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Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Civil War
Is the Civil War worth it's fascination in American History? And, what if the South won? Would the US still be split over the states rights issues?
I would say it's definitely worth the fascination. The Civil War is a major turning point in America and helped shape what it is today. I don't think we could have become the powerhouse we've become without the South, and I think the ending of slavery helped to solidify our image of striving for freedom and equality.
What would happen if the South would have won? I don't think they would have taken the north. The North won and united both sides, but I think the South would have stayed as their own separate nation and the US as we know it would have formed as two different identities. The South seemed more proud, and honor-driven than the North, and the differences that started the war I think would have kept us apart. They thought the North rotten and they seemed to have something against Northern industry, so why would they have assimilated it?
As for state's rights, I think it would still be an issue in the North, same as it was, but that the South would have it sorted to the states.
I would have to go with Tim in saying the Civil War is worth its notation in the history of the U.S. I think that this war gave us the kick necessary to enter into the boom of the industrial revolution. It also allowed for the industrialization and restructuring of the Southern economy, marking the start to the Gilded Age. In essence, the Civil War was a 'wake-up call' and the removal of slavery forced a new economic plan for the nation.
It is interesting to look at history and debate the 'what ifs', such as the South winning. I'd agree with Tim that if the South had won, they would have left the North well enough alone. In the long run, I think the South would have failed independently due to its lacking strength outside of its primary resource of cotton. They would have had to endure the a cycling of industrialization like the North had done, possibility creating more problems similar to those of the North and South.
In the end, I think it would come to reunification at some point when Slavery was finally abolished in the South, as it was a process many other countries endured in order to advance as a society.
As for states rights, I think the victory of the North solidified the idea of centralized power, rather than the state's rights. I think state's rights would still be an issue if the South had won primary because they would reference the victories they had in the past and how they'd won. Think about it, when England repealed the Stamp Act and set up a new tax, we were quick to argue again because it had been effective before.
2 comments:
I would say it's definitely worth the fascination. The Civil War is a major turning point in America and helped shape what it is today. I don't think we could have become the powerhouse we've become without the South, and I think the ending of slavery helped to solidify our image of striving for freedom and equality.
What would happen if the South would have won? I don't think they would have taken the north. The North won and united both sides, but I think the South would have stayed as their own separate nation and the US as we know it would have formed as two different identities. The South seemed more proud, and honor-driven than the North, and the differences that started the war I think would have kept us apart. They thought the North rotten and they seemed to have something against Northern industry, so why would they have assimilated it?
As for state's rights, I think it would still be an issue in the North, same as it was, but that the South would have it sorted to the states.
I would have to go with Tim in saying the Civil War is worth its notation in the history of the U.S. I think that this war gave us the kick necessary to enter into the boom of the industrial revolution. It also allowed for the industrialization and restructuring of the Southern economy, marking the start to the Gilded Age. In essence, the Civil War was a 'wake-up call' and the removal of slavery forced a new economic plan for the nation.
It is interesting to look at history and debate the 'what ifs', such as the South winning. I'd agree with Tim that if the South had won, they would have left the North well enough alone. In the long run, I think the South would have failed independently due to its lacking strength outside of its primary resource of cotton. They would have had to endure the a cycling of industrialization like the North had done, possibility creating more problems similar to those of the North and South.
In the end, I think it would come to reunification at some point when Slavery was finally abolished in the South, as it was a process many other countries endured in order to advance as a society.
As for states rights, I think the victory of the North solidified the idea of centralized power, rather than the state's rights. I think state's rights would still be an issue if the South had won primary because they would reference the victories they had in the past and how they'd won. Think about it, when England repealed the Stamp Act and set up a new tax, we were quick to argue again because it had been effective before.
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