Introduction
The Civil War started in 1861, following quite a strain among Northern and Southern states. The War was caused by numerous factors, for example, the North had a well-established manufacturing industry. In addition, horticulture was restricted to limited scope while the south economy relied upon slave work since they were on an arrangement of enormous-scale cultivating. Moreover, the North and the South had conflict concerning slavery where the North opposed slavery extension into the western territories while the South supported the expansion of slavery. This essay will answer different research questions to understand the Civil War and its legacy in ending slavery. However, despite the conflict between North and South, President Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation that freed all slaves, ending the Civil War and creating a legacy that would lead to the end of slavery in the US.
Issues That Caused the Conflict Between North and South
One of the primary reasons for the Civil War was because of the states’ and federal rights. Since the American Revolution occurred, there was an emergence of two camps concerning the role of government. Some individuals argued for greater rights for the states, while others advocated rights for the federal government to have more control (Richardson, 2020). After the transformation, the organized government was under the article of confederation where the states had framed a free confederation containing a feeble federal government. Therefore, the leaders were required to develop a solution, and hence they proposed the construction of the US constitution. During the constitutional convention, the strong proponents of state rights were absent, like Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry (Richardson, 2020). Therefore, many individuals felt that the constitution overlooked states’ rights to act autonomously. Due to such reasons, nullification was presented, but the federal government denied states this right. These actions caused the Southern states to feel disrespected, stating thoughts of secessions that caused the Civil War.
Furthermore, the Civil War was caused by the conflict of whether to expand slavery in the new states. America obtained new land from the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican War, which caused the country to expand. However, there was an issue of whether the new states would be pro-slavery or free states. The leaders attempted to ensure that there was an equal number of states divided between free states and pro-slavery states. However, over time it became challenging to divide (Hannah-Jones, 2019). The leaders went back and forth, creating acts that would either establish a state-free or pro-slavery state. For example, the Missouri Compromise act of 1820 prohibited enslavement in the state from the former Louisiana Purchase north except for Missouri (Richardson, 2020). The other act developed was the compromise of 1850 developed to protect Northern and Southern interests by balancing pro-slavery and free states. These acts did not seem to provide a long-lasting solution since problems and violence arose later, especially in Kansas, where people tried to force the state toward slavery.
Strengths and Weaknesses of The North and South
The North and the South both went into War thinking they were fighting for the right reasons; the Union attacked the South to save the Union. However, the people of the South fought back to protect their way of life. However, both the North and the South had strengths and weaknesses, which affected the outcome of the Civil War. One of the South’s strengths was that many soldiers knew how to handle guns since they grew around guns (Costalli & Ruggeri, 2019). Also, these soldiers knew the forests well, and they could defend themselves well during an invasion by the Union army. Furthermore, many military-experienced men were from the South compared to the North, with a shortage of experienced military commanders (Costalli & Ruggeri, 2019). However, the South’s disadvantage was that they lacked factories like those in the North; hence the production of supplies and weapons was low, which put them at a disadvantage.
Moreover, the North had more people living; hence, more men could join the Union army. Furthermore, more people could work in the factories and grow more food (Costalli & Ruggeri, 2019). The other strength that the North had was the transportation system that was more efficient through rail lines that allowed supplies, food, and weapons needed for War to be transported easily. However, the North had weaknesses that included how the Army was invading a new territory that they were not familiar with (Costalli & Ruggeri, 2019). Moreover, a challenge would occur when the Army moves further from home since the supplies needed for War would be hard to reach them in a new territory.
The Emancipation Proclamation Issued and Its Influence
In January 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation order was issued by Abraham Lincoln, and it proclaimed the freedom of enslaved people in ten Confederate states that still were rebelling. Moreover, the proclamation offered the opportunity for the free slaves to be enlisted in the Union Army, increasing the workforce’s availability (Fisher, 2021). Pînișoară (2021) states that “by the end of the war, almost 200,000 soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom.” The Emancipation Proclamation had a significant influence on abrogating slavery and giving American citizenship to the free slaves. Despite not abolishing slaves in the states that still practiced slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation paved the way for the Union to have a focused goal on eradication of slavery and reuniting the country (Fisher, 2021).
Moreover, the Emancipation Proclamation influenced the European forces entering the Civil War. When President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, it prevented the European troops from intervein on behalf of the confederacy (Fisher, 2021). Since the Emancipation Proclamation made eradicating slavery the primary goal for the Union, it gained popularity from the European countries that had already outlawed slavery (Pînișoară, 2021). Therefore, it directly ended the hopes for confederacy gaining recognition from the European forces. Furthermore, this move made the Union obtain moral force that helped strengthen the Union politically and militarily.
Conclusion
The Civil War was among the worst wars that happened in America. However, it also left a legacy that caused the ending of slavery. The Civil War was caused by the North and South’s differences in several things, such as slavery and state rights, which primarily sparked the War. On the other hand, the North and South had their interest at the beginning of the War. The North was protecting its Union while the South was protecting their home. The strengths and weaknesses they had played a significant role in the turn of events of the War. The real impact of the War was seen when President Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation. It caused the War to change its cause and focus on abolishing slavery and uniting the country. The emancipation proclamation impacted the European forces and influenced them to change their decision to support the confederacy. Therefore, President Lincoln caused a chain of reactions, causing the events of the Civil War to create a legacy that led to the end of slavery in America.
References
Costalli, S., & Ruggeri, A. (2019). The long-term electoral legacies of civil war in young democracies: Italy, 1946-1968. Comparative Political Studies, 52(6), 927-961. Web.
Fisher, E. Q. (2021). Abraham Lincoln and the marathon of emancipation. Tenor of Our Times, 10(1), 17. Web.
Hannah-Jones, N. (August 14, 2019) Our democracy’s founding ideals were false when they were written. Black Americans have fought to make them true. The New York Times. Web.
Pînișoară, I. (2021). An analysis of the political ideas contained in the proclamation of 23 January 1821. Annals of the Constantin Brancusi University of Targu Jiu-Letters & Social Sciences Series, (1). Web.
Richardson, H. C. (2020). How the South won the Civil War: Oligarchy, democracy, and the continuing fight for the soul of America. (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.