...Introduction 1. What is the author’s background? How does this affect the way he wrote this book? The author was born and raised in the South by his parents, who were strong proponents of the Confederacy. Ancestors on both sides of his family fought for the Confederacy. He even proudly carried the Confederate flag in his backpack and posted it on the wall in his college dorm room to signify pride in states’ rights. He also dreamed becoming a soldier in the Confederate Army. His grandmother was a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. This makes him a great source for the purpose of this book because he has real world experiences of the events and ideas that circulated around that time. The author also mentions how hard it was for him to write the book because he was surprised to fully understand how secession was related to racism and white supremacy. However, his Confederate-minded childhood could also be a source of bias insofar as his interpretations of secession and the controversies surrounding the Civil War, in addition to the documents he used to write this particular book. Chapter 1 2. What are the controversies surrounding the mural of Robert E. Lee and Confederate History Month in Virginia (hint: they are related to the same issue!)? There were a series of debates surrounding whether or not a mural of Robert E. Lee should be placed by Canal Way built along the James River. The NAACP spoke against the mural, saying that Lee was an advocate...
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...The war determined what America’s future would hold. Two sides participated in the war; the North and the South. However, the North would claim victory. Within that victory was 625,000 lives lost. It was perhaps one of the most destructive wars in the United States’ history. The Civil War started over conflict because of the differences between the free states and the slave states. Many thought that the war went on due to the act of abolishing slavery within the southern states, but was that really the cause? While reading through sources, a common question re-appears, was it really slavery that caused the...
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...“The Union, without a living, vital Constitution, is but a vain and empty name,”(Document 5). During the 1860-1861 the South had seceded from the Union, what led up to the secession of the states was the ongoing conflict of slavery. The North and South’s differences were growing, and during these issues, many people argued that slavery was unconstitutional, which had brought up even more issues between the North and South, and it had ultimately led to the secession of the South from the Union. Secession was the withdraw of eleven Southern states from the Union. When the states had spilt, the North had remained as the Union and the South had formed what they called, a Confederacy. The secession of the states didn’t last long when the North...
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...had disagreements and different opinions over these topics, this would soon lead to the decision of the southern states to secede from the union, because they had a different perspective for a better way of life. Economy for the north and south is defined has how one of the regions is involved with the...
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...viewpoints of the North and South. Many people think the main or only cause of the Civil War was slavery, however there are many different aspects that led up to the war. The North and South had very different economies and ways of life. They tried to make compromises to suit both parties, but they never fully satisfied anyone. Of the many plausible causes of the Civil War, economic differences leading to divisions of wealth, slavery, differences in population and politics all led to the Civil...
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...multiple reasons why Texans fought in the Civil War. The Civil War was North (Union) against South (Confederacy). Texans were part of the South, and they had slavery. The reasons for Texans fighting in the Civil War are slavery, keeping peace, and state rights. One reason Texans fought was for slavery. “African race has no (part) in their establishment, that they were rightfully held as and inferior and dependent race” (Doc B). Slaves weren't free, and that was the resolution. The ‘resolution’ was how Texas wanted it, so they fought for slavery. “All white men are and of right ought to be entitled to equal civil and political rights.” (Doc B) all white men had rights. White men had the right to, but it never said anything about African Americans and slaves. Texas fought to preserve slavery. Another reason for Texans fighting was to keep peace in Texas and in the country. (Doc A) the graph in this document states that only 30% of Texans had slaves. Not many texans owned slaves, but the ones who did weren’t afraid...
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...were many reasons why the civil war began, but the election of 1860 was the most responsible of starting the civil war. I believe the election of 1860 started the civil war because it starts with a debate to start a war. Also people like the south didn’t like the election which leads to more emotion which also means violent people. If the election of 1860 was the start of the south being emotional, that means they will gain more emotion and will be more violent. The election of 1860 was about Abraham Lincoln being president in Washington D.C and other people such as Stephen Douglas, John Bell, and John Breckinridge. Abraham Lincoln was a republican, Stephen Douglas was Northern democrat, John Breckinridge was a Southern democrat, and John Bell was from the constitutional Union party. Southern states threaten to secede because they feared the Union would abolish slavery, which meant no more slaves for the South. In the North it was Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephen Douglas and in the South was John Bell vs. John Breckinridge. The winner was Abraham Lincoln, in December 1860 South Carolina secedes from the Union then in February 1860 Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida joined South Carolina in seceding the Union. The election of 1860 was the most responsible for the civil war and up to emotions which leads to violence. The reaction of the North of the election of 1860 was constitutional but the reaction of the South was unfair and unconstitutional...
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...In 1865, the United States of America would change forever. During this year Congress passed the 13th Amendment. This amendment completely abolished slavery in the United States. It also gave Congress the ability to create laws against things that were very similar to slavery. One of these things was peonage. This amendment was one of the biggest laws that would lead to equal rights between African Americans and whites. When speaking about the 13th Amendment we have to take a look back into why it was done. During the 1800s slavery was extremely prominent in the South. Many southerners owned slaves. Some of them owned as few as 5 slaves, while others had over 50 slaves working. Racism was very prominent throughout the United States but especially...
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...state to secede and joined the confederacy because they wanted slaves. A month later on April 12th, 1861, The Civil War had began between the Union, and the Confederacy. So, why did the Texans fight in the Civil War? Back in the 1800’s, slaves were allowed by several of the southern states. The north however, had a much different opinion than the south (all documents). In the north, slaves were prohibited. As stated earlier, Texas had seceded from the union, because the union did not tolerate slavery. Governor Sam Houston felt strongly against secession of the union, for it took so long for them to be accepted, that they became one of the last states to secede, and join the confederacy. Sam Houston, who did not believe in slavery, unlike most of the Texas population, refused to take the oath of loyalty to the confederacy and was...
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...leaders etc…. also played major roles in one of the bloodiest battles of U.S history. So what caused the seven deep south states to secede? To answer this question we first have to understand why the succession started by looking at the key figures of the succession, the commissioners from South Carolina, Alabama, and Virginia. The first shots were heard early morning on April 12 in Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor this led to four slave states Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas to join the original...
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...confederate state. The Civil War: Why did Texans fight? The Texans fought in the Civil war because of state’s rights, preserving slavery, and love for Texas. First of all, the Texans fought because of state’s rights. “This is a union of equal states, and no state can force another state either to remain in it or withdraw from it” (Document C). The states had the right to stay in a nation or not, and no other state had the power to make them stay or not. “(N)o state upon its own mere motion, can lawfully get out of the union” (Document C). The government...
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...EMEKA OKOYE. NEOREALISM AND THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR. The Nigerian civil war, popularly known all over the world as the "Biafra War" was fought from 2 July 1967 to 15 January 1970. The war was the culmination of an uneasy peace and stability that had plagued the Nation from independence in 1960. This situation had its genesis in the geography, history, culture and demography of Nigeria. The war was between the then Eastern Region of Nigeria and the rest of the country. The Eastern Region declared itself an independent state which was regarded as an act of secession by the Federal Military Government of Nigeria. The events leading up to the Nigerian Civil War and the causes are explained by Neorealism through balance of power politics. However Neorealism does not explain the actual purpose and objectives of the war. Evidences backing this are stated below: 1. The political crisis which linked the war could be explained since it was all about a power drive though restoring unity and peace was one of the aims of the war. 2. The secession triggered by the discovery of oil by the easterners and their fear of losing power over it to the northerners(security dilemma) yet another objective of the war was to fight causing limited destruction and little harm so that the economy would not be in a total destruction. 3. Tribal and Regional Tension between the three main tribes in Nigeria as a result of fear of one tribe dominating another...
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...EMEKA OKOYE. NEOREALISM AND THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR. The Nigerian civil war, popularly known all over the world as the "Biafra War" was fought from 2 July 1967 to 15 January 1970. The war was the culmination of an uneasy peace and stability that had plagued the Nation from independence in 1960. This situation had its genesis in the geography, history, culture and demography of Nigeria. The war was between the then Eastern Region of Nigeria and the rest of the country. The Eastern Region declared itself an independent state which was regarded as an act of secession by the Federal Military Government of Nigeria. The events leading up to the Nigerian Civil War and the causes are explained by Neorealism through balance of power politics. However Neorealism does not explain the actual purpose and objectives of the war. Evidences backing this are stated below: 1. The political crisis which linked the war could be explained since it was all about a power drive though restoring unity and peace was one of the aims of the war. 2. The secession triggered by the discovery of oil by the easterners and their fear of losing power over it to the northerners(security dilemma) yet another objective of the war was to fight causing limited destruction and little harm so that the economy would not be in a total destruction. 3. Tribal and Regional Tension between the three main tribes in Nigeria as a result of fear of one tribe dominating another...
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...Battle of Antietam Single bloodiest day of the entire war Casualties: 12,000 Union, 13,000 Confederates McClellan had been ordered by Lincoln to destroy the rebel army did not pursue the Confederate troops Marked a major change in Northern war aims Emancipation Proclamation Shift in public opinion Blow against slavery would make Britain and France less likely to aid the South Weaken the confederacy Emancipate- "Free" all enslaved African Americans in the South On January 1st 1863 Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation Applied only to areas that the Confederacy controlled, it did not actually free anyone. Hoped it would encourage slaves to run away and many would Had the desired effect in Europe. Britain and France decided to withhold recognition of the Confederacy. Southern Victories In the winter of 1862- 1863 the south is winning The ride of war turns Lee decided to invade the North. In June of 1863 he begins moving north with 75000 troops. The two armies meet by accident on July 1st near the town of Gettysburg. Battle of Gettysburg Three days of fighting The Union held the high ground On the third day of battle, Lee decided to launch an attack the he hoped would destroy the Union army. Battle with largest number of casualties of the war. About 50,000 Often described as a turning point. It ended Lee's invasion of the North Pickett's Charge Around 14,000 Confederates advanced across and open field about a half-mile long. Barely half of the...
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...Cotton It was a slogan used by southerners to support the secession of the South from the North as the money obtained from cotton export would support the Confederacy. It would also support countries such as Britain and France to support the Confederacy as opposed to the North as the economies of these countries heavily depended on the textile industry. It was a failure as other countries did not want to get into the conflict. In foreign affairs, the South had been initially confident of the power and influence of “King Cotton,” the crop that accounted for more than half the value of U.S. exports before the war. Confederates felt that the importance of cotton would force diplomatic recognition from the Federal government and European countries. Neither the commissioners sent abroad in 1861 nor the permanent envoys who replaced them were able to secure recognition from Great Britain, France, or any other European power. The South was able, however, to buy considerable war matériel and several fast ships that destroyed much Federal shipping on the high seas. South = one crop economy By 1840 - 50% of US exports was cotton / was providing 50% of the world supply / providing 75% of England’s supply 1/5 of workers tied to the textile industry but cotton also drives northern economy - needs cotton for textiles (supporting abolition and making $ off slavery). Different economies of the North and South between 1815-1861 North: Industrial Abolition slavery No need for slaves ...
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