Civil War Dbq

It was the late 1850’s, early 1860’s and the United States was experiencing a great divide between both the North and the South which eventually led to the start of the Civil War. One may ask why the rift existed between the states and it can simply be explained in just a few key points. Economic and social factors were a large contributor. The cotton industry in the south was booming with the invention of the cotton gin which in turn caused an increased need for slaves making the south a one crop economy. On the contrary in the North they were purchasing the raw cotton and manufacturing finished products which made their economy more industrial. The differences between the agricultural and industrial economic systems was just one of the causes

As time went on and slavery became a more pressing issue the northerners became more against slavery. Sympathies began to grow for abolitionists who were looking to outlaw slavery and slaveholders. The states also argued for their rights as compared to the right of the federal government. Under the Constitution there was little representation of the rights of each individual Free State and therefore the states introduced the idea of nullification where they could choose whether or not they would accept certain federal acts. When the federal government denied this right to the states moving forward the only way to solve the problem in the states eyes was to move towards succession. The last straw that confirmed the fact that a civil war would take place, was the election of Abraham Lincoln. In 1860, South Carolina issued its "Declaration of the Causes of Secession." They believed that Lincoln was anti-slavery and therefore was in favor of Northern states and their political, economic and social views. Before Lincoln was even president, seven states had seceded from the Union: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and

At this point in time black slaves in both the north and the south are now allowed to fight in the war. With this came the formation of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts which consisted of black soldier, some northern freemen and some escaped slaves but was led by a white man by the name of Robert Gould Shaw; the son of a Boston abolitionist. Because of the fact that the African Americans were so new to fighting and being soldiers many people doubted their abilities to be on the front line. This rag-tag 54th regiment was a major component in one of the bloodiest battles of the war as they endured an uphill attack across the rugged terrain against a confederate fort in the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The attack was life threatening because at the time the soldiers used a strategy that involved marching into the fire of the opposing side, and by all means it was nothing short of a bloodbath. The strength, determination, and perseverance of this regiment helped shape the way African American regiments were to act and fight on the battlegrounds. They became the main reason that blacks in the North started to volunteer which marked one of the turning points in the war. “Glory” depicts the events that the 54th regiment experiences mainly through the eyes of their leader; Shaw leading up to the bloody battle. Before Shaw was recruited to be the leader of the 54th regiment he took part many battles beforehand.