Dbq Union And Division Essay

Union and Division

In 1787 the issue of slavery presented itself while the Founding Fathers drafted what would become the Constitution of the United States of America. This issue was not one that many wanted to address. Thus, it was put aside until the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which finally promised to solve the issue of slavery. This solution was no real solution, and only divided the quarreling North and Southern halves of the United States further. This issue would come to a head following the election of Abraham Lincoln, who, despite not being against slavery, believed that it should not be allowed to spread into new US states. Southern states saw Lincoln’s election as an existential crisis that would stunt their growth and development

This would be the offset of the first Civil War. At the start of this war, the South seemingly had the better hand in terms of military power, economic security, and even morale. However, the North held the long-term advantages, and would eventually be victorious over their Southern adversaries. In the antebellum period, the South was the economic powerhouse of the entire United States, if not the world. In Doc 3 a disgruntled Southern Senator tries to convince the US Senate of the South’s key role in the financial security of the nation. He goes on to recount how the South provided more than half of the revenue generated by domestic products. Due to its vast land and resources, the South was a goldmine for natural resources, raw goods, and food. The North had been colonized for much longer than the relatively young South, and thus it did not have many natural resources that

Thus, the South not only had better-trained soldiers but also had the advantage of fighting a defensive war. In Doc 7 General Robert E. Lee attempts to rally his soldiers before a battle by stating their military feats, and that they were defending their country. Lee proclaims, “sustained by prayers of those in whose defense you fight, let every man resolve to put forth his utmost efforts…” (Doc 7). Defending a home front is much easier than attacking due to the defending soldiers having high morale and knowing the terrain. While the South had high morale and well-trained soldiers, the North struggled to find fresh recruits who were willing to attack the well-entrenched Southerners. But conscription soon quelled this issue, and the North’s large population advantage began to take effect. To support its large production economy, the North had an extensive transport network, something that would offset the South’s seeming military advantage. Doc 2 highlights this overwhelming industrialization of the North as opposed to the South. Easy transport allowed the North not only to supply their army but to also reinforce the positions freed by casualties. The South attempted to keep morale high through the use of such songs as Doc 4, which attempted to raise Confederate spirits by claiming their cause was righteous. Even the South's propaganda could not dismiss the