Civil War Essay

Civil War

HIS/110

Hadley Ajana

The Civil War is what defines Americans today, home of the free because of the brave.  This expression is used a lot in today's war but to me we as a nation are together free because of the brave men and women who fought in the Union during the Civil War.  The Civil War is the most important war that took place in America and although 600,000 lives were lost, it was a necessary sacrifice to eventually give all men and women equality.  

Politically there was a lot going on before the war which ultimately lead to the Civil War.  To put it simply and the way I understand by the time the war started there were northern Democrats and southern Democrats.  The northern Democrats did not want to expand slavery to the west but were willing to let the southern states keep slavery.  The Wilmot Proviso was thought of from a northern Democrat, David Wilmot, who suggested that slavery be kept out of new territories acquired by Mexico.  He wanted the land for white farmers who could not afford slaves instead of having the land being overrun by wealthy plantation owners. Then you have another Democrat suggest there to be popular sovereignty, which allows the new settlers of the new territory decide if they want slavery or not.       

The southern Democrats wanted to expand slavery to the west but were threatened with the idea of popular sovereignty.  Southerners didn’t like the idea of popular sovereignty at all. To me the southerners knew if you weren't from the south you would be against slavery and the north outnumbered the south greatly.  The south was so worried that northerners would rally and expand to each new state and vote against slavery.  Southerners were so blinded by wealth they didn't see the horrors and disgust in slavery.  When the Northern Democrats won the election of 1860, Southerners worst fears were just starting to come true.  They just lost their control in politics so their control on slavery must be getting lose as well, slavery was in danger of being abolished.  South Carolina was the first state to succeed, shortly after that Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, And Texas followed.  By February of 1861 the Confederate States of America was formed, it was a independent southern slave republic.  These states are known as the lower south but the upper south did not want to succeed.  The upper south states of: Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee had a more diverse economy it would take till the war for them to pick sides. 

Well look what happened when Nebraska and Kansas were created.  These new territories were made and each side encouraged and sent people to live