ipl-logo

Essay On The Causes Of The Civil War

1104 Words5 Pages

The physical conflict of the American Civil War ended in 1865, followed by an era known as Reconstruction. In the late 1860's and through the 1870's, the United States was poised for a dramatic transformation towards a new nation that was "wholly free" (Foner). Many Americans were hopeful of a newfound, equal status for blacks as the outcome of the Civil War. But freedom from slavery, for which the bitter civil war was fought, was not so simple in practice, and a series of compromises returned blacks to a subordinate status, denying them the basic rights of education and suffrage through a new system of racial inequality. The conflict of warfare may have ended, but it was replaced by deeply-ingrained ethical conflicts about the differences …show more content…

Blacks' expectations of new freedoms afforded to them were simple. Henry Adams, an emancipated slave from Louisiana, said it very concisely in 1865: "If I cannot do like a white man, I am not free". Black families were reunited across the country and they found common passions in religion and fighting for more opportunity for education and the right to vote. Expectations were high, and former slaves were ready to claim the rights they had previously been denied The very core structure of the Southern system relied on slavery, and the task of changing many of the entrenched institutions was daunting. Land distribution had to be tackled, the issue of labor had to be solved, and the question of rights had yet to be determined. President Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's Vice President at the time of his assassination, was a stubborn man who championed states' rights and held deeply racist attitudes. His actions, rather than moving the country in a new direction, rather served to entrench existing institutions, making the improvement of the black condition almost

Show More
Related
213 Words | 1 Pages

African Americans weren’t actually free during Reconstruction because they were initially not accorded the full rights of citizenship under the constitution, they were forced into submission by violence and intimidation, and were abridged the rights they had later gained by Black Codes. Despite the fact that African Americans were liberated from slavery, during the early years of Reconstruction, they were not equal citizens under the law. Even though blacks had fought loyally for the union, they were initially denied the right to vote (Doc a). The President of the United States, President Johnson, regarded black suffrage as something to radical that would “change the entire structure and character of the State governments,” (Doc b).

Read More
1600 Words | 7 Pages

The Civil War was fought during 1861 through 1865 between the Southern and Northern parts of the United States. The North, or the Union, wanted to abolish slavery, but the South, called the Confederates, wanted to keep slavery as well as secede from the Union. This war started at Fort Sumter and was won by the North. Hostility between the North and South grew noticeably after the year of the Missouri Compromise, 1820 (“Civil War” 1). In 1852, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a book about slave life, became the second best-selling book in 19th Century America, behind the Bible, and opened the eyes of Northerners.

Read More
747 Words | 3 Pages

Following the ending of the Civil War in 1865, America was in an era known as the Reconstruction. The Reconstruction lasted until 1877. Citizens were attempting to rebuild our nation following one of the deadliest war in American History. In this time, the Fourteenth Amendment and Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution were ratified. Although slaves were freed, African Americans still faced intense racial prejudice and discrimination.

Read More
710 Words | 3 Pages

The civil war started on April 12,1861 at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. It all started when the union soldiers got bombarded at Fort Sumter.. One of the main reasons for the Civil War was the disagreement between freedom and slave states. The north against the south was another name for it.

Read More
695 Words | 3 Pages

When Andrew Johnson succeeded Lincoln as president on April 15th, 1965, he betrayed what Grant viewed as the “promise of Appomattox” through amnesty and rapid Reconstruction of the South that neglected reform of Southern lifestyle. Southerners pushed back against any attempts to change their way of life, citing the “remain undisturbed” term of surrender, insisting that any forced change was inherently punitive. Grant was extremely disappointed by this wasted opportunity to push change upon the South. He began to favor black suffrage in order to keep Southerners from thinking they could control the nation. Likewise, African Americans were disappointed by the lack of change they saw in the years following Appomattox.

Read More
509 Words | 3 Pages

Lincoln also pushed that free and enlisted blacks deserved the right to vote; however, he was murdered days later so Reconstruction plans fell into his successor. In May 1865, President Andrew Johnson presented his Reconstruction plans. Johnson though that the federal government had no right to determine voting requirements as other issues at the state level. Also, he stated that the southern states never lost the right to govern themselves.

Read More
939 Words | 4 Pages

While the war challenged prevailing attitudes towards race and equality, it's worth acknowledging that racial discrimination and inequality persisted even after the abolition of slavery. The war laid the groundwork for change, but the struggle for true equality continued. The period after the Civil War, known as the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877), aimed to integrate formerly enslaved individuals into society and secure political and civil rights for African Americans. During this time, significant progress was made in terms of African American political participation. The passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870 granted African American men the right to vote.

Read More
1003 Words | 5 Pages

The conduct of the governments he established turned many Northerners against the president's policies. Therefore, a clash between President Johnson and Congress over Reconstruction was unavoidable. By the end of 1865, Radical Republican views had gained a majority in Congress, and the critical year of 1866 saw a gradual weakening of President Johnson’s power. Johnson failed to provide the nation with enlightened leadership or deal effectively with Congress. Racism prevented him from responding to black demands for civil rights, and personal inflexibility rendered him unable to compromise with Congress.

Read More
1106 Words | 5 Pages

The Civil War was a conflict fought between the Confederacy and the Union after the Confederacy succeeded from the Union because of new laws that were abolishing slavery. After the Civil war, America was severely unorganized and in need of reconstruction. Reconstruction was a series of attempts by the United States government to reconstruct society in the Southern states by adding laws that protected the rights of freedmen. As a result of the Union's victory in the war, the Confederacy was forced to rejoin and abide by its rules. The union began implementing civil rights amendments such as the right to freedom, the right to citizenship, and the right to vote for formerly enslaved African Americans to ensure equal rights and promote equality.

Read More
262 Words | 2 Pages

President Andrew Johnson had tried to veto the Civil RIghts Act of 1865 but it was overturned and the act became a Law. President Johnson’s attitude toward this led to the growth of the Radical Republican Movement and it also increased intervention in the South, more help to former slaves and also to Johnson’s impeachment. The Black Code, Freedman’s Bureau, and the Bill of 1865 are all prime examples of how the African American’s have freedom. In 1865, the Civil War ended offering more freedoms to all African American

Read More
284 Words | 2 Pages

As a result of the end of the Civil War in 1865, which was fought over the system of slavery, three amendments were passed in order to achieve equality between whites and African Americans. Slavery was abolished by the 13th amendment, citizenship was given to all African Americans in the 14th amendment and suffrage for men was provided under the 15th amendment. Although these rights were given to African Americans, many southern states found ways to still mistreat them. Furthermore, one of the biggest mistakes during the Reconstruction Era was not to give any kind of economic resources or opportunities for African Americans. Although they technically had freedom, many found themselves forced to go back to their previous job as they had no

Read More
811 Words | 4 Pages

Instead, as one of the first acts of reconstruction, President Andrew Jackson ordered all land under federal control to be returned to its previous owners in the summer of 1865” (Sharecropping, www.history.com). After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Democrat Andrew Jackson took over as the seventh president of the United States, which changed the course of reconstruction. Jackson changed some of Lincoln’s existing policies like removing government troops from the south. Lincoln put government troops in the south to make sure that southerners went with reconstruction and to people from harming former slaves. Because Andrew Jackson was not as lenient, he allowed the south to pass black codes, or laws that treated black

Read More
497 Words | 2 Pages

Did you know that more men died the Civil War than any other American conflict, and one third of the dead perished from disease? The American Civil War was the war fought between the Union and Confederacy from 1861 to 1865 over the issue of slavery and state’s rights. The main issues leading up to the Civil War were Missouri’s statehood, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Election of 1860. One of the main causes of the Civil War was the issue of Missouri becoming a state.

Read More
685 Words | 3 Pages

Causes of the Civil War “No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide,” - Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War is known as one of the greatest tragedies in American history. With over 620,000 deaths, it is by far the most devastating war (“Civil War Facts”). When studying the Civil War, one must question why it even happened in the first place.

Read More
574 Words | 3 Pages

The American Civil War was the war that ended slavery. The civil war was known as one of the bloodiest and deadliest conflicts the United States had ever seen. The loss of life was an estimated amount of 620,000 men. It lasted four years, from April 12, 1861, through May 9, 1865. However, while slavery was a major cause of the American Civil War, there were several other major factors.

Read More

More about Essay On The Causes Of The Civil War

Related Topics

Open Document