...Commemorating the War Essay According to Blight, Fredrick Douglas fought hard to protect the memory of the war. What was Douglas’s memory of the war and why did he try to protect it? North vs. South, Confederates vs. The Union. Rifles were fired… brother vs. brother. Men were named heroes for seemingly valiant acts in battle. We learn many things from the past. A nation was literally ripped in half in what was called the bloodiest conflict in American History. History is not an obsolete thing. Rather, it teachers valuable lessons. It can’t be denied how tragic the Civil War really was in American History. “It is not well to forget the past. Memory was given to man for some wise purpose. The past is the mirror in which we discern the dim outlines of the future and by which we may make them”(97). Prominent American Figure Fredrick Douglas was born a slave, educated, freed himself then became an accomplished author that fought for equality for blacks and many other groups in America. In the text Beyond the Battlefield: Race, Memory, and the American Civil War, author David W. Blight describes Douglas’s memory of the Civil War as something beyond the battlefield. Fredrick Douglas recognized the heroism and the death that happened on the battlefield. However there was much more than the combat and battle happenings that Douglas remembered. Douglas remembered what it was to be a slave; this very insight was the key to his memory of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War. Douglass...
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...The Causes of War Summer Hansborough POL 300 004016 What causes opposition? Imperialism, nationalism, Social Darwinism, and militarism are causes of war, and I narrowed it down to the following; freedom, money, ideologies, race, religion and land. Although these are causes of war, in most cases, the ultimate cause of war is an elitist mentality. One believing their ideologies, race, policies and beliefs are superior to those that do not fit in or follow that particular system. What are the causes of war? An age old question that no one has yet to give a definitive answer. What is war? One definition explains war as an aggressively armed battle between conflicting people. Another definition explains war as fighting between nations, or groups in a nation, using weapons. To sum it all up, war is a condition of active animosity or contention and it is not exclusive to people. There are many kinds of war, such as is the war on drugs, the war on terrorism, political wars, and the war on AIDS. The war on AIDS is interesting, because it’s not a war apposing people, but a virus, a disease. According to the bible, our war is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, wickedness and power in high places. (bible, 2005) A system, which is designed to bring order and uniformity, is an attribute to the causes of war. A system is vital to administer order to society. In the early days, before America established its own money system, America used...
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...Introduction There have been numerous assessments of the events which occurred during the Civil War from 1861-1865, but none seem to justly satisfy the absolute, complete, and thorough accounts of James McPherson’s extremely detailed book, Battle Cry of Freedom. McPherson recounts the entire story of the Civil War, stresses on themes such as slavery and writes with a style of contingency to help create a deep study of all of the events- what did and did not happen. Battle Cry of Freedom is a masterful, fast paced retelling and remembrance that comes in the shape of a detailed resource. Published in 1988, it is critically acclaimed for its ability to provide in-depth factual storytelling. The amount of thought put into this expansive book by McPherson is researched meticulously as it calls for the skills of cogitation and contemplating. McPherson is a political...
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...University Of Phoenix Civil War Paper By Shane Iverson 12/23/2012 HIS/115 The Civil war was a huge war fought over territories and freedom. Over 600,000 Americans lost their lives in this war, with the North having been more effected. The North had no regrets about the war. They were satisfied that the slaves were free, and the Union was preserved. The South began to glorify what they called “the lost cause”. The generals from the south became mythic heroes. As they looked back at the war they almost regretted surrendering. Historian Shelby Foote left us with this note. “Any understanding of this nation has to be based . . . on an understanding of the Civil War. . . . The Civil War defined us as what we are, and it opened us to being what we became, good and bad things. It is very necessary if you’re going to understand the American character in the 20th century to learn about this enormous catastrophe of the mid-19th century. It was the crossroads of our being”. What does this tell us about the United States? What did Foote mean when he spoke these words? We may also think to ourselves. Why didn’t the South win? There leaders were supposedly brilliant and they lost fewer men then the North, right? What did Historian Shelby Foote mean in his quote above? He is saying that it is necessary to learn about this huge catastrophe that happened in...
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...Causes of the American Civil War THE CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR I Introduction to Civil War II Social Causes A Differences in society B Westward Expansion III Economic Causes A Differences in economy B Westward Expansion IV Political Causes A Government V Aftermath A Costs of War CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR I. Introduction to Civil War The American Civil War was a war fought within the United States of America between the North (Union) and the South (Confederacy) starting from 1861 and ending in 1865. This war was one of the most destructive events in American history, costing more than 600,000 lives. It was thought to be one that helped shape the character of the American individual today. From the Southern point of view, this war was a War of Rebellion, or a War for Southern Independence. From the Northern point of view this war was seen as a revolution. This unfortunate war started as a result of many years of differences between the Union and the Confederacy. It erupted after many years of conflict building up between the two regions. Between the North and the South there lay deep economic, social and political differences, but it is important to understand that Slavery was the root of cause of these differences. II. Social Causes There were many factors that contributed to the onset of the Civil War. Socially, the North and the South were built on different standards. The South, or the Slave States, was a slave-based community that followed...
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...The Civil War is a dark mark on America's History, that helped define who we are today. Brothers fighting brothers, fathers fighting sons, and families devastated over a fear of change and compromise. Change, compromise, and leadership are all needed for a nation to succeed, but is bloodshed necessary to achieve success. Our land is stained with fathers and sons who believed that bloodshed was necessary to achieve greatness. The Civil War is a blemish on the history of the United States of America, but a necessary blemish. Historian Shelby Foote said, "Any understanding of this nation has to be based...on an understanding of the Civil War...The Civil War defined us as what we are, and it opened us to being what we became, good and bad things. It is necessary if you're going to understand the American character in the 20th century to learn about this enormous catastrophe of the mid-19th century. It was the crossroads of our beginning." (Burns & Burns, 1990) Any American can look at her words and instantly see a meaning, the meanings may differ but each American relates. The words "It was a crossroads to a beginning", show that America was divided and the war reunited America as a unified nation. Without the bloodshed and sacrifice, America would look quite different. Many nations or none at all could have been the result, but the truth is that the North and the South needed each other for survival. America was founded in freedom, which came in many forms. Her...
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...The Lost Cause is an ideology that explains the mindset of primarily white, southerners post-war. It explains how they thought concerning the outcome of the war. The idea was that the Civil War for the south was an inevitable defeat from the start. The South never really had a chance to win due to the overwhelming circumstances and advantages of the North, but since the confederates were loyal to the cause they fought a hopeless struggle to preserve their honor. This unfortunately, resulted in a shattering defeat for the South. The question of why this mindset was born brings up more questions like, “Why did the South feel the need give the blame or fault to a different party?” and “Did the South subconsciously know think they were guilty and in the wrong?” This cause idolizes Robert E. Lee as their pure, wholesome southern gentleman that they posed as the poster boy of the southern campaign. A popular belief based off of this is “ War was lost, Reconciliation Won” which could be interpreted as a way of The South to feel better about the loss. Lost Cause mythology is the main point of focus in Gallagher’s book “Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War.” He highlights this cause in particular to emphasize how Hollywood and pop culture has illustrated to the public its own version of what The Lost Cause is....
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...American Civil War The American Civil War is a very misunderstood war. It is known for the war that ended slavery. What most people don’t know is the war was not originally fought for the abolition of slavery. The South, or the Confederate, wanted to exercise their rights as states and split from the north. Well Abraham Lincoln thought that would be the downfall of the United States. The Civil War was fought to between the Union and the Confederacy on the issue of splitting up the United States. The country was divided between two philosophies, either they thought the country could only survive and prosper as a whole, or they believed the south had the right to split from the union. The country was divided between two different philosophies. The North believed if the South seceded from the North the country would crumble. While the South believed they had the right as states to separate themselves from the Union. (Malvasi) Abraham Lincoln was the head of the Unions thinking. He had a great sense of political knowledge. He realized if the south did secede the Union wouldn’t stand a chance against attack because half of the country essentially would have been gone. Lincoln originally had no plans of abolishing slavery all his focus was on keeping the country together in one strong unit. (Malvasi) The South on the other hand felt they had been mistreated by the Union and were being taken advantage of. Soon the idea of secession came around ...
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...The Union War “Without an appreciation of why loyal citizens believed a Union that guaranteed democratic self-government was worth great sacrifice, no accurate understanding of the Civil War era was possible” (Gallagher). I agree with this statement by Gallagher because if it wasn’t for the decisions and executions of the Union I am not sure if I would be living in a democratic, free society today. In The Union War, Gallagher “offers a companion volume that extends his manifesto against hindsight, what Gallagher calls the ‘Appomattox syndrome,’ to histories of the Union” (Gallagher, 79). According to Gallagher, researchers who work backward from emancipation and Reconstruction have expanded northern devotion to race, slavery, and abolition while complicating loyal Americans’ major war aim, the Union. The above quote stated by Gary Gallagher is one of the main causes as to why the North won the Civil War because with the joining of citizens who wanted to fight for their democratic government, it gave the Union more soldiers that wanted to fight than the Confederates. They won the Civil War simply because they had more people. The North won the Civil War they were on the right side of human ethical issues. They had their best interest in helping the morals of humans and this alone helps citizens be able to trust the Union’s tendencies and this can also make a citizen loyal. The North clearly had more men to fight for them and there were more people that wanted to end slavery,...
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...Take A Stand: War Samuel A. Olivas Grand Canyon University: CWV-301 June 13, 2015 Where would America be if brave men and women didn’t sacrifice themselves in the greatest wars known to date? This is a huge question a lot of people do not ask themselves. A debate resides today whether war is right or wrong. I take my stand for war. Freedom seems to have lost its importance among the citizens of the United States. Many individuals or groups look at war and only see death, but its what they don’t see that makes the biggest impact and that’s the purpose. A man or woman who has served their country gets ready for battle not for their family, but for the cause. The purpose of this paper is written to inform about major wars taken place in the bible, history, and currently. Firstly, I will explain how War in the bible relates to war in the past. Secondly, I will explain the history of two wars and their significance. Lastly, I will explain the war we currently are in and why it’s crucial that we never give up. A man just laid down his life for you, would you for someone else? WAR: THE BIBLE The Bible has many wars through the Old Testament; we must take a closer look at Egypt vs. Israel. In Egypt Pharaoh had the people of Israel under his control. The Israelites were beaten, whipped, and killed. They were put to work on the Egyptian city. This bondage was held for years until a man named Moses stepped in for God. Moses states in Exodus 5:1, “ let his people go”. In Egypt...
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...Civil War Paper The Civil War was fought between Americans from the North and the South. Many factors led to the eventual conflict, but none was more important than the issue of slavery. While Northerners felt slavery was essentially against what America stood for, Southerners depended on slavery to maintain their economy. The conflict resulted in the South wanting to secede from the Union and exist as a collection of Confederate states acting as their own country. The North (Union) insisted on keeping the United States in-tact and abolishing slavery from the South. After four to five years and a collection of bloody battles, the North won the war despite having military leaders who were not as experienced as the South’s and sustaining more casualties. In the documentary The Civil War, historian Shelby Foote stated, “Any understanding of this nation has to be based…on an understanding of the Civil War . . . The Civil War defined us as what we are, and it opened us to being what we became, good and bad things. It is very necessary if you’re going to understand the American character in the 20th century to learn about this enormous catastrophe of the mid-19th century. It was the crossroads of our being.” (Burns & Burns, Episode 1: the cause, 1990) What Foote was referring to in this quote was how the Civil War shaped the United States into the great power it has been known for since the end of the war. After the war ended, America began a period of tremendous growth, led by...
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...Confederates reunion in New Orleans, 1903The Civil War is one of the central events in America's collective memory. There are innumerable statues, commemorations, books and archival collections. The memory includes the home front, military affairs, the treatment of soldiers, both living and dead, in the war's aftermath, depictions of the war in literature and art, evaluations of heroes and villains, and considerations of the moral and political lessons of the war.[247] The last theme includes moral evaluations of racism and slavery, heroism in combat and behind the lines, and the issues of democracy and minority rights, as well as the notion of an "Empire of Liberty" influencing the world.[248] Memory of the war in the white South crystallized in the myth of the "Lost Cause", which shaped regional identity and race relations for generations.[249] 150th anniversary2011 marked the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War. Many in the American South attempted to incorporate both black history and white perspectives. A Harris Poll given in March 2011 suggested that Americans were still uniquely divided over the results and appropriate memorials to acknowledge the occasion.[250] While traditionally American films of the Civil War feature "brother versus brother" themes[251] film treatments of the war are evolving to include African American characters. Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama NAACP, said celebrating the Civil War is like celebrating the "Holocaust"....
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...American Civil War Experiences of the American Civil War (1861-1865): Honor, Duty and Death Introduction The following pages are an essay on the cause of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the effects that the war had upon the soldiers, women and African Americans of the North and the South. In this essay I will write about the following topics and present a view of how the war was witnessed by these different groups of people. In regards to the soldiers of the North and the South, I will answer the following questions: What was the enthusiasm of the soldiers from the North and the South before the war? What was their perspective after the fighting had started? How did the soldiers of the invading armies treat the civil population? The horrors of the Civil War witnessed by the soldiers of the North and the South? Then I will answer some of the following questions about women and the Civil War: What role did women play during the war? What respect did women attain for their role? How did women help the soldiers to endure the hardships of the war? The questions dealing with African Americans are: Did the Civil War change how their comrades in arms viewed African Americans? How did African Americans help in fighting the war? Why did African Americans fight in the war? What did African Americans hope to gain from fighting in the war? The Causes of the American Civil War The American Civil War (1861-1865) occurred because the two principal regions of the country...
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...Experiences of the American Civil War (1861-1865): Honor, Duty and Death Introduction The following pages are an essay on the cause of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the effects that the war had upon the soldiers, women and African Americans of the North and the South. In this essay I will write about the following topics and present a view of how the war was witnessed by these different groups of people. In regards to the soldiers of the North and the South, I will answer the following questions: What was the enthusiasm of the soldiers from the North and the South before the war? What was their perspective after the fighting had started? How did the soldiers of the invading armies treat the civil population? The horrors of the Civil War witnessed by the soldiers of the North and the South? Then I will answer some of the following questions about women and the Civil War: What role did women play during the war? What respect did women attain for their role? How did women help the soldiers to endure the hardships of the war? The questions dealing with African Americans are: Did the Civil War change how their comrades in arms viewed African Americans? How did African Americans help in fighting the war? Why did African Americans fight in the war? What did African Americans hope to gain from fighting in the war? The Causes of the American Civil War The American Civil War (1861-1865) occurred because the two principal regions of the country, the North and...
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...Timeline Matrix" document. Instructions: Complete the matrix by providing the Time Period/Date(s) in column B, and the Description and Significance of the People/Event(s) to American History in column C. See complete instructions in the Syllabus for the Module 3 assignment entitled. “Timeline Part II.” NOTE: The timeline project does not need to be submitted to turnitin. NOTE: Please write your answers in a clear and concise manner. Limit your submission of the Timeline Part II up to 250 words per topic/subtopic. For example, if a topic is divided into 3 subtopics, you may write a maximum of 250 per subtopic listed. Be sure to cite all sources. Major Event/Epoch in American History | Time Period/Date(s) | Description and Significance of the People/Event(s) to American History | 1) The evolution of the institution of slavery from the Colonial Period to the 1860s. | 16th Century – 19th Century | I found this excerpt from Robert Francis Engs from the Macmillan Information Now Encyclopedia: The history of African American slavery in the United States can be divided into two periods: the first coincided with the colonial years, about 1650 to 1790; the second lasted from American independence through the Civil War, 1790 to 1865. Prior to independence, slavery existed in all the American colonies and therefore was not an issue of sectional debate. With the arrival of independence, however, the new Northern states--those of New England along with New York, Pennsylvania...
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