Civil War (1861-1865)

It happened 151 years ago on the territory of the U.S. It is also called the War between the States (Hassler, 2012, online) where thousands of people fought for a united state, for the freedom of slaves, for progress. It was a war which had a great impact technologically with innovations such as: telegraph, railroad and shell guns (Hassler, 2012, online). The new president of the U.S., Abraham Lincoln wanted a united state. He wished to include the southern states in the Union, but these states had other goals. In April 12, 1861 the Confederate state (Southern) attacked a fortress in a harbor that was occupied by the U.S. troops. This was a movement against Lincoln`s warning which said that he would not allow southern states to break up the U.S. (Callaghan, 2005: 50). 75000 men fought for the Union (northern states) against the Confederate states. The decision to fight for one of these parts had even split families. For example, there were two brothers who became generals but on opposite sides. An important advantage of the North was that it had better and more material resources: population, food, industry, weapons. The North not only had more soldiers but it could also offer supplies like weapons, clothing or food (Callaghan, 2005: 50). The disadvantage for the Union states was that they had to invade the South which was more difficult rather than defending themselves. The South needed to resist until the troops of the Union states

grew tired of fighting (Callaghan, 2005: 50). Another advantage of the South was that they were more spirited, more soulful because they had to defend their own homes unlike the Union soldiers (Callaghan, 2005: 50). What did people fight for in the Civil war? Southerners fought not only to preserve slavery but also to win independence from North. The war took place mainly in Virginia, in the east coast states of the Confederacy and in the Mississippi valley. In the first year of war, the Union troops suffered more defeats than the Confederate states. In Virginia here were two factors that helped the southerners: the rivers which made the city easier to defend and the skilful generals, Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson. H e North`s defeats in Virginia discouraged the soldiers. This determined Lincoln to arouse more enthusiasm for the Union troops. With this aim, on September 22 1862, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which declared that all slaves were to be made free. From a struggle to preserve the Union, the war became an effort to also abolish slavery (Callaghan, 2005: 51). However, on the Mississippi valley, Union troops had more success and captured New Orleans, the largest city in the Confederacy. After six weeks Union forces controlled the Mississippi valley. The path to victory of the war was more obvious in the biggest battle in Gettysburg where in three days 50000 men were killed or wounded. This led to the defeat of the Southerners. By 1864 the Confederacy was running out of resources and finally surrendered when the Confederate capital, Richmond, was encircled by the Union troops (Callaghan, 2005: 52). There were bitter memories of the war: destruction of the farms, of the homes in South and the dead of both sides totaled 635 000. Two important consequences of the war were that slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and that the U.S. was a united nation (Callaghan, 2005: 52).

Abolitionism

One of the most important consequences of the war was the abolition of slavery. Even if at the beginning the pursuit of the president was to form a united state, later it became a wish to put an end to slavery. Who took the initiative? Who supported the proclamation and what were the reactions and consequences of this? Abolitionism was an antislavery movement which demanded emancipation without payment to the slave owners (Barney, 2001: 8). They did not only aim for the end of the slavery but also for the end of racism, which they considered completely bad, outrageous sins (Barney, 2001: 8). At the beginning in 1830 most Northerners accepted slavery as long as the Union was made possible. However, till 1850, some people took a stand against slavery. They were especially religious men and women (Weinstein, Rubel, 2002:256). These were called abolitionists. Some of them were the Tapan brothers, Theodore Weld, Gerrit Smith, Garrison. At first they were ostracized but they wanted to eliminate slavery, not to tolerate it. In 1832, Garrison established the American Anti-Slavery Society, which became the main activist arm of the abolitionism movement having almost 200 000 members (Weinstein, Rubel, 2002: 257).

Southern whites considered abolitionists fanatics, and they even got a gag rule which prevented any discussion of abolitionist petitions in the House of

Representatives. Unfortunately, this moral and religious argument had not worked (Barney, 2001: 8). To demonstrate how strong Garrison`s disapproval of slavery was, he burnt a copy of the Constitution. Some people, however, disagreed with his idea of equality for women and his attacks on those who agreed with slavery. As a response to this movement, Southern states offered rewards to extradite the activists. Abolitionists had their meetings interrupted, their printing presses destroyed and they were even attacked (Weinstein, Rubel, 2002: 258). Frederick Douglass- A driving force behind abolitionism Douglass was a slave but he wanted to escape. He succeeded the second time when he boarded a train to New York passing himself as a seaman. Born into slavery, he later expressed his feelings in a book that became best-seller: Narrative of Frederick

Douglass, an American slave (1845). Barney was the one who hastened the Union
administration to proclaim the emancipation and to accept black people in the army. He said: A man drowning would not refuse to be saved even by a colored hand (Barney, 2001:105,106)

Colonization a real solution? Many believed that the colonization of African Americans could be a good solution for the end of slavery. The American Colonization Society (1816) considered that prejudiced white people would never accept blacks as equals in the American society (Barney, 2001: 77). This movement was called emancipation (1862). At first people fought in the Civil war to hold together a political coalition. The emancipation was possible when most Northerners considered the Union and slavery incompatible. The war had a new character. Antislavery ideology was issued in the Slave Act of 1850. For example, Nathaniel Gordon, a slave trader, was executed (Barney, 2001: 114). Lincoln saw that slaves were an element of strength that should be with us or against us (McPherson, 1988: 504). The democratic people were against having free negroes so Republicans suggested the colonization as a solution for the African Americans. Lincoln said that even if slavery were abolished, racial differences and prejudices would remain (McPherson, 1988: 508). So, he opened the chance for black people to emigrate to another land where they would have better opportunities (McPherson, 1988: 508). But was this enough? What was the reaction of the black people? Later, Lincoln proposed the gradual emancipation offering $400 compensation per slave and

sustained the colonization abroad of African Americans (Barney, 2001: 114). Some African Americans benefited from this program to escape racism and slavery. 10 000 blacks settled in Liberia due to colonization. It was still a small number compared to America`s slave population of four million. However, others had seen the hidden premise and disagreed with the assumption that black people were not proper to live free having equal rights in the U.S. (Barney, 2001: 114). Many ridiculed Lincoln`s proposal saying that: This is our country as much as it is yours and we will not leave it (McPherson, 1988: 509). Unfortunately, many of those who leaved died of starvation and smallpox. The ones that survived were brought back in the U.S. The colonization project ended without success (McPherson, 1988: 509).But Lincoln realized that people should consider about the equal rights for white and black people. They needed to make racial justice (Barney, 2001: 78). Lincoln took the initiative and welcomed first, as the president, a delegation of black leaders to the White House (Barney, 2001: 78). Free- labor ideology This ideology was promoted by the Republicans. Their aim was to make an economical progress, so as the U.S. would be an economical force in the world. This is why they condemned slavery. They believed that slavery was led by a class which reduced most whites to poverty, doomed the South to economic backwardness and social misery (Barney, 2001: 138). Without the Union of the North and South, the U.S. could not have made economical progress. Republicans wanted to form a permanent

working class to achieve social and economic mobility (Barney, 2001: 138). Their business method was that today you work for others, next year you hire others to work for you (Barney, 2001: 138). The Reform The Northerners were more willing to abolish slavery than Southerners by making reform movements. This reform had a religious reason: the revivalists who preached that all people could attain salvation by committing their lives to Christ. These established schools, asylums and their aim was to prohibit the production and consumption of alcohol (Barney, 2001: 255). Abolitionists were an extension of the reform (Barney, 2001: 255). Northerners were against them and said that antislavery Republican party members were unreasoning extremists (Barney, 2001: 255). But this reform was an important factor in the seceding of the South. A major initiative of the antislavery movement was a woman, Harriet Beecher Stowe. She was a writer and her antislavery novel Uncle Tom`s Cabin became bestseller in 1850s. President Lincoln remarked: So you`re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war (Barney, 2001: 305). In that period of time, Stowe was brave to talk about slavery, it was even dangerous. There were sales of three million copies within a decade. This book

presented the life of the slaves and their sufferings. It inspired more than 500 000 women to sign a petition against slavery which was addressed to the Parliament (Barney, 2001: 306). After great efforts to abolish slavery, the emancipation of the slaves was passed by Congress in June 1865. The act was called the 13th Amendment. Even if at first there was a democratic opposition, many of these changed their opinion and enabled the 13th Amendment (Barney, 2001: 316). By July 1862 Lincoln abolished slavery by presidential decree which applied in most states of the U.S. and total emancipation was due to the 13th Amendment (Barney, 2001: 115).

Reference list:

1. Barney, William L.2001. The Civil War and Reconstruction. Oxford University Press, NY, Page range 8-316 2. Callaghan, Brian. 2005. An illustrated History of the USA, Longman, no place, page range 5053 3. Hassler, Warren Jr. American Civil War.2012. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. [last accessed April 2012,1 ] Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/19407/AmericanCivil-War 4. McPherson, James.1988. Battle Cry of Freedom.Oxford University Press, NY, page range 505510 5. Weinstein, Allen, David Rubel. 2002. The Story of America, DK, London, page range 256-258 Images 1. Image 1, William Garrison Lloyd, 2011, no author, online 2. Image 2 Frederick Douglass, no author, 2012, online 3. Image 3 Emancipation Proclamation, no author, no year, online 4. Image 4 13th Amendment, no author, no year, online 5. Image 5 Slaves in a sugar plantation in South, 2012, no author, no year, online

Universitatea de Nord BM Facultatea de Litere Specializarea: Romn- Englez Anul univ. 2011-2012

The American Civil War

Ciurda Claudia LRE I

Image 1 William Garrison Lloyd, 2011

Image 2 Frederick Douglass

Image 3 Emancipation Proclamation

Image 4 13th Amendment

Image 5 Slaves in a sugar plantation in South