... from The American Pageant chapters 19-21:
- Stow and Helper: Literary Incendiaries (p. 409)
- The Dred Scott Bombshell (p. 417)
- The Great Debate: Lincoln Versus Douglas (p. 420)
- The Secessionist Exodus (p. 427)
- South Carolina Assails Fort Sumter (p. 435)
- The Balance of Forces (p. 438)
- The Pivotal Point: Antietam (p. 457)
- A Proclamation Without Emancipation (p. 458)
- Lee's Last Lunge at Gettyburg (p. 462)
- Sherman Scorches Georgia (p. 466)
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Carlos De León
Social Studies Department Chair
Luther Burbank High School
26 comments:
Overall the main effect over everything that happened was the Civil War (1861 - 1865). The main president at the time Lincoln was at the center of attention of every altercation that had taken place. Altercations between the north and the south were very crucial to the Civil War due to the fact that those were the two catorgories in which the states were divided into. The southern states were for slavery where on the otherhand the north was against slavery. The south depended heavenly upon their slaves due to the fact that their territories were abundantly plastered with plantations. Rather than the northerners which were more industrialized. One of the many contributing factors of the Civil War was the publishing on the novel "Uncle Toms Cabin". Many people were angered by this publishing. Comprimises also arose during this time period for which allowed states rights, restriction of slaves(property), etc.
Fort Sumter was one of the most important forts in the Charelston Harbor. Although the fort was very important they lacked supplies. When the war started the south had many advantages. The Confederacy could defend themselves. The Union(north) didnt care how they got the Confederate States (south) back...they were determinded to get them back one way or another. The confederate states plan on defeating the union was just by standing their ground and defending their territory. The Naval Defense System & Man power & Money was defiantly a weakness on the souths behalf. Whereas those were the norths strong points. At the battle of Bull Run, General Robert E. Lee(south) defeated General John Pope(north).That battle helped Lincoln launch his Emancipation Proclamation(where Lincoln could set slaves "forever free" in any rebellious confederate state.) Later on Grant won a series of desperate engagements in November 1863 in the vicinity of beselged Chattanooga(city) including Missionary Ridge & Lookout Moutain. Crunching northward, Sherman's conquering army had rolled deep into North Carolina by the time the war ended. (Chapters 19-21 The American Pageant)
The literary incendiary "Uncle Tom`s Cabinet" by Stowe played a key role in starting the Civil War. The Southerners accused Stowe of "falsehood" and "infamy" and they threaden to secede if she and/or others kept on writing or reading this type of books. Some staes indeed seceded the Union and formed their Confederacy and after a few "defiances" in both sides the war began. (American Spirit p.420) (American Pagent p. 410)
The novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe was written so that everybody could see just how bad a slave's life really was and why slavery should be abolished. The book is known to have not only start the Civil War but from the norths's perspective win it.(AP. pg. 410)
The Dred Scott case was brought to the Supreme Court March 6, 1857. Dred Scott was a slave in Illinois, which was free territory, so he sued for freedom which was not given to him because he was considered property and not a citizen. This was a decision is one of the firtst things that is considerd the first fight in the civil war.(AP.pg.416)
In the Lincoln- Douglas debates Abraham Lincoln agrees that a white man is more superior tha a black man but that does not mean that he should not be entitled to his natrual rights. In these debates Linciln also introduces to the people and the states that slavery should be uo to the state government and not the federal government, to let the people in the state to decide for themsleves.(AP.Pg. 422)
Before Lincoln was elected President, South Carolina had been threatening to secede from the Union had he been elected, and staying true to that promise South Carolina in December of 1860 held a meeting in Charleston where South Carolina voted to secede from the Union. as the next six weeks passsed 6 other southern states followed. In Feb. 1861 They formed the Confederate States of America, which Jefferson davis was elected president of.
April 12,1861 is marked as the begining of the Civil war as the battle of Fort Sumter took place. Nbody was killed in this battle. On april 19 and 27 Lincoln proclaimed a blockade of southern sea ports.(AP.Pg.435)
The Confederat army did hhave some advantages over the Northern Army in the begining. They had an advantage of being in the south, and also had very good, intelligent officers. They also had very good calvary men and good foot soldiers. But they also had many big disadvantages, as they were low on supplies, and had a very weak economy. The North on the other hand had a very strong economy. The North controlled almost all railroads amd ,ost important the sea. They also had more man power than the cofederates. (AP.pg. 448-9)
The turning point in the war was the Battle at Antietam. During tjhis battle McCellan, the northern general got a hold of General Lee's battle plans and held their ground aginst the South. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Also due to this moral victory for the north Lincoln was able to launch the Emancipation Proclamation. In the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 Licooln stated that slaves would be frred in states od REBELLION not in the Union. It was issued in Jan. 1863. (AP.pg. 457-460)
The battle at Gettysburg was a very hard faught battle that was not devided to the very end. it was fought for 3 days from July 1st through the 3rd, it was a victory for the North. A few days later Lincoln gave a speed known as the Getysburg Adress.(AP.pg. 462) Finally Sherman, a northern general, was on his way to the sea and on his way he basically destroyed cities and basically left fire behind him, thus securing the Northern Victory. (AP.pg.456)
The Dred Scott Bombshell became a big thing in the civil war. It had involved the Supreme Court. This event was one of the most opening call of the civil war. The black slave, Dred Scott, had lived with his master for 5 years until he manage to get away and go into the north side. He had sued for his freedom rights while he was on the northern land and demanded to get his freedom rights, however, the Supreme Court didnt agree as they said, basically he was a black slave and not an citizen. So his sue did not go through. The slave is a masters properety and because he is in the nothern side, he is still concidered to be the masters slave. All this was lead back to the 36 and 30 parrelel line, the Kansas and Nebrraska act. The seperation between the north and the south lead to many conflicts on whos state will be whos and weither or not a new state will be concidered the north or the souths. A lethal wedge was driven into the northern and the southern sides. Many bitterness has been caused because of the Dred Scoots Decision.
(The American Pageant, pp. 417-418)
Harriet Beecher Stowe never would have guessed that her novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was going to influence the country's future in the way that it did. The novel was said to actually be the cause of war, since it stirred so many abolitionists as it revealed the truth of slavery (AP, pp 411-412). Stowe didn't seem to touch too many hearts as the Supreme Court denied Dred Scott's case. He was the slave of a man who moved from the south to the north. Scott argued that he should be free and he had the Missouri Compromise to back him up. The court denied him because slaves are property, not citizens; only citizens had the right to sue (AP pp 417-18).
In the Licoln-Douglas debates, Douglas made Lincoln seem like an abolitionist although he was not. Regardless, Lincoln won and this angered the south enough to secede from the Union and create the Confederate States of America. Battles occurred and in an attempt to win the war, Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation setting free the slaves of the CSA; cutting the vital resource. In the end the Union won the war thanks to many generals. (AP pp. 420-68)
Throughout the readings of these particular sections, it mainly focuses on the issues of slavery, The Civil War, a series of debates, Lincolns part of it, and the Battles that occurred. Such as Harriet Beecher's 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' that had a negative view on slavery and the lifestyle of it, and another book named 'The Impending Crisis of the South' talking about the despise of both slavery and blacks.(AP pg. 409-410). Then a black slave by the name of Dred Scott sued for his freedom and his free soil, and it talks about how the Supreme Court tried to reject his case (AP pg. 417-418). A series of debates were visible between Stephan Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, eventually Lincoln would win these debates and used it as an advantage for the next presidential election (AP. pg. 421-422). While, South Caroline and soon to be eleven states in total had threatened to go out if the sectional of Lincoln would be elected as President of the United States, which eventually happened (AP. pg. 427-429). When the seceding states had left they had seized the United States units, and many public property which was within their own border and a series of problems occurred. Such as the South Carolinian's opening fire and Lincoln waging war from the Southern view (AP. pg. 435-436). Thus a war between the North and South became visible, both had weaknesses that were brought upon them. Such as the South having military experience and the most talented officers, there weakness was their own economy. The North had control over the sea, and an superior Navy (AP. Pg. 438-441). Afterwards, a battle that was located in Antietam Creek was a brutal and bloody one, which also led President Lincoln to propose the Emancipation Proclamation (AP. pg. 457-458). Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had declared the slaves in the Confederate States will still be in rebellion and still be 'forever free' and after this the South saw Lincoln as a fiend (AP. pg. 458-460). Robert E. Lee (South) and George G. Meade (North) went to battle which the battle is called 'The Battle of Gettysburg', where the victors were the North and was also a bloody battle (AP. pg. 463-464). A man by the name of William Sherman had caused havok and disruptions in the state of Georgia. Him and his army would burn buildings, tear up railroad rails, and basically cause destruction. (AP. pg. 466-468).
Throughout chapters 19-21 we see the start and end of the Civil War. This war began because of slavery in the south. Harriet Beecher Stowe was the first person to publish the truth about slavery in Uncle Tom's Cabin. It spread worldwide as it got translated into other languages. Hinton Helper also wrote a similar book called The Impeding Crisis of the South. This impacted people so much that it was banned in the south. They didn't like the negativity.(AP p.409) Dred Scott was one of the contributors to the beginning of the war also because of his lawsuit. He filed a lawsuit to get his freedom but couldn't because he was "property".(AP p. 417) Abe Lincoln was an important person to the Civil War. He began with his debates with Douglas in 1858. Douglas won the senator position but Lincoln became president.(AP p.420) During the early 1860's Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and 4 other states seceded from the Union and created the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis was their president.(AP p.427) Fort Sumter was one of the two forts still in the U.S. but was blocked out by the South. South Carolina opened fire as "provision" was being sent, no lives were lost.(AP p.435) The south had many advantages over the north except for its economy. They faced shortages of food, blankets, uniforms, and shoes all because the north controlled the sea which transported goods.(AP p.438)Robert E. Lee easily won the second Battle of Bull Run and headed to the Battle of Antietam Creek. Lee lost because his plans, hidden in cigars, were found by the north. This battle helped launch the Emancipation Proclamation.(AP p.457) Slaves were "freed" by the Emancipation Proclamation but none were affected. Lincoln didn't free the were he could and freed them where he couldn't. He also wanted to strengthen the moral cause of the union.(AP p.458) A.E. Burnside attacked Lee's army. 10,000 soldiers were either killed or wounded in "Burnside's Slaughter Pen"."Stonewall" was sent to fight against another attack but was accidentally killed by his own in the victory. Lee later too on Pennsylvania in the Battle of Gettysburg which lasted 3 days. Eventually the Confederacy won.(AP p.462) General U.S Grant won many desperate engagements in 1863 as Confederates laid siege. Georgia was open to an invasion so General Sherman captured Atlanta and burned it down. They got back at him and burned his city. The "Shermanized" south increased Confederate desertion. Sherman was banned from the south and his army went north on to South Carolina to burn the capital. By the time the war ended they were deep into North Carolina. (AP p.466)
The Civil War started out by the issue of slavery. Harriet B Stowe played a huge literary part in adding a huge amount of tension between slaveholding and nonslaveholding states. The dred Scott case showcased the bitterness of the way the south saw black men.As lincoln was elected there was a time period of about four months that allowed seven southrn states to secede. Lincoln wasn't able to do anything about it because he wasn't able to claim presidency yet.Once lincoln came into power he had "provisiions" go into fort sumter, located in the south, which was taken as an aggressive act towards the south.The south attacked on it, and lincoln declared to act upon it in a state of war.Although the southg was skilled in military the north gaied back momentum in antietam and defeated lee in gettysburg.General Sherman of the union army took his soldiers west to sea through georgia and north through S.Carolina while the war ended.. The readings for this past week have helped me clarify uncertainties and make all ends meet.I now understand more on the true identity of the Civil War.
I felt that the first group of readings i read (pg.409-427) were of events that led up to the civil war.For instance Stowe's release of "Uncle Tom's Cabin",many people of the north as well as Europe took great notice to the novel, which stirred alot of hatred towards slavery in the south.(A.P,pg.409)I also found interesting how Lincoln was helpless while southern states began to secceed started with South Carolina(A.P,pg.427) for four months while President Buchanan did nothing.(A.P,pg.427) The next group of readings i did coreesponded to the Civil war already taken place.though the North had many advantages as far as men,resources, etc. the south had resourcres as well for example home front advantage, the best officers, and well trained well spirited men(A.P,pg.438). I agreed with Lincoln's idea of no mercy and sending Grant to anihalte southern states.(A.P,pg.462-466)
I found interesting that with the best military officers as well as home advantage, southeners were defeated,i feel by many mistakes(Gettysburg being one of them)(A.p,pg.462)
Each reading, I feel are about events leading up to the civil war or are about the civil war itself. In the first four readings (AP, pp. 409-428), it gives you an idea of the amount of tension there was between the north and the south. For example, in the first reading, Stow and Harper, the south was furious of how these writters protrayed slavery and of how their books spread like wildfire throughout the north and abroad, while they band it. The south had " became increasinly unwilling to sleep under the same federal roof as the north." (AP, pp. 409-412)
The rest of the readings however (AP, pp. 435-468), were about the actual divide of union and civil war. In The Balance of Forces, (AP, pp. 438- 441) it tells of how both the south and the north had advantages and disadvantages that would effect them throughtout the war. Other readings were interesting but I felt that this reading in particular was the most interesting because these were factors would ultimately either make them or break them during this war.
During the Civil War, both the North and South had major advantages over the other. The Southern advantages consisted of not having to completely win the war to win independence, increased moral, better officers, more battle-ready troops and possible foreign aid. Since the North had to complete recapture every rebellious territory to reclaim it, the South merely had to hold their ground to win independence. Since most battles were fought in the South, Southern felt determination fighting on their soil and for their way of life against what they may have considered a tyrannous government. Lincoln acknowledged the great tactical ability of the Southern officers and offered the best, Robert E. Lee, the position of the Union army. Although the honorable Lee felt obligated to fight for his home state of Virginia, hence he led the Confederate army. The Southern life style caused Southerners to be more accustom to managing horses and bearing arms, ideal for conversion to cavalrymen and foot soldiers. If any foreign country would have intervened, it would have been on the side of the Confederacy which would have almost certainly changed the course of the war. The Northern advantages were those of navy, manpower, and industry. The North had established a Navy prior to the war while the South only possessed merchant ship which had attempted to be reinforced and armed with weapons. Manpower was a huge advantage since population of the North to South was a 22 to 9 ratio. Not to mention the population of the North continued to grow throughout the war due to immigration. The Union had a much larger number of weapons and factories than the South which benefited the North greatly. In the end, with tactics and the luck of finding General Lee’s battle plans, the North was able to deny foreign intervention and win the Civil War.
(American Pageant pgs. 438-440)
Can President Abraham Lincoln be called an abolitionist? I believe that he can not. This point can clearly be seen and supported through his Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. "Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 declared "forever free" the slaves in those Confederate states still in rebellion." (AP, p. 458) Essentially Lincoln succeeded in freeing no slaves. He freed all those slaves in states of rebellion and those states who had rebelled were never actually going to listen to Lincoln. He did not free the slaves in the union and thus was not actually an abolitionist. He very well new this and he knew that these states would not want to loose their slaves. This Proclamation was never about freeing slaves, it was actually about trying to reunite the union, which was his central focus. "The presidential pen did not formally strike the shackles from a single slave."(AP, p. 459) Through this proclamation he wished to incite southern states to rejoin the union by promising all those who would comply the opportunity to keep their slaves if they did so. He hoped to convince them to unite with the union by promising the continuance of slavery not ending slavery. This was all about politics not freedom or equality and so Lincoln can not undoubtedly be referred to as an abolitionist because he did not actually want to end slavery originally. He at first and throughout the rest of his presidency was first and foremost concerned with preserving the union.
When Abraham came to power slavery was a great issu in the Union. Abraham did not want to end the war but on the contrary wanted to just stop its spread. There were many factors that led to the Civil War, some of the dactors were literrally works, from Harriet Stowe and Hinton helper, these literarry issues showed the true face of slavery, and greatly enraed the south and created tension in the south. (AP pg.409-412)The Dred Scott decision also created alot of tension between the north and the south, and gave the north reasons to fight to bring not only equality but the protection of rights to all blacks to freedom. (AP PG. 417-419)
The publication of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "The Impending Crisis of the South" along with the Dred Scott decision brought a lot of attention to the issue of slavery. With the presidential election of 1860 nearing, slavery became an even bigger issue. With Stephen A. Douglas accusing Abraham Lincoln of being an abolitionist, the South began to threaten secession and they eventually did, forming the Confederate States of America in 1861.
On April 12, 1861 South Carolina opened fire at Fort Sumter; this began the Civil War. Even though the north had more money and people, the south had the advantage of fighting defensively, they just had to wait until the Union gave up, unlike the north who would have to capture the capital of the Confederate States of America. After many southern victories, the Battle of Antiatam brought a stop to the Confederate army's advances northward. It gave president Lincoln enough military support to release the Emancipation Proclomation. He then made it clear that the Civil War was now a war to end slavery.
(AP pp. 409-412, 417-418, 420-422, 427-429, 435-436, 438-441, and 457-458)
The main reason behind the formation of the civil war was the dispute over slavery. Stow and Helper expressed their points of view by writing books which only resulted in the arousal of the arguments(A.P,pg.410). The Dred Scott Decision was also a conflict provoker; as people began to agree and disagree with the ruling (A.P,pg. 421). Lincoln was not actually an abolitionist, his His Emancipation Proclamation was not intended to free all slaves and ended up freeing none(A.P.,pg.458). Lincoln and Douglass had encounters with each other in the end though Lincoln won the presidency (A.P.,pg.420). Which led to the south seceding and creating their own government the Confederate States of America (A.P., pg.428).
What I loved from these readings was seeing the chronological order of events that escalated to the civil war summarized just right to where it almost takes you to the place and time of those events. What I really loved was finding out that Lincoln wasn't actually a true abolitionist, or even close to it. I knew Lincoln did not originally fight for Slavery, but I didn't know his true motives nor his opinions on the whole matter, as if he tried to hide his arterial motives. Only after the war started did he use slavery as a reason to end the war, thus adding a moral cause to the war, and gaining much abolitionist support, for Lincoln, turning the war into a fight to end slavery was more of a strategy than a crusade of human rights to win the war. As the years progressed Lincoln changed his focus from originally saying he wasn't fighting for the cause of slavery to focusing the war on preserving the Union AND ending slavery. In order to actually do both, he launched a total war campaign under Grant and Sherman, the only men capable of defeating the well commanded Confederates under Lee in order to break the South's will to fight with sheer brute force and issuing proclamations for slaves to maybe join the Northern cause and earn their freedom by military service. (AP. 420-422)(AP. 458-460) AP. 466-467)
As time went by, the issue of slavery became bigger and bigger. The impact of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" did not make things any better.(p.417-419) Though it was scorned because of its meaning, it was also praised by abolitionists everywhere.(p.419) Along with the Dred Scott decision and the Civil War, slavery eventually came to an end.
Through out the readings in the several chapters the mains points were the debates,slaverys position at that point in time, advatages and dis advatages ot the North(Union)and the South (Confederates), and the Battesl that took place and how they effected each side. The Union and The Confederates had many advatages over one another.For example the Union had all the supplies and necessities for and the south had well trained men and good generals such as Robert E. Lee.(A.P pg.438-441. Tention grew between the two as the war progressed.
The Emancipation Proclamtion gave the North a strong moral cause. In the begining they were always fighting to preserve the Union but now they were commited to freeing the slaves (A.P pg.460). For the South it created a huge uproar. They felt Lincoln was trying to stir up the so Calle "hellish passions" of the slaves (A.P pg.460).
Who knew that a book could, infuriate an entire region of a country , inspire thousands to revolt against slavery?What about a human being considered to be "property"(AP,p. 417).And just that by the color of your skin, you weren't worthy to be a white man equal. The entire civil war was a fight over a states right to hold and maintain slavery.The south was the greatest to defend this belief.Even the President of the United States wasn't totally against slavery, simply because it benefited the United states economically, and sought to get rid of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 to preserve the union, despite moralities.(AP, p. 458-459)With the war at hand Lincoln forced total annihilation of the South , which was necessary to win the war on slavery, General Sherman was the hombre to do this.(AP, p.456) The North triumphed over the south.The Civil War was anything but justifiable it was a unnecessary and stupid war , of pure selfishness and immorality, on the Souths part.
A major reason the civil war begun was the different opinions about slavery. There are two different authors that published their views on slavery, Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin and Helper wrote The Impending Crisis of the South(AP pg. 411) There was a court case that completely clarified that the slaves were property and had no rights and in the Dred-Scott decision allowed slavery to spread into Northern territories and dismissed previous compromises, that angered the North. (AP pg. 417-418) During the Lincoln-Douglas debate, the tensions between the North and South grew when Douglas lied about Lincoln's motives.(AP pg.421) The South was angered by what they thought Lincoln stood for and threatened to secede if Lincoln was elected. He did and they did, but other states followed as well. (AP pg.428) South Carolina was head of this division and attacked Fort Sumter, they couldn't afford this blockade from the Atlantic seaport.(AP pg. 435) The North had greater advantages over the South, but they still didn't back down, after all there plan was to play defense through the entire war.(AP pg.439) Lincoln needed to end the war so he issued the Emancipation Proclamation which would stop slavery in the rebel states. (AP pg. 459-500) The confederacy still didn't give up and a general named Sherman decided to go total warfare on them in order to finish the war once and for all. (AP pg.467)
The topic of slavery and how to deal with it was the leading cause for the civil war(1861-1865). The main president as we all know was Abraham Lincoln, he was not very well taken by the south as they believed him to be a black loving, slavery hating abolitionist due to the effects of the Douglas and Lincoln debates. The south eventually took up cession due to the election of Lincoln. This would lead to all southern forts giving it's power to the confederacy well all but fort Sumter which the south would soon aim to conquer. This led to the uprising of the south which the north thought that they could tactically destroy while generals such as Ulyseuss S. Grant and Thomas Sherman believed that total warfare or the utter crippling of the south was the only means of victory, the later would make a march to the sea in order to drive the point home (Amer. Pag. Chp. 19-21)
The book "Uncle Tom's Cabin", written by Harriet B. Stowe, was written to show just how bad slavery was in the Americas (south). Although Stowe had never experienced slavery first hand, she wanted to get the point across and try to abolish slavery in all. This is what sparked the tensions and eventually the start of the civil war.(AP. pg. 410)
The ooutcome of all the events prior led to the civil war. Because Lincoln was elected as president, South Carolina, as promised, had seceeded from the union. then the other southern states followed.
April 12,1861 is marked as the begining of the Civil war as the battle of Fort Sumter took place. Not a single person was killed in this battle. On april 19 and 27 Lincoln proclaimed a blockade of southern sea ports.(AP.Pg.435)
After a few more battles and events,Sherman, a northern general, was on his way to the sea and on his way he basically destroyed cities and basically left fire behind him, thus securing the Northern Victory. (AP.pg.456)
During the course of history war has been caused and started by many important and crucial events. It has also been the same in the sense of ending those wars. Usually there was conflict or some strife that enraged everyone and spurred them towards war. By comparing that the causes of the civil war seem very insignificant. That is especially the case when the war was helped started by books, a court case about a slave, and a presidential election. I guess though that if you combine those issues it will create a much greater cause for war. The combination of them being that the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" informed people about the horrors of slavery thus creating a reason for slaves and other abolitionists to try and gain freedom through court cases. Finally though due to his view on slavery, Lincoln was hated by the southerners, creating tension.(American Pageant Pgs.410, 416, and 435)
Tensions were increasing between the north and the south. The book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and other various works of literature, showed the cruelty of slavery. Many southerners found this as an unfair potrayal. The south felt they had a right to own slaves. The Dred Scott decision guaranteed the protection of their slaves, even in the north. Many southerners were glad, but the north's refusal to accept this brought more problems.
When Lincoln was chosen as a candidate for presidential election, many southern states were angered and refused to have 'Lincoln the Abolitionist' as a president. When Lincoln won the election, many states pulled out from the union before Lincoln was put into office. Lincoln took no immeadiate action.
Lincoln's "wait-and-see" tactic, did no good, and soon there was an attack on Fort Sumter, one of the two forts loyal to the north. The attack gave the north men who were willing to fight. However, the south still had experienced generals, including Lee, who won many battles. It wasn't until Lee's defeat at Gettysburg, that the north started winning the war. After the defeat, the south could no longer attack the north and instead were forced to defend for the remainder of the war.
(AP pgs 409-410, 417-418, 427-428, 435-436, 462-463)
One of the major reasons the civil war began was because of slavery in the south and the controversies it caused between themselves and the union. Harriet Beecher Stowe and Dred Scott were two main contributors of the rumbling controversy between both sides, Dred Scott took part in a case where the Supreme Court ruled based on their bias opinion and ruled that under the fifth amendment he was property and Stowe wrote a book on slavery and it was such a tell all novel that it was banned in the southern states. Lincoln was not an abolitionist although he strongly disagreed with the spread of slavery and so began the Lincoln Douglas debates in the end the table thumping Douglas won the senatorial seat but it was Lincoln who was really victorious, since he later became the president. During the battles the south proved to have many more advantages over the north. A major twist during war was the battle at Antietam where Mc Clellen, the northern general got a hold of General Lee's plans for battle, Antietam ended up being one of the bloodiest of battles. This victory for the north enabled Lincoln to be able to initiate the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. (AP 448-462)
What I received from the sources is that, the Civil War was started by small things. These included the works of Stowe, the Dred Scott Decision all which caused tension. At the election Lincoln things broke and the tension became severe tipping the first domino of South Carolina seceding. This led to a chain reaction of succession, the formation of the Confederacy, and the escalation of war from the attack on Fort Sumter to Anteitam and Sherman's scorches.
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