Development Of American Nation After The American Civil War Of 1961 - 550 Words

Development Of American Nation After The American Civil War Of 1961 (Essay Sample) Content: Student’s Name Professor’s Name Subject DD MM YYYY THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 1861-1865 The Civil War remains a central event in America’s historical consciousness as it formed a defining moment of the American state building. The emergence of the Northern side as the victors of the war gave America hope of being a nation. There was a need for the development of an indivisible nation and a strong sovereign central government that could ensure equal rights and liberty to the Americans. There was a need for the development of a strong central government after the civil war to eradicate slavery in the nation. The main reason for the emergence of the civil war was the uncompromising differences between the free northern and the southern slave states. The reign of Abraham Lincoln failed to recognize the existence of the slave trade in the southern regions, an act that triggered the devastating war. Lincoln, upon election, failed to build a different government order that could directly or indirectly interfere with the institution of slavery in the southern states (Gerstle 2). The fact that slavery did not fall under federal jurisdiction meant that its eradication was a mandate of the state government. Therefore, a strong central government was needed to change the law that could abolish slavery in the southern states. There was the need for transfer of power from the state to the central government after the war to end the slavery, racism, and discrimination observed i n America. The Civil war had a huge impact on the nation, and there was the need for the development of the country politically, socially and economically. The southern part was greatly affected by the war with the state’s economic structure being destroyed. The eradication of slavery and the destruction of land meant that the southerners had less to do for their living. According to Gerstle, the area in Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina was devastated leading to a decline in production (4). There was the need for the development of the nation to ensure the southerners had a way to earn a living and also to prevent an economic crisis from arising. Politically the north and the southern regions had differences that arose due to the Civil war. President Lincoln warned the Americans that ‘A house divided cannot stand,’ making it a prerequisite for political harmony between the states. Development of the nation could, therefore, give America a strong b asis of power that was lost during the war. The emergence of the civil war in America was attributed to various reasons, and the outcome was devastating. The primary reason for the war was the strong differences between the free northern states and the southern states that practiced slavery. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln as the president of American, th...