American Civil War - 3524 Words

Experiences of the American Civil War (1861-1865): Honor, Duty and Death Introduction The following pages are an essay on the cause of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the effects that the war had upon the soldiers, women and African Americans of the North and the South. In this essay I will write about the following topics and present a view of how the war was witnessed by these different groups of people. In regards to the soldiers of the North and the South, I will answer the following questions: What was the enthusiasm of the soldiers from the North and the South before the war? What was their perspective after the fighting had started? How did the soldiers of the invading armies treat the civil population? The horrors of†¦show more content†¦The soldier’s perspectives on the length of the war were influenced by the motivation to protect their way of life. In describing the sentiments of Union and Confederate soldiers we can use some examples that are in letters sent home by the soldiers. One Kentucky confederate wrote, â€Å"I choose to fig ht for southern rights and southern liberty against the vandals of the North who were determined to destroy slavery†[vi]. Another opinion by a Wisconsin Union soldier states his reasons for fighting in the war, â€Å" I have no heart in this war if the slaves cannot go free†[vii]Both the North and the South believed to be fighting to preserve the society that was prevalent in the respective regions of the United States. The South was trying to protect the institution of slavery and their society. The North, at the start of the war, only had the intention to overcome the succession, but they later realized that it could only do this by destroying slavery[viii]. When it became apparent to the soldiers on the battlefield that the war would not end quickly, the tone of enthusiasm changed. An example of the change in attitude can be obtained from the following passage that was written by the Union soldier Jno R. McClure to his sister in 1862 â€Å"I will tell you what I thi nk and that is the north will never whip the south as long as there is a man left in the south. They fight like wild devles. Ever man seems to determine to loose the lastShow MoreRelatedAmerican War And The American Civil War1551 Words   |  7 Pageswhich then caused the Southern states of America to decide to leave the American Union and create their own Southern Confederacy. This tore our nation apart. The American Civil War had begun and the very people that were once neighbors had each other’s blood on their hands. Many American lives had been lost. The American lives lost in the Civil War even exceeded the number of American lives lost during World War I and World War II. We were divided. The North wanted to reunite with the southern statesRead MoreThe War Of The American Civil War1376 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Civil War was arguably the most important war in the history of the country. The War of Independence may have allowed American to become its’ ow n country, but the Civil War resulted in something even more important than that, the end of slavery in the southern states. All of the issues that caused the Civil war were based around slavery, such as states’ rights that involved how slavery would be handled in each state, and trying to preserve the Union since the south seceded from the northRead MoreThe American Civil War1296 Words   |  6 Pages The American Civil War, also known as the State’s War, was a conflict that arose mostly from the issue of slavery, but deep down was due to economic differences between the North and the South. The South seceded from the North and created their own self-government due to their belief in the lack of state’s rights versus the federal government and what they saw as a weakness in the Articles of Confederation. While the Confederacy of the United States depended on slave labor for their economy in regardsRead MoreThe American Civil War1418 Words   |  6 PagesGuns fired, smoke lingering in the air, people dying. The American Civil War had a huge impact on the United States. Two compromises took place before the start of the Civil War. These compromises include the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. The Missouri Compromise dealt with the crisis in 1819 over Missouri entering the Union as a slave state. The compromise was â€Å"the first major crisis over slavery, and it shattered a tacit agreement between the two regions that had been in placeRead MoreThe War Of The American Civil War1618 Words   |  7 Pages A Civil War is a battle between the same citizens in a country. The American Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 to determine the independence for the Confederacy or the survival of the Union. By the time Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1861, in the mist of 34 states, the constant disagreement caused seven Southern slave states to their independence from the United States and formed the Confederate States of A merica. The Confederacy, generally known as the South, grew to include elevenRead MoreThe War Of The American Civil War1324 Words   |  6 PagesThere were many events that led to the cause of one of America’s most devastating war, the American Civil War. The American Civil War was an unfortunate war that cost more than the lives of six hundred thousand people. Events such as the Missouri Compromise, Kansas Nebraska Act, Dred Scott Decision, and the Election of Abraham Lincoln resulted in the four yearlong battles between the Northern and Southern states due to social and economic differences on the idea of slavery. In the 19th century,Read MoreThe War Of The American Civil War856 Words   |  4 PagesSlavery may have been established as the catalyst of the American Civil War, but the beginning of the dispute began in the time of the Revolution with a weak decentralized government under the Articles of Confederation. Later gained momentum as territorial expansion set Americans against each other on debating whether the new states should be slave states or free states, it questioned the power of the Federal government regarding state rights, and brought about instability in the unity of the UnitedRead MoreThe War Of The American Civil War Essay1472 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Civil War lasted from April 12, 1861 to May 9, 1865. It was the bloodiest war in American history, killing approximately 620,000 soldiers in total. The War was fought and won by the North, ensuring that all the United States would stay united and slavery would be illegal in The United States. However, history is one of the most complicated things in the world. It’s also one of the most important things in the world because history is what made the present possible. Historians have debatedRead MoreThe American Civil War878 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction A civil war is a prolonged high-intensity conflict between people, countries, or parties, which is usually barefaced and armed. Every war has its causes either acceptable or not and some are inevitable. Commonly, civil wars are between countries within a state. It results from one country aiming to make implementations on their governing policies or take control of certain areas within the state. 1Civil War refers to the American Civil War, which took place in the year 1861 to 1865Read MoreThe War Of The American Civil War960 Words   |  4 Pagesslavery even if it meant war caused peace in this nation. Slavery was the vital cause of the American Civil War. The north and the south both had their differences on how to run the country. People in the North believed in unity and that slavery should not exist because â€Å"all men are created equally.† On the other hand, the South believed in continuing slavery. People tried to talk it out and come to a middle ground after both s ides compromising, however that didn’t work and caused war. Ideological differences