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edalven · Joined: 07 May 2010 Posts: 37

I did not see a thread for tonight's assignment, so I decided to make one. I hope that this is okay. Feel free to reply with your responses. -Eli

This link has the whole Constitution and all of the Amendments (at the bottom)
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

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Prepare for Friday's Seminar: "What would have been a happy ending (or as happy as possible) for the US Civil War?"

Overview of United States History - HIST 201 - 7 MOD 6
Assigned: 5/13 Due: 5/14

Given all the information you've been considering about the context and cause of the start of the US Civil War, what kind of resolution do you think was needed? What issues would continue past the war? What issues could be settled by the war? How were/could they have been settled? Who would benefit from the resolution of the war? Who should benefit from the resolution of the war?

Feel free to do some research (just keep track of your sources) - I'd recommend taking a look at the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the US Constitution (use the link to the Constitution to check them out). Post your thoughts on the forum, talk with each other, make thoughtful predictions...

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edalven · Joined: 07 May 2010 Posts: 37

I think that these were the most important causes of the Civil War:

Given the vast rift in American politics during the Civil War, there was no way to peacefully appease each side. Attempts were made, like the Missouri Compromise, and the Compromise of 1850, but these only inflamed the issue. Both groups were too set in their ways, and a bloody fight to the end was inevitable. However, the North had some significant advantages over the South, which resulted in their victory. Under Abraham Lincoln, the Union controlled all railroads and telegraphs, enabling communication and transportation on a scale that was previously unheard of. The South's inability to adapt spelled their demise. The practice of using new technology with outdated methods has proven disastrous throughout history, and both sides used traditional battle tactics with new weapons like the Minne Ball. This resulted in an enormous loss of life, the highest American death toll of any conflict in US history.

Although General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union in April 1865, fighting continued for months and animosity remained for generations. I know that the KKK formed around the same time as the Emancipation Proclamation. They were perhaps the most extreme of a large contingent of unhappy Southerners that had just lost their primary source of income. It may seem cruel, but slavery had become part of southern culture, after all it had been around for 200 or so years. It was quite difficult for Southerners to let go, and sentiments of racism remained. In fact, racism was not only in the south, but in all parts of the country. A good portion of Abolitionists wanted to end slavery not on moral grounds, but to eliminate this source of free labor, and take the jobs that slaves once held. African-Americans received some form of deliverance by the Emancipation Proclamation, but they certainly weren't out of the woods yet.

lstrickman · Joined: 06 May 2010 Posts: 20

I also think that in the US, war was inevitable. There was no way to compromise to solve the issues people were debating, although people tried. In the end, people on both sides believed too strongly in their own ideas to give up anything. Because of that, I think that it was important that in resolving the war, there was a solid winner, and no part of the issue was left to debate. Obviously, the ideal solution here would be for every state to become a free state, although I think that what was most important was that nothing be left to debate. The situation of slave vs. free states got really messy, and leaving any more room for those changes would only result in more fighting.

Jaehyouk · Joined: 07 May 2010 Posts: 22

Definitely slavery problem flamed both north and the south, but i don't think that was indirect reason for it (civil war). i think the war started because of the southern states wanted to get away from the federal gov. They wanted to get seperate because they (south) thought they have the rights to do whatever about slavery, and south really hated federal gov interfering over slavery law.
i think that was the reason.

zatkinsweltman · Joined: 09 May 2010 Posts: 27

The 13th 14th and 15th ammendment all talked about slavery. the 13th abolished it, the 14th talked about the rights of citizens, and the 15th allowed people to vote no matter what race they were from. Now these ammendments were made to one give rights to blacks, but also to establish a point: the north had won. Now I do believe there was no way to give everybody what they wanted so war was inevitable but it does seem the best, morally, that the North won, mainly because they were the ones who pushed against the idea of racially enslaving people. However the other thing about the civil war that happened was there was no end to racism, only enslavement. Racism never fully stopped (even though the ciil rights movement did help) but I don't feel the civil war addressed this aspect of slavery, they only felt it was right to give them freedom. Now I think a happier ending may have been if people didn't continue with the horendous racism that followed the civil war. Another possible solution could have been that the South split from the north and it stayed that way. They could have been different countries and not have to worry about one another, but I don't think that was possible. (I also think slavery was mporally wrong so I don't think that that would have been a great solution, because then slavery would still exist in the south.

mswartz · Joined: 07 May 2010 Posts: 43

The economic differences between the North and the South were very different and hard to reconcile. The industrial north needed agricultural products from the South. In a way the North actually benefited from the labor of the slaves in the South. I feel economic compromises could have resolved differences. For example, some sort of tax or economic policy that acknowledged both the North and the South.

I agree with the post above that racism was an issue and continued past the war and even to today. It was a big deal that Obama won some southern states (such as Virginia and North Carolina) which continues the perception of a so-called racist South. In addition, the political differences of the North and South continue today.

BChangy · Joined: 07 May 2010 Posts: 33

Each group in America before and during the Civil War found differences in each other as a reason to fear. From the North and the South to masters and slaves, groups found differences to act negatively towards one another . America only saw the front cover of their issues not realizing the entire story telling why each individual is important to the whole. The Civil War could have been a happy ending if America was no longer afraid of their difference among others.
The lack of bravery to challange the minimal idea of differences contiued several issues that caused the war, and still occur today. If this time period accepted one another then there would probably still be slavery. This can be seen as a good thing as slavery were a system that boosted the American Economy. Its proccess had no negative effect on America, if anything it was a major benifit because it was free labor. Setting the differences aside over slavery there the North and the South would have settled their differences. Maybe the acceptace would allow both sides to realize that they needed each other. The North needed the South for cotton and the South needed the North to manufacture clothing and other goods at an abundant rate for selling. Instead of seeing each other as competitiors they should have seen each other as business partners.
I believe everyone would benifit from this resolution. Yes there would still be slavery but through the acceptance from both the slaves and the masters it might be less brutial compared to what is told in the history books.

However everything I have written definetly goes against everything I believe in...

ohg2012 · Joined: 07 May 2010 Posts: 15

Civil War was imperative event to occur. The economical difference between North and South was too divergent. Two divided part of America had completely different economical feature (industry for North, agriculture for South), and this affected their life style, making two regions to have different culture and tradition, as if they are two separated country. This is why Federal Government didn't tried to understand South’s necessity of slavery by legislating Missouri Compromise, one of most controversial issue that dedicated Civil War to occur.

Eleanore Carson · Joined: 11 May 2010 Posts: 14

The "idea" the war was basically stopped slavery, (thought that was not the reason) so a big problem that increased after the war was free black education and working. One that did stop was the issue of state rights vs. federal on the idea of withdrawing from union.
Over all the Northerners got what they wanted and the southerners did not.

hkwon · Joined: 07 May 2010 Posts: 24

I agree with GH. The North and The South had engaged on totally different styles of business. Agriculture which The South engaged on desperately needed the great amount labors of slaves, but Industry which The North engaged on didn’t really need slavery labors. Also, I think the balance of power between slave states and Free states directly caused the Civil War. As the United States extended its territories to The West, slave states and free states tried to persuade the new states in the West to be in their sides. In later, it turned to the violent which is the Civil War. I have been thinking that what if the West was not pioneered there would have been no war.

Kandice · Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 14

I believe the causes of the Civil were stemed from economic issues, land entitlement, and the issue of slavery. The war settled issues over slave rights, but it denied women's rights and allowed more racism to occur. The war was not only necessary, but it allowed a region that "disliked" slavery to "win" an arguement over the rights of slaves.

Annie C · Joined: 07 May 2010 Posts: 20

I did some research and generalize the origins of the civil war.
*slavery which associate to tariff issue and state's right
* party politics
*abolitionism
*south/north nationism
*expentionism
*sectionalism
*economic

Hey_look_its_EVAN · Joined: 07 May 2010 Posts: 20

I fell that the civil was was mainly caused by the expansion of the west and the tensions it caused

shawks · Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 12

I believe that there probably no way to end the Civil War. Even if Abraham Lincoln had not become president, the North and South would still have a conflict. The North and South were fighting more for power than over the morality of slavery. When 2 parts of the country don't know much about each other, they're likely to make stereotypes and write bias things in the local newspapers. People were already fighting before the Civil War in events like Harper's Ferry and "Bleeding Kansas".

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