withdrew from the main government to form their organizations with different laws and regulations supporting the slave trade. After Confederate forces seized various cities they attempted to force the main government headed by Abraham Lincoln to legalize the slave trade but they failed with their mission (Hall, Huff and Kuriwaki, 2019). This led to an outbreak of civil war in 1861 when the confederate forces engaged in a “Battle of Fort Sumter” in California with other territories that did not support or promote the slave trade. This happened only one month after Lincoln’s inauguration as the president of the United States. Allin (2019) notes that the states/territories that remained loyal to the main government were referred to as the “union.” However, the confederate states continued with their agenda of promoting the slave trade and they controlled at least 11 out of the 34 states (Hall, Huff and Kuriwaki, 2019). During this period, there was a fierce battle between especially in the Southern territories between the confederate states and the Union states that supported the main government.
During the war-torn period (1861-1862), Foster (2018) observes that the union made important progress. In the Eastern territories of the US, the union made sure that the war was largely reduced to a great extent and was also inconclusive. During the summer period of September 1862, the president issued a directive called the “Emancipation proclamation.” The main objective of this directive was to ensure that the slave trade was brought to an abrupt end (Choperena, 2021). In the western territories, the union forces destroyed the river navy that belonged to the confederate forces and also seized the territory of New Orleans. To ensure that the confederate forces were largely neutralized, the union forces seized Vicksburg, one of the main strongholds of the confederate army. This later split the Confederate forces into two groups (Allin, 2019).
In 1863, the commander of the confederate army, Mr. Robert Lee's invasion in the northern territory ended tragically at the Battle of Gettysburg. The Union forces tightened their grip by blocking all the ports of the confederate forces. Furthermore, they assembled all the resources tools and equipment and launched various attacks against the confederate army (Foster, 2018). The city of Atlanta was eventually captured by the Union forces under the leadership and the command of General William Sherman. The last civil battle involved the siege of Petersburg. In the battle, the Union forces completely defeated confederate forces and also seized the Rich diamond, another stronghold of the confederate forces (Hall, Huff, and Kuriwaki, 2019). The war came to an end in the summer of April 1965 when General Lee, the commander of the confederate forces surrendered to the Union forces under the command of General Grant at the “battle of Appomattox House” after they had fled from Rich Diamond and Petersburg. Other Confederate generals also decided to bring the war to an end by surrendering to the Union forces.
To mark the end of the war, the confederate union was dismantled and collapsed, the slave trade was eventually banned in the US and more than four million enslaved prisoners were set free (Wyne, 2020). The process of rebuilding the war-torn US began since much of its resources and infrastructure had been destroyed. Furthermore, the slaves who were freed were granted their civil rights that were also marked in the US constitution.
The critical analysis
Some several pros and cons can be taken from this civil war. First, Abraham Lincoln is seen to be a great leader when he was elected on a non-slaver platform. As Wyne (2020) notes, leaders should be elected on a free and fair platform to promote the rights and interests of their citizens. Furthermore, Lincoln also demonstrated strong leadership when he introduced the “Emancipation proclamation.” This was a law that was meant to abolish all forms of the slave trade and fight for the rights and interests of the black slaves (Wayne, 2020). When the president introduced the law, the Union forces tightened their fight towards the confederate forces. They eventually achieved their goal by restoring law and order in the US.
However, the leaders of the Confederate armies such as General Lee are seen as leaders who are incompetent and greedy. This is because they decided to go against the will of the people of the US. The citizens had elected Abraham Lincoln (Allin, 2019) on one condition of promoting anti-slavery and giving the black communities their civil rights. However, the confederate leaders tried to overturn the policies and the will of people by forcefully promoting the slave trade in the US. However, their attempts eventually failed.
The Union forces demonstrated a high level of loyalty and resilience (Choperena, 2021). Despite the emergence of the confederate unions and armies, they decided to stand with the government and the wishes of the general public. Furthermore, they also demonstrated a high level of bravery by neutralizing all forms of attacks and threats from the enemy forces and restoring justice in the country.
Lastly, despite the high number of casualties and the destruction of resources, democracy is restored in the US as the black slaves were eventually given their civil rights and also protected by the rule of law. Despite all the suffering and all kinds of torture, they were incorporated back into society like other normal citizens.
Conclusion
The American civil war is among the deadliest civil wars that any country has experienced. It claimed the lives of more than 750,000 soldiers and a large number of civilian casualties. However, this war is also an indication that democracy prevails above all the barriers. Despite the challenges and the loss of infrastructure, peace and harmony were restored and the slaves were also given their freedom and civil rights.
References
Allin, L. C. (2019). The Civil War and the Period of Decline: 1861-1913.
In America's Maritime Legacy: A History of the US Merchant Marine and Shipbuilding Industry Since Colonial Times (pp. 65-110). Routledge.
Choperena, A. (2021).
Triumphal narratives in the American Civil War: A new nursing professional identity. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(3), 1422-1431.
Foster, G. M. (2018).
What's Not in a Name: The Naming of the American Civil War. Journal of the Civil War Era, 8(3), 416-454.
Hall, A. B., Huff, C., & Kuriwaki, S. (2019).
Wealth, slave-ownership, and fighting for the Confederacy: An empirical study of the American civil war. American Political Science Review, 113(3), 658-673.
Wayne, M. (2020).
The black population of Canada West on the eve of the American Civil War: A reassessment based on the manuscript census of 1861. In A Nation of Immigrants (pp. 58-82). University of Toronto Press.
mwhitener2011
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