The Civil War Began...

[Tallman]

On April 12, 150 years ago.

I'm not a Civil War buff or a student of the great event; however, I was wondering if anyone wanted to share their own thoughts on the subject.

This war defined our country in several ways. Before the war, people would say, "The United States of America are.......," but after the war the phrase became, "The United States of America is......" In other words, before the war, the people thought of themselves as a collection of states; however after the war they thought of themselves as one nation.

In general, both sides read the same version of scripture, and claimed that God was on their side.

General Lee had a farm called Arlington. The north took this farm and started Arlington National Cemetery.

Mary Todd Lincoln never did recover from her husband's murder, and she finished out her days in an asylum.

Anyone have their own thoughts to add?

 

[hillfarm]

I look at it like this. I am descended from confederate soldiers. Who are descended from soldiers in the war against the british. The civil war is not just about slavery. the confederates were fighting to maintain a freedom from government. An AMERICAN tradition. Lincoln pulled the slavery issue into it because he was losing and needed more men to fight, therefore, he got blacks involved and increased his numbers. the irony is that many southern freed blacks fought for the south for the the same reasons the southern whites were fighting for.


History is written by the winners. I have civil war letters that are more patriotic than anything you could make up. These men were brave and honorable. They are Americans and always will be in my book.

Freeing the slaves was a great thing that came from the war but it was not the war or the motivation for many of the men fighting. I wish that was more noted in the history books.

Hope that is taken as it's intended. A viewpoint with no desire to offend or insult anyone.

 

[FarmerChick]

Civil war had to happen...it did.
It defined a united country. One way or the other.

Doesn't matter the start, doesn't matter the finish, it is history and made us what we are today.

I love the North and South of this big country. I love the West which was given by Native American blood....etc.

Ahhh...what was the original question? LOL

It isn't about North and South, East and West in this country. We are one now....let it be 'just that'.

I am a civil war buff. I love that era. I love the dedication, the sacrifice, the thinking back then and more.

now if ya wanna debate the causes of the war, sure I will chime in big time LOL but to me --the possible question was..?..Are we one now?...sure United States.

 

[patandchickens]

before the war, the people thought of themselves as a collection of states; however after the war they thought of themselves as one nation.

I know that history books like to say this. However IME living various places all over the country over the years (remember I am American, even tho I am currently living in Canada) there are still a whooooooooole big lotta people who do not really think of it as one nation all that much

Certainly it entered the sort of "public mythos" of America, that it became a unified country.

But not necessarily a lot of peoples' actual heads

And it was one heck of a cruel wasteful horrible way to unify a country. I have no idea whether it was really inevitable or not -- I would tend to guess not, just that things would have ended up differently tho not necessarily better, if it hadn't happened -- but it sure was grim :/

I also agree with hillfarm in being heavily annoyed that it is often pitched, in schools, as The War To End Slavery whereas while that was certainly an aspect of it, it was by no means the whole enchilada and in many respects not actually even the biggest issue. And I say this despite being a Northerner LOL

JMHO,

Pat

 

[FarmerChick]

I am a Northerner too Pat LOL
And I sure support the Souths rebuttal to the times and what was being asked of them from the 'union'

show me ONE country that was 'born' without bloodshed or a "civil war' as described. yea it might not be in the books as 'civil war, unrest etc.' but it has always happend. I 'know' it had to happen in my mind LOL
oh, edited to say Pat not a debate...just for me as history repeats itself over and over again as usual, I think this personally...:/

 

[abifae]

Very interesting discussion!

I was raised primarily by soldiers. War was taught to me to be a natural result of people living together with limited resources. The civil war was just a natural extension of this as the north and south had very different resources and there were varying opinions on whether or not it was good that we became one nation

 

[lwheelr]

Except that, to a very large degree, it WAS about Slavery. The Confederacy preserved slavery as part of their constitution. It was not the ONLY issue. But it was the central issue, and the one that there was no getting around any other way. The other issues could have compromise and not crack the nation. That one was yea or nay, and no in between - no way TO compromise.

Yes, Lincoln did use the Emancipation Proclamation as a wedge point in the middle of the war, but it ONLY freed the slaves in the states that were then in a state of rebellion. Had any of the southern states chosen at that point to reunify, their slaves would not have been freed at that time. The preservation of the Union was the principle point for him, but the Emancipation Proclamation didn't truly free the slaves, that was done later in successive legislation.

My Great Grandfather's name was Jefferson Davis Reid. I have ancestors who fought on both sides, but the majority were Southern.

I have always felt it a great inconsistency for a group of people to break from a government whom they accuse of being "oppressive", using claims of "freedom" to do so, while having a declaration of slavery of an entire race as a tenant of their new government. Seems rather hypocritical to me.

I think that the war did have to happen, in order for the nation to survive as a nation. If it had not happened over the things that broke it then, it would have happened later over something else, large or trivial, it would not have mattered. You are either one country, or you are a collection of states, with the ensuing problems that happened throughout history with the European principalities which were historically always warring with one another and always changing allegiance from collective to collective.

 

[mlynd]

I am a civil war buff and renactor I have been fascinated by that time in history since I was in the 7th grade I have done my family tree and found that my family was split on this and we had members fight for the South and others fought for the North and we didn't have slaves at all, My family it was about our rights and choices and under the Constitution we the People have the right to throw off any government that is unjust and croupt and many people felt the same way , the the men and women of that time were very honorable Robert E. sat on his front porch at Arlington after being asked to lead the Union army and thought he did believe that Slavery was a immoral practice, But he could not turn his back on his home.



these are just my thoughts and mean no way to upset or insult anyone

 

[FarmerChick]

It was NOT about slavery.
The north did not want their slavery practice to end either.

honestly-- research is your friend on this situation.

the war did not start as slavery as the key issue....it evolved to become that issue--as a tool. A bargaining chip. It is all about wealth, greed and financial gain of a new country.

I can (and will if needed) post a ton of things that would say it was not a war about slavery 'to start'.

The Union looked at slaves as 'a bagaining tool' --this was in no way a war about civil rights at all.

BUT I digress......it would be wonderful if people would truly learn about the USA's history.

Slavery is alive and well today in many countries.
It just 'takes a different' form and it is still 'allowed' by people.


yikes hot button topic for me so I better be careful on how I read the junk posted on this thread LOL

 

[abifae]

Yes. I was worried this thread would get in trouble and I love the topic. Post us links, FC?