“There is a terrible war coming, and these young men who have never seen war can’t wait for it to happen, but I tell you, I wish that I owned every slave in the South, for I would free them all to avoid this war” -Robert E. Lee, a commander of the Confederates States Army back in the Civil War. The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861 and ended on June 2, 1865. This is considered one of the deadliest wars in American history, with about 620,000 casualties and millions more wounded. The war started because the tensions between the northern and southern states were rising as years went on, debating issues such as states’ rights, slavery, and westward expansion. This war began when the Confederates open fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston, …show more content…
The United States of America could have avoided its dreaded civil war if the government officials worked together to come up with better solutions to solve the nation’s issues other than failed compromises, if states’ rights were acknowledged from the government, and if the leaders of the North and South were to make better choices. One idea how the United States could have prevented war from breaking out was that the government could have resolved much better than they did, creating temporary compromises. The civil war was triggered by the northern and southern states taking the issues of slavery, states’ rights, and westward expansion to the extreme. Congress tried to make compromises about this, like the Missouri Compromise for example, but it didn’t work because the Supreme Court overruled it as unconstitutional. The Missouri Compromise meant that any state above Missouri were free states, but since it was unconstitutional, this allowed those states to be slave states. This delighted Southerners and enraged Northerners. With the Supreme Court taking sides, and Congress making compromises doomed to fail, the country was in an even deeper depression …show more content…
The Constitution includes not only the rights of the people, but of the states as well. However, Lincoln and the rest of the government didn’t recognize the slavery states’ rights. Even if slavery was wrong, those states have rights to be independent, to run the way they want to. If the government, they would have prevented a war from happening and would have also followed the Constitution. For instance, according to an article by Sanderson Beck titled “How Lincoln Could Have Prevented Civil War,” it states, “He took the position that a minority who lost an election should not be allowed to withdraw from the nation, and he jumped to the erroneous conclusion that to do so would destroy democracy. Yet from the other point of view, he was denying democracy to the seceding states. If he had recognized their right to be independent states, surely both nations could have co-existed as republics. I do not believe that we should be blind to these democratic rights, as he was, simply because we believe that slavery is wrong or because we have a desire that the Union should be perpetual. Clearly the main motive for the South’s withdrawal from the Union was a bad one, but that does not mean that they did not have sovereign rights as states” (http://www.san.beck.org/LincolnCivilWar.html, 2008). This means that Lincoln didn’t acknowledge the states’
America’s transformation into the country we live in today has been formed through numerous events during its short history but the event that will split the United States into North versus South is truly one of the most defining events in American history. Through numerous events leading up to the start of the Civil War, I will attempt to show how the United States was destined for conflict and that the Civil War was inevitable. The first way I will show how the war could not be avoided will deal with the issue of slavery. Slavery should be the first mentioned because many conflicts within the United States leading up to the Civil War and the division of the United States dealt with slavery. The Missouri Compromise should also be talked
Although Lincoln was very tolerant of the institution of slavery in the Southern States even though he did not fully support it, he did not stand for a nation divided. As the southern states continued to remove themselves from the Union, Lincoln feared they were attempting to disrupt the order of things in the nation. The Union of States is considered to be perpetual. It is the fundamental law of all national governments; no government would allow provisions in its constitution that would allow for it to be terminated. He states that since the beginning of the Union there has been progression only towards strengthening the Union and the establishment of the Constitution was to “form a more perfect Union” (671). As States continue to secede the nation is becoming less perfect because the vital element of perpetuity is lost. States are legally bound to remain a part of the
The Civil War was the second most brutal war in the history of the great country of the United States. The Civil War started in December 1860 after president Abraham Lincoln had run for president. The Confederates believed that the new president would change the Federal view on slavery. John Crittenden had made a proposal to divide the United States at the 36° longitude line, and the North of the line would be slavery free and the South would be anything goes. The Confederates thought this proposal was unfair, and they reacted a little bit. But the question is, ‘Could the Civil War have been avoided?’ The answer is no. We would be a country divided in two because of: (1. Slavery; (2. Political
Before the Civil War, the North and the South were very different. Their values were completely different. The North was more industrialized, urbanized, and was more reliant on wage labor. On the other hand, the South continued to be a rural, agricultural society, and depended on slavery to harvest the cash crops that they made a living off of. Such big differences brought about the Civil War. Was there something that could have been done to avoid the Civil War in the first place?
Based on the events leading up to the Civil War, the war could not have been prevented. In my opinion the point of no return was the fugitive slave act and the Dred Scott decision, both of those things upset the North and allowed slavery to grow more and more in the South. The war was one of the worst in the History of the US it was bound to happen at some point in time. Had the war not happened in 1860 but happened years later the outcome would have been worse based on the evolution and the technology of weapons. The Civil War was
In my belief, the civil war couldn't have been avoided. The biggest cause of the civil war was the dispute over the future of the slavery. Without the was, there was no possibility for the southern state to abolish slavery because slaves were a;ready being used for a large variety of jobs. Southerners believed that slaves were cheaper and more manageable form of labor who could be trained to work in the factories. Slavery was economic foundation for the south, which meant they wouldn't have ended slavery without the war.
The northern abolitionists may have wanted to end all slavery, but Lincoln did not, and he was in command of the Union army. He considered it his duty to put down a rebellion, and admitted that any government would put down open rebellion regardless of the reasons that began it. He repeatedly pleads with the southern states to work with him on preserving their right to use slavery, and argues that a union of states who are against the idea of a union is untenable. To him, it is a matter of preserving the Union and its collective strength by not allowing valuable territories to separate themselves of their own accord. Especially when, as he puts it, those territories worries “have no real existence”.
The question has been asked as to whether or not the Civil War could have been avoided. Based on my readings I believe that the Civil War could not have been avoided. The following reasons will help illustrate why this is the case.
Lincoln ultimately thought- and said that “secession would destroy the democracy, and prove that a government of the people cannot survive” ("Lincoln on Secession."). Vidal touches on this topic by stating that Lincoln said (about slavery in all states and why it needs to come to a halt, and not involve secession) Vidal writes that Lincoln’s wife, Mary, a daughter of a slave- owning family, said (about his view on slavery) “Well, he was a rabid abolitionist once upon a time. Now, of course, he’s gone and changed a few of his spots, but right or wrong, Mr. Sumner never changes. I do hope all these abolitionists never forget that Mr. Lincoln is not in favor of abolishing slavery. He simply does not want to extend it to the new territories. That is all; all! (Vidal 32). As it turns out, she was slightly wrong about Lincoln’s viewpoint on slavery in new- and old territories. Lincoln says to a southerner in a Conference, “Look, there is only one difference between us. You think slavery is right and ought to be extended. We think it is wrong and ought to be restricted. For this, neither has any just cause to be angry with the other,” (Vidal 39). The latter of these two conversations and sides of Lincoln’s controversy with slavery as a whole is more accurate. Lincoln thought that
Jessica, I would like to first say that you did a excellent job on your discussion forum. In your forum, you gave great details about the Hull House Movement and how Jane Adams was a contributor to history. Jane Adams built a foundation for Americans so that poverty would be reduced, and individuals were treated fairly. Gross (2009), described the Hull House that begin as an experimental social work. The Hull-House gave a solution to the nation’s urban population problem, because it was designed for immigrant’s rights, labor reform, juvenile justice, public housing, and health care (Harris, 2011). On September 2010, the house was renovated in honor of the 150th anniversary of Jane Adams’ birth (Harris, 2011). Community development bridged the
After thoroughly assessing past readings and additional research on the Civil War between the North and South, it was quite apparent that the war was inevitable. Opposed views on this would have probably argued that slavery was the only reason for the Civil War. Therefore suggesting it could have been avoided if a resolution was reached on the issue of slavery. Although there is accuracy in stating slavery led to the war, it wasn’t the only factor. Along with slavery, political issues with territorial expansion, there were also economic and social differences between North and South. These differences, being more than just one or two, gradually led to a war that was bound to happened one way or another.
There has been much debate as to whether the Civil War could have been avoided or not. The Evansville Daily Journal argues that the Civil War was inevitable, but Alexander Stephens disagrees and proposes that the war could have been avoided. Stephen’s argument is superior to the Evansville Daily Journal one because it objectively talks about the recent changes in the United States, explains the different views between the North and South, and tries to convince people that a war is not necessary.
The American Civil War occurred between April 12, 1861, and May 9, 1865, and began due to the long-standing controversy of slavery in the country. Shortly after Abraham Lincoln took office, Confederates attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina, and among the 34 U.S. states seven Southern slave states succeeded from the United States. More states seceded and the Confederacy grew up to eleven slave states. This split the country between the Union in the Northern states, and the Confederate States of America in the Southern states. One big disagreement many Americans have today is whether slaves rights was the cause of the Civil War or not. Charles B. Dew believes the Civil War was fought over slavery, using speeches and public letters of 41 white southerners who were commissioners and appealed to their audience the ideas of the preservation of slavery and white supremacy as his evidence. Gary W. Gallagher believes that the Civil War was not fought over slavery, and the main goal for Northerners was to preserve the Union, using letters of white Northern soldiers that do not show much concern for black people as his evidence. Frederick Douglass’s statement, “The cry of Free Men was raised, not for the extension of liberty to the black man, but for the protection of the liberty of the white” is valid because the Civil War was not fought for the equality of black people, African Americans were treated very poorly after the Civil War and the emancipation proclamation was passed for
His ended his speech with a plea for the restoration of the bonds of union. The South just ignored his plea. Violence and outrage turned to belligerence in the North, which in turn had many southerners clamouring for war. At 4.30am on April 12th 1861, Confederate gunners opened fire on Federal - held Fort Sumter, situated in the middle of Charleston Harbour. The only real casualty was a horse. This gentle brawl was the start of a longer, harder and bloodier war than anyone could dream of.
The American Civil War, which began in 1861 to 1865, has gone down in history as the one of the most significant events to have ever occurred in the United States of America, thus far. At that time, questions had arose wondering how the United States ever got so close to hitting rock bottom, especially being that it was a conflict within the country itself. Hostility steadily grew through the years dividing the nation further and further, and finally leading to the twelfth day in April 1861 in Fort Sumter, North Carolina. The American Civil War was an irrepressible battle and aside from the obvious physical effects of the war, the disagreement over states rights, the act of slavery, and the raising of tariffs played crucial roles in the