The Civil War (Chapter 6)

The Civil War was nothing short of complex and eventful. It was both sides pressing strategically, legislatively, and geographically. Historic staples such as the War of Waterways, Johnson’s election, Vicksburg, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Appottamox Courthouse worked hand in hand to give an end to the dispute. But proved to be the antithesis of such – slowly building up the conflict, and furthering its impact. The reconstruction was then another obstacle that the nation had to go through. Both economically and socially, the country was broken – the reformations had to be thought through, for it was a matter of considering the circumstances for race, agriculture, economy, and territory.

            The War of Waterways occurred during the first two years of the Civil War. Here, dispute for the usage of the Mississippi River took place – this landmark would offer travel, artillery sending and a variety of benefits for whoever gained control of it. War officials from the South devised cunning strategies such as the Anaconda Plan and they gained advantages in the War of Attrition by an attack-retreat system. Socially, the Civil War was a theme of amusement, watchers often having picnics as they witnessed live warfare.

            The conflict wasn’t influenced by the people only, the government tried to have its say as well. The Emancipation Proclamation was one of Lincoln’s moves. One in which he promised freedom to any slave who contributed with the fight for freedom. This law took place during and after the war. Government officials of the North all raved about the African American’s soldiering skills – naming them better in any area than any white soldier they could have possible recruited.

            Vicksburg was a crucial point in the war for it gave it the status of “total war,” which meant that the conflict was now something that threatened both sides’ economies and societies. The town of Vicksburg, Mississippi had been an area General Grant from the North had wanted to take over – when he did and chased the Confederates out, the Confederation took it personally.

            The Battle of Gettysburg and the Appottamox Courthouse events both culminated and finalized the war. The battle was won by the North, after General Lee of the South made the irrevocable mistake of placing nearly all his troops forward and placing confidence in the enemy’s lack of artillery. Finding himself defeated, General Lee and General Grant met at Appottamox Courthouse; Lee, representing the Confederation, surrendered to the North.

            The Reconstruction after the war was something difficult for Congress – they had to redefine through acts and amendments what citizenship meant for the United States. To formerly enslaved African Americans, freedom meant the ability to move, organize, educate themselves, own land, and participate in politics. It was a world of opportunities for them, they had been confined by white man’s rule for so long – the doors were finally opening. For the South’s relief, a combination of different groups including Northerners and African Americans provided support for them – proving that the country still stood as a whole. The South’s economy was not lost completely when slavery was made illegal, they were still able to replace it through new forms of enforced labor.

            The bloodshed in the four years of the Civil War was immense, the conflict manifesting in multiple encounters that turned the tables in favor of both sides. The Gettysburg Address, however, marks a victor = the North. What took for this to occur is unmeasurable. The costs, the broken families, military strategies, territorial invasion. But, as well, what good it brought is not easily put into words. Equality burgeoned, the Union was back, and their society was evolving. Proving that, as Lincoln stated during the Gettysburg Address for the fallen soldiers, “the Civil War was a test of whether any nation dedicated to freedom and equality could succeed.” 

General Lee from the South was one of the greatest military minds the world has known. One mistake, though, is what cost him the war.