- Lincoln’s evolving thoughts on slavery, his Gettysburg Address, and Dolly Sumner Lunt’s account of Sherman’s March to the Sea all offer crucial perspectives into the understanding of the Civil War. These documents reflect the changing attitudes, the ardent battle for freedom and the grim realities faced by individuals in that era.
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Abraham Lincoln’s changing views on slavery embody the shifting attitudes towards slavery that characterized the period leading up to the Civil War and the war years themselves. Initially, Lincoln was not an abolitionist. In the early years of his political career, he even advocated for the preservation of the Union over the abolition of slavery. However, as the Civil War progressed, his stance on slavery shifted considerably. He began to see the abolition of slavery not only as a moral imperative but as a strategic move necessary to win the war and maintain the Union. His Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 was a clear demonstration of this shift in his stance. Although the proclamation did not immediately free all slaves, it did declare that slaves in Confederate-held territories were to be set free, a move that drastically changed the course of the war and the nation.
His Gettysburg Address, delivered in 1863, further exemplified this change in his outlook. In this brief yet profound speech, Lincoln reiterated the principles of human equality espoused in the Declaration of Independence and proclaimed the Civil War as a struggle to maintain a nation where “all men are created equal.” He reframed the war as not just a battle for the Union, but a fight for the principles of liberty and equality. His words served to inspire and motivate the North to continue the fight, pushing them towards a new understanding of what they were fighting for.
Dolly Sumner Lunt’s firsthand account of Sherman’s March to the Sea in 1864 offers a different perspective on the Civil War. This march, led by Major General William Tecumseh Sherman, aimed to demoralize the South’s civilian population and damage their economic infrastructure. Lunt’s account of the march provides an in-depth view of the destruction left in the wake of the Union army and the experiences of civilians who were directly impacted by the war. Her account underscores the brutality of the war and provides a deeper understanding of the realities faced by those living in the war’s path, and ultimately serves to humanize the Southern experience in a war often narrated from a Northern perspective.
- To discuss whether the Civil War really brought about any change in the North or the South by the end of 1877, we must first acknowledge that the Civil War was one of the most transformative periods in American history. The conflict brought about significant changes in the social, economic, and political fabric of the nation, some of which were long-lasting, while others were short-lived.
In the South, the most notable change was the abolition of slavery, a deeply entrenched institution that had shaped the region’s social and economic systems for centuries. With the Emancipation Proclamation and the subsequent ratification of the 13th Amendment, approximately four million African Americans were freed from bondage. However, the end of slavery did not translate into instant equality and freedom for the former slaves. During the period of Reconstruction that followed the Civil War, attempts were made to integrate the freed slaves into the society and the economy. However, these efforts were met with resistance from Southern whites, leading to the rise of racially discriminatory laws, collectively known as the Jim Crow laws, that sought to marginalize African Americans and maintain a social order akin to slavery.
The North also experienced changes during and after the Civil War. The war spurred industrialization in the region, with factories being set up to produce war supplies, leading to significant economic growth. This economic transformation led to an increased demand for labor, leading to an influx of immigrants, mostly from Europe. The North also saw a strengthened sense of national unity in the aftermath of the war. However, this unity was not devoid of racial and social tensions. The North saw significant resistance to the draft during the war, leading to the Draft Riots in 1863, primarily by Irish immigrants who feared competition from freed slaves. Additionally, the North was not immune to racial prejudices, as evidenced by the existence of segregated schools and neighborhoods.
By the end of 1877, with the Compromise of 1877 that effectively ended Reconstruction, there was a significant change in the political landscape. The federal troops were withdrawn from the South, and in return, Rutherford B. Hayes, a Republican, was allowed to take the presidency uncontested. This political compromise marked the end of federal efforts to protect the rights of the newly freed slaves in the South, leading to the rollback of many of the gains made during Reconstruction and the resurgence of white supremacy.
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- The period leading up to the Civil War was marked by a series of events and developments that escalated the conflict between the North and the South over the issue of slavery. This chapter delves into the significant events and key figures that were instrumental in the outbreak of the American Civil War.
One of the most impactful events during this period was the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The act was designed to solve the issue of whether the territories won from Mexico should be free or slave states. The law essentially allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery within their borders. This led to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in a period known as “Bleeding Kansas”, thereby exacerbating the tensions between the North and the South.
The Dred Scott decision of 1857 further inflamed these tensions. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott, a slave who had lived in a free state and territory with his owner, was not entitled to his freedom because African Americans were not citizens and thus could not sue in federal court. Furthermore, the court declared that the federal government did not have the power to prohibit slavery in its territories.
John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859 served as another catalyst for the Civil War. Although the raid was unsuccessful, it stoked the fears of a slave revolt among Southerners and made any compromise between the North and South virtually impossible.
The role of key figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, and Jefferson Davis in shaping the political landscape during this period cannot be understated. Lincoln’s stance against the expansion of slavery, Douglas’s concept of popular sovereignty, and Davis’s staunch defense of Southern interests and states’ rights all contributed to the political environment that led to the outbreak of the Civil War. Each of these figures played a significant part in the lead-up to the war, shaping the public opinion and political discourse of the time.
In conclusion, the period leading up to the Civil War was characterized by a series of events and developments that brought the issue of slavery to the forefront of national politics. The evolving thoughts of Lincoln on slavery, the brutality of Sherman’s March as narrated by Lunt, and the significant events leading up to the war were all crucial elements in this era. While the Civil War did bring about significant changes, particularly in terms of the abolition of slavery and the economic transformation of the North, many of the issues, especially those related to racial equality, remained unresolved even by the end of 1877. This period, therefore, marks a critical juncture in American history, laying the foundation for the struggle for civil rights and racial equality that would continue well into the 20th century.
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