For each question, answer the question completely using proper English and make sure to proofread! You must also respond to at least one other student post to receive full credit.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Epilogue: Surviving
How did the Civil War transform the nation? Do you believe that the Civil War could have been avoided? Why or why not?
"The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death… (268) The death and experience changed the nation for the better. The war "...demanded a new sense of national destiny."(268) After the war both north and south were united. "...the United States' new and elevated destiny became bound up with the nation itself: its growing power, its wealth, its extent, its influence."(268) "We still live in the world of death the Civil War created." We are a strong nation. After the Civil War we became stronger. "And both the unity and responsibilities of this transformed nation were closely tied to its Civil War Dead."(268) I do not think the Civil War could have been avoided. I think it was a mistake and it was fatal, however we have to learn from our mistakes. This war was going to happen whether we wanted it to or not. Ideas were conflicting and fighting was the way to settle it. Back then, there was no other way. The Civil Wr was a huge step in history and it could not have been avoided.
“They had lost their own lives as they had understood them before the war. As Lucy Buck of Virginia observed, ‘We shall never any of us be the same as we have been’”. [268] The nation was transformed in three ways: religion was under question “Where did God belong in such a world? How could a benevolent deity countenance such cruelty and such suffering? Doubt threatened to overpower faith…” [267] The value of one life was set at a new price “The living searched in anxiety and even ‘phrensy’ to provide endings for life narratives that stood incomplete, their meanings undefined”. [267] and the value of holding the nation together became greater than it had ever been before. “The war’s staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny, one designed to ensure that lives had been sacrificed for appropriately lofty ends”. [268] For the purpose of keeping the nation together, I do not think that the civil war could have been avoided. For the purpose of peace, I believe that it could have. If the North had just let the South secede, there may not have been a war, however, as President Lincoln stated “a house divided against itself cannot stand”. http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/house.htm
I agree with the point that Jamie made that our nation became stronger because of the Civil War. “We are a strong nation. After the Civil War, we became stronger”. The North and the South were united once again. “assumptions of racial hierarchy would unite whites North and South in a century-long abandonment of the emancipationist legacy”. [268] Though the nation was not quite ready for racial equality, the North and the South were united and a century later, all races would be united. The civil war was a big step in U.S. history and provided a growing opportunity. We have learned our lesson well. The only way that we as a nation would be able to unite against our enemies was to unite ourselves. Sadly it took a Civil War, but we learned from it and continued pressing forward.
Obviously, after the Civil War, the United States as a nation was transformed forever. The first main transformation was the fact that there were so many dead. “More than 2% of the nation’s inhabitants were dead as a direct result of the war-the approximate equivalent of the population in 1860 of the state of Maine…” [pg.266] Many families were either broken apart, or ruined all together. Another direct result of the war, was that slavery had been abolished. Everyone was free, and the nation became stronger because the Union and the Confederates were no longer in conflict. Everyone could go anywhere that they wanted. Slaves were free everywhere, not just north of the Mason-Dixon Line. And the most important thing was the United States could work together again. It was a whole nation, instead of practically two countries. In my opinion, there was no chance that the United States could have ever avoided the Civil War. The Union and the Confederates were always fighting about something, and then there was the fact that slaves were being killed, beaten, and being overworked on a daily basis. Slavery could not have gone on into the future. A Civil War was bound to happen sooner or later. Even if the United States could have dodged a Civil War in the 1860’s, it was going to happen in the future. There was too much fighting between the North and South. There was no way around the American Civil War.
The Civil War transformed the nation by making it more united. Although the South hated the North I think that losing as many good men as both sides did that united us. We both lost loved ones and can bring our loses together and can understand each others anger. I think that if we had tried to talk it out and had been cooperative with each other we eventually could have found a solution that didn't consist of war and bloodshed.
Response to McKenzie Hamilton I agree with you. However, if the south had seceded, the war still would have happened, it would have been later though. I think no matter what, the war would have happened eventually. It was a necessary step in history. The war changed our nation for the better and we are stronger because of it. The war was huge and it killed many, however it was going to happen one way or another.
“And the living had been changed too, by what they had seen and done, what they had felt, and what they had lost. They were … ‘sentenced to life’ and to making sense of how Civil War death had redefined what life might be.” (p. 267) The families of the fallen would be permanently changed, due to the loss of a loved one. The survivors of the war would also likely be scarred for life after the horrific things they had seen. The war also transformed the people’s faith: “Doubt threatened to overpower faith – faith in the Christian narrative of a compassionate divinity and a hope of life beyond the grave, faith in the intelligibility and purpose of life on earth.” (p.267) The war also changed the nation as a whole. “The war’s staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny, one designed to ensure that lives had been sacrificed for appropriately lofty ends.” (p. 268) The nation also began to honor the dead more effectively after the war. National cemeteries, pensions, and records of the dead “involved a new understanding of the relationship of the citizen and the state.” (p.268)
The Civil War could have been avoided, at least temporarily. The simple opposite of war is peace (talking). However, I do not think this would work in the end. When people feel very strongly about something, they are likely to take action, and not sit back and wait for something to happen. The North’s desire for abolition and preservation and the South’s need of slaves to preserve lifestyle and economy could only coexist peacefully for so long.
“But the fallen had solved the riddle of death, leaving to the survivors the work of understanding and explaining what this great change had meant. And the living had been changed too, by what they had seen and done, what they had felt, and what they had lost. They were, like Bierce, “sentenced to life” and to making sense of how Civil War death had redefined what life might be (267).” Through the experience and passage of death our country was transformed and changed. It united our country both literally and spiritually through the dead making them reconsider what life really was and what it meant. The war also brought doubt to their religious beliefs. Although God was questioned by many people in the South it served to strengthen their Christian faith. Freedom also came as change to our country. After hundreds of years of slavery liberation had finally come to the African Americans. Among other changes, death was redefined and thoroughly considered. “Death without dignity, without decency, without identity imperiled the meaning of the life that preceded it. Americans had not just lost the dead; they had lost their own lives as they had understood them before the war (268).” Overall the dead had affected the living far greater than the living affected the dead. An age of respect for the dead as well as for the living was created. Proper burial had grown to be of great significance as well as new humanity and the value of life. I believe the Civil War could never have been avoided. The issue of slavery and moral values could never had been avoided or solved peacefully. The conflicting values and thoughts of both the North and South could only have been resolved through violence and fighting. Even if it did not happen when it did and circumstances were different it would still have eventually happened, though the outcome may have been different. The opposing thoughts of anti-slavery and a slave based society could never exist long together.
In response to Jamie B: I agree with Jamie that even if the North did allow the South to succeed, war between them would have been inevitable. Their conflicting ideas of anti-slavery and the South’s style of life based on slavery would never allow peace. I also agree with your statement, “It was a necessary step in history.” Human nature wouldn’t allow this relationship to last and one side would eventually give in to fighting. Without war our country wouldn’t have been united and our country’s great accomplishments wouldn’t have happened. The outcome of the future events could have changed as a result not only affecting us but the majority of the world. Together we stand, divided we fall.
We as a nation have built something truly remarkable we have been through so much and so far survived everything. People have fought and given their lives in order to make a point. The Civil War was a tragedy for a nation to fight each other we were tearing a part something that should have meant a lot to us. I felt that the civil war didn't make a stronger in many ways it made a smarter. After the war we were all probably hitting our selves for how stupid and childish we acted. Someone doesn't like what your doing suck it up and stop it. Slavery was horrible it never was OK and the South knew it, but why should they have to give up something they (in some ways) liked? They thought like children. We as a nation acted like children. I felt that the war could have been avoided if not only the South quit with being in charge but also the North. Everyone wants what they want to happen and if they don't get it, people through fits. "Its not fare" we say and it ends up in a fight. Do you remember the playground, when you wanted to play tag and someone else wanted to play hide and go seek? A fight would occur and friends would be divided and people would sometimes get hurt. Its just like that but, these were men. Why did grown men act in such a way that got others killed? Why did men act like they were five again? This war could have been avoided. Slavery is horrible but, the South just wanted it they didn't care what the North thought, and because they couldn't solve this problem with out violence people died.
I response to Tanner. I have to disagree with you when you said "Without war our country wouldn’t have been united and our country’s great accomplishments wouldn’t have happened." How does a war make anything stronger? Doesn't it weaken a person? War has always made a person depresses some insane and many end up dead. War is a way of killing off a human and when your killing someone how can you make anything stronger? This war cause not only neighbors to fight but even families. When a family fights just normally and it a really big fight sometimes that family doesn't talk to each other for years. Thats not making anything stronger. During the war brothers, fathers, and sons fought against each other that's destroying a house and nation everything. how can destroying something as big as love for each other make any other person stronger?
The Civil war transformed our nation into what we know it to be now, one of the most if not the most powerful countries in the entire world. Directly after every war there is a period of shock and remorse for those who had died. This was true after the Civil War. "More than two percent of the nation's inhabitants were dead as a direct result of the war."(266) this is a huge number and during that time that number was equal to the population of whole states. This I believe led to our nation becoming stronger. In respect to all of the fallen soldiers it was said, "The war's staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny, one designed to ensure that lives had been sacrificed for appropriately lofty ends." This is very important because it reinforced that even though they have different political views it was in the people's and the nation's best interest to just get along. Now it is not as extreme but we have Democrats and Republicans that may disagree politically but are still able to work together to build our country to where it is today. With both the North and the South being so close, no the war could not have been avoided. It was bound to happen and throughout history neighboring states or nations have always been fighting against each other. I believe without the civil war we would today not be the UNITED states.
You said, "Slaves were free everywhere, not just north of the Mason-Dixon Line." This was a great point that made me think of something. There were tens of thousands of slaves during and before the Civil War. These slaves worked for just their owner and nobody else within their community and country. Now that they were set free they were allowed to get jobs, make money, and raise a family. This helped with our whole economic situation. The more people you have, the more labor you will be able to receive. More workers made better trade objects that brought our nation to where it is now. Without slaves our country now would not be the same.
The Civil War left a huge scar on this nation. “More than 2 percent...were dead as a direct result of the war,” (pg 266) more than “twice the entire population of Vermont,” (pg 266). That by no means, however, was the only change in the United States. “What they had done, what they had felt, and what they had lost...redefined what life [in the postwar United States] might be,” (pg 267). “Challenged notions of unity and integrity,” (pg 268) swept the nation. After the final shots were fired and the nation was reunited, there became “a new sense of national destiny,” (pg 268). Borders were forever changed, a new era of debate about civil rights had emerged, and America’s future looked bright. Before South Carolina’s secession, I think that it would have been possible to avoid the Civil War. Although the nation was still in it’s earlier stages, I still think that there were plenty of signs that not everything was going to go well, and I think there were many opportunities to turn it around. However, once South Carolina seceded on Christmas Eve of 1860, there was no going back. There would be blood, and lots of it. The United States would not be as strong without its sheer size, and that was the major eye-opener that many politicians, citizens, and governing agencies wouldn’t take lightly.
The Civil War transformed the nation by giving it unity and responsibility. “And both the unity and responsibilities of this transformed nation were closely tied to its Civil War dead (268).” Of course the war could have been avoided; it was a conscious decision to go to war, when the decision could have been not to go to war. The question is should the war have been avoided? No. If there had not been a war, then there might have still been a Union and Confederacy, there might have been slavery, and there might have been hatred for each other in the same country.
The post-Civil War nation was "transformed by its encounter with death." The new nation was overwhelmed with grief and loss for the time. After this period passed, however, the United States were stronger and more united than ever. Although initially there was still emnity between the North and the South, the country grew stronger in the long run. The nation would be very different today had the Civil War not occurred. I think that it was difficult, though possible to avoid the Civil War. The Civil War was caused when the South did not feel that they had enough of a say in what happened in their own country. The North was more populated, and therefore had more votes in Congress. With the majority of government officials being from the North, the South felt excluded in what was happening in their own country. Their new president, Abraham Lincoln, was not even on the ballot in the deep South and strongly disagreed with slavery, which was an essential part of the South's economy. Several attemts were made by the South to save the Union through compromises and Constitutional ammendments, yet all of these were rejected by the Senate. In my opinion, if the North really wanted to save the Union, they were not doing a very good job. After all, how would fighting the South make them want to rejoin their ememies. It seems that all the North was doing was stirring up more hatred in its citizens for the South.
Response to Stephanie: You are definitely right when you say "Of course the war could have been avoided...The question is should the war have been avoided?" There is always a way to avoid war, but sometimes it involves making moral compromises that people should not be willing to make. Had the Civil War not happened, there could easily still be slavery in the United States today. If a cause is worthy enough that men are willing to lay down their life for it, then fighting for it is the only option. Securing the United States as one nation, united indeed, was a noble cause, as was the abolition of slavery. If the Civil War was not fought, our nation could have become more of a mess than it is today. For this reason, I believe that the Civil War was fought with good reason and was necessary in the developement of our nation.
Things were different after the Civil War. “The war’s staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny.” (268) People believed after the war that the destiny of America was to expand west and it was important to do so because they believed it honored the soldiers that lost their lives during the war. The country had suffered enough and it was time for it to move on to bigger things. However it brought up new problems. Even though the slaves had been released they still were not granted equal rights with the whites. This would become a problem for a large part of America’s history to come. After the war many people questioned if the war could have been avoided. I believe there are things that could have postponed the war. If President Lincoln was not elected the South may have held on longer. But the two sides didn’t see eye to eye. I think the war would have broken out eventually. We gained valuable lessons from the Civil War and I think if something like this happened again we would handle it differently knowing what the outcome was last time. However at the time I don’t think there was a way of avoiding the Civil War.
Response to Jamie B: I agree that “Ideas were conflicting and fighting was the way to settle it. Back then, there was no other way.” I still think that there is no other way; conflicting and fighting is the only way there ever has been and ever will be to settle differences on such a large scale. I disagree, however, that the Civil War “was a mistake.” I think that it was one of the best things that could’ve happened for this country in the long term. The Civil War was what made the United States question their motives. It changed civil rights cases around the world. It made other countries think twice before messing with a country that can manage to kill 600,000 of their own citizens within a couple of years. It spawned the creation of a new political era of structure and strength which made the United States the strongest country that it is today.
Response to Michelle: In your post you say the war didn’t make us stronger, but instead it made us smarter, but why didn’t it do both? We learned many lessons from the war, which did make us smarter, and as an effect of the knowledge we gained I also think it made us stronger. Learning that a byproduct of huge death tolls is the loss of individuality for each death, seems to have made us stronger because now a top priority in our wars is recovering and honoring each body. I also think that your idea that these men acted like children is a little off. You make it sound like these men got into a fight, and then decided to kill each other for no reason. You have to remember that this war was fought over a disagreement of two different ways of life, and if there’s one thing people take defense to it’s their way of life. These men did not act like they were five again, they felt their way of life was threatened, and decided to do something about it. Don’t get me wrong I also think the war could’ve been avoided if both sides put the effort into doing so, but I don’t think those men that fought had similar motives to those of a five-year-old.
The war created both short-term and long-term effects which both aided each other in transforming the nation. Civil War survivors, and citizens at the time, felt the short-term effects and “lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss.” (266) According to Faust “Americans had not just lost the dead; they had lost their own lives as they understood them before the war.” (268) Because of seeing so much death, and watching the individuality being removed from death, many Americans found themselves lost in shock of what had happened. Today we see the long-term effects in our similar struggle “to understand how to preserve our humanity and our selves.” (271) In addition after the war new policies were created that “led to today’s commitment to identify and return every soldier killed in the line of duty.” (271) The Civil War transformed our nation by showing us the possibility of huge death tolls, and that individuality can be lost in a person’s death sometimes. I don’t know if the Civil War could have been avoided altogether, but I do think both sides could’ve put a better effort into avoiding what did happen. It seemed right as things turned sour for the South, and their way of life, their first thought was secession, not negotiating or solving the problem politically. Then in return the Union’s first response to the South’s secession was war, not a peaceful attempt to lure them back in. I think avoiding the war solely relied on how much effort both sides put in to make it work, I think if both sides really put in the effort to stay together a war could’ve been avoided, but as result of little effort a war did occur.
The Civil War in the end brought the North and the South back together and most importantly, set the slaves free. That's what changed our nation. If the South had one and seperated from the Union, we would be living in two different countries and who knows what would have happened after that. Would we be getting along with the South? Would they still have slaves? Could there have been more fights and wars between the North and the South? Who knows. Although, I'm not completely sure it could have been avoided. Even if we had tried to avoid it by compromise or something, we probably eventually would have come back around to war since both sides believed strongly in what they believed in.
While I agree with your assessment that the war probably couldn't have been avoided, at least for long, I;m not sure that I agree with your statement that "If President Lincoln was not elected the South may have held on longer." I don't think it was the election of Abraham Lincoln that broke the camel's back, so to speak, but I think it was what he did as President that may have shaken the South. He was a fairly radical thinker for that time in history, as well as an abolitionist, which the South didn't like. But there were other reasons that the South seceded, and eventually started a war, and it wasn't all to do with Lincoln.
Response to Evan, I disagree with your statement that the Civil War changed the nation into what we know today. There are many things like technological breakthroughs and many other major events that slowly transformed the nation into what we know today. The Civil War was obviously important but certainly did not solely change the nation into what we know today.
This nation was transformed by the Civil War because of how much we had gone through. The people had changed and the nation had changed. "The war's staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny." (pg. 268) After the war our views had changed and the purpose of life and the now sacred view on it was stronger. "So much suffering had to have transcendent purpose, a 'sacred significance,' as Fredrick Douglas," (pg. 268) a former slave, had put it. The biggest change that had come about the nation was that slavery was no longer. The nation was not split up anymore and there was somewhat a sense of peace. "Slavery had divided the nation, but assumptions of racial hierarchy would unite whites North and South in a century-long abandonment of the emancipationist legacy." (pg. 268)
The Civil War forever changed America, as i view, in a positive stand point. There was no way around the Civil War. Our country made a mistake and we learned from it. It is a good thing the Civil War was not avoided, otherwise we would probably still have many conflicts throughout our country.
The Civil War definitely changed the nation. Most importantly, the war led to the ultimate abolition of slavery. This forever changed the status and power of African Americans. For example, now we have an African American president. The issue of slavery had been going on since America's beginning. Many compromises had been made to prevent conflict over slavery. Violent conflicts still took place in neutral areas such as Kansas. Compromises only solved the slavery problem temporarily so war became inevitable. That is why I think the Civil War could have not been avoided. The Civil War also led to expansion. After the war, there was lots of open land in the West that could be settled for cheap. This often caused clashes with Indian tribes. The Civil War was a very important event that forever changed America's history.
Without the Civil War, our country would be completely different then it is today. “Americans had not just lost the dead; they had lost their own lives as they had understood them before the war.” (268) Because more than 2 percent of Americans died, the nation forever transformed. “Civil War Americans lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss.” (266) Death destroyed families and forever altered them. Another transformation was the freedom of slaves. “Slavery divided the nation…” (268) but with the abolishment of it, the nation became stronger, even though blacks would still not be treated equally by “racial hierarchy…whites [of the] North and South.” (268) After the war, the nation was no longer split therefore making it stronger. “The United States’ new elevated destiny became bound up with the nation itself: its growing power, its wealth, its extent, its influence.” (268) I don’t believe the Civil War could have been avoided. The nation was slowly dividing in the nineteenth century and it was just a matter of time before some conflict (war) would occur between the North and South. The North was about keeping everyone together whereas the South was about having their own freedom and own country. But, there was no negotiating from either side to try and make each other happy. Because of this war occurred and forever changed our country, for the better.
In response to Orion: I agree with your post. One of the most important outcome from the war was the abolishment of slavery. “This forever changed the status and power of African Americans.” I completely agree. Without the war, we may not have Obama as our president. You said, “Compromises only solved the slavery problem temporarily so war became inevitable.” You also talked about the expansion of America because of the Civil War. The war helped Americans’ want to expand which overall benefited our country.
“The living had been changed too, by what they had seen and done, what they had felt, and what they had lost”(267). The nation was transformed by loss, Americans doubted for the first time things they had known to be true. Faith in God was challenged as was the goodness of man, for man, “had shown himself far closer to the beasts than to the angels”(267). The Civil War taught the Americans, the losses that came with war and as a result, new ideas were presented to make the losses of war as painless as possible. “The Civil war ... led to today’s commitment to identify and return every soldier killed in the line of duty.” (271)
I personally think that the Civil war could have been avoided; the North didn’t really understand how different it was becoming from the South. To have been prevented the nation would have had to notice how different the North and South was getting to be. If these differences would have been noticed earlier before blood began to boil, the whole thing could have been avoided The South was more agriculture and the North was more of an industrialized, and the North overpopulating the South was getting the benefits of the laws being passed at the time. But by this time I think the differences were far to great to overcome, and the war would have then become unavoidable. It would have been difficult but not impossible to altogether avoid the Civil War.
I too believe the war could have been avoided. Your question, “how would fighting the South make them want to rejoin their enemies?” was intriguing, and I am not sure of the answer but it did make me wonder about the south’s feelings towards the north even today. I completely agree with your response, the Civil war could have been avoided if the north would have paid more attention to the south’s needs.
"Civil War Americans lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss." The Civil War transformed the United States from a vibrant, lively nation, to a nation shrouded in death, destruction, and grief. "The nation was a survivor...transformed by its encounter with death..." Most of, if not all of, the nation was in mourning after the Civil War. every single death of a soldier affected many people, and so many died that it affected the entire country. The US learned how to mourn and how to honor the dead. National cemeteries were built, monuments constructed, government money was given to the families of soldiers; the nation acquired a new way to look at the destruction and devastation caused by a war of such magnitude. I think that war was unavoidable. It may have been postponed a few months, or maybe even a year or two, but the tension between the North and the South was building so rapidly that it would have come eventually. The election of Lincoln may not have helped the situation between North and South, but the tension that had been building for years, especially over the topic of slavery, was bound to give somewhere, sometime. When the South seceded it was only a matter of time before the war broke out. It was unavoidable.
I completely agree with Tanner’s statement here, “Through the experience and passage of death our country was transformed and changed. It united our country both literally and spiritually through the dead making them reconsider what life really was and what it meant. The war also brought doubt to their religious beliefs. Although God was questioned by many people in the South it served to strengthen their Christian faith. Freedom also came as change to our country.” Tanner makes an excellent point in the quote above. Even though the country suffered great losses after the Civil War, it also became a stronger and more considerate nation afterwards. Many people started realizing that death was a real possibility even after the war. Family members of the fallen, in my opinion started to realize that life was a precious thing, and not to take it for granted since so many people had fallen around them. People started to be a bit more understanding to everyone as the United States tried to rebuild after one of the largest disasters in its history.
The Civil War transformed the nation. Through death, turmoil and destruction our country was united. Although faith was questioned in the South our faith was stregthened as a nation. Though so much blood was sheed I think it was necessary in order for the North and the South to come together and allow the slaves to be free. But even as the Civil War brought new humanity-new attentivenesss to "sentiment"- in the management of death, so too it introduced a level of carnage that foreshadowed the wars of the century to come. (pg.271) I do not believe that the war could have been avoided the tension between the North and the South was building at an alarming rate. Without the Civil War we would still be in many conflicts over slavery, land and many other things the Civil War ended this.
In response to Brenna H I have to disagree with you. I don’t think the war could have been avoided. The differences between the North and the South were pretty much the cause of the war. Even if we had seen it earlier there was no way the South was going to come to an agreement with the North. I don’t think we could have got past how different the two sides were enough to stay a country. There is no question that the Civil War was costly and an absolute bloody mess. But I do not see a way it could have been avoided. We would have kept having the same problems until it led to what occurred.
The Civil War changed America. Not only did the vastness stun the nation, "more than two percent of the nation's inhabitants were dead," (266 pg) but this showed the end of slavery. The war showed the really meaning of freedom. This was the start of America's progress. After the war civil rights movements started to occur like rights for blacks and women. Americans also took on Bushnell's of expansion. Americans took over the rest of the country. With out the war America wouldn't be what it is today. I also believe that there was no avoiding the war. Slavery was a major issue and it needed to be settled.
I disagree with you. There was no for the war to be avoided. You said, "If the North would have paid more attention to the South’s needs," the war would have been avoided. It was the South that started the war not the North. The South left the Union and showed hostility towards the North. The South didn't have needs. The south wasn't willing to compromise with the North. How could the war been avoided when the South and North had such tension between themselves?
The Civil War transformed the nation in more ways then we realize. Many lives were lost, and that was an awful time for America. But, if anything the Civil War has only made the United States stronger. "But the fallen had solved the riddle of death, leaving survivors the work of understanding and explaning what this great change had meant." (pg.267) The Civil War had taught a deeper understanding of life entirely. This changed morals and made Christians question their faith, "Where did God belong in such a world?" (pg.267) Man was now at war with itself, constantly wondering how the world could be so corrupt. The war could definetly not have been avoidable, this war gave America the fresh start it needed. It gave freedom to all. So much suffering had a purpose and the purpose was to Fredrick Douglass freedom, slavery had divided the nation. So with that out of the way, we could move on to become something bigger as a whole. Who knows what would've become of our nation if it werent for this new beginning? All I can say is that it is impossible for us to come to an understanding of the magnitude of sorrow that was caused by the Civil War, but we can be sure that no soldier died without a purpose and because of it we are a stronger nation.
In response to David White: I agree with you that the war was unavoidable and that slavery needed to be faced or it could've been disaterous to our nation. I also think that America grew from this experience and was only able to move forward with slavery gone. The Civil War did help to lead America in the right direction with the Civil Rights Movements following the war.
I think this chapter is titled appropriately as "Surviving". The Civil War transformed our nation in many ways, but most importantly it taught us to survive. We learned that no matter how tough things get, even when we are fighting amongst ourselves, we continue on. The tremendous losses that our nation suffered taught us to deal with the harsh reality of death, and to move on from it. "The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead. The war's staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny, one designed to ensure that lives had been sacrificed for appropriately lofty ends" (268). Our country had no choice but to move forward from such tragedy and not only ensure that it would not happen again, but also see to it that those who died did not die in vain. We learned as a nation to grieve, unite, survive, and move forward.
The Civil War could have been avoided, but nothing good would have come of it. President Lincoln could have simply let the South secede. He didn't have to hold the Union together. But he did, and the only way to do it was through war. We are a greater, stronger nation today because of the Civil War; it was tragic, but absolutely necessary.
In response to Sam: I agree with your idea that the Civil War brought about a "new beginning" for our nation. The North and South had such irreconcilable differences that they had to destroy all ties they had with each other and start over completely. The conflict was unavoidable, and the war was inevitable, but in the end both helped to create a stronger nation.
The Civil War transformed the nation by doing a lot of different things. It sort of put the nation in shock of how many soldiers died. "Neither side could have imagined the magnitude and length of the conflict that unfolded, nor the death tolls that proved its terrible cost" stated on page three. The Civil War taught the nation a lot of things including about life and death. The Civil War also impacted the nation by out lawing slavery which was a huge deal. I do not think that the Civil War could have been avoided because the conflict between the North and the South was serious and very controversial. If the Civil War would have been avoided then there might still be slaves.
You are right. I do not think that the Civil War would have been impossible to avoid. Yet I think that the Civil War was bound to happen and that although it was not impossible, it was very unavoidable. The North and the South were in serious conflct over an extremely controversial issue. Although I see where you are coming from, I have a little bit of a different view and that is that the war was way more unavoidable than avoidable.
The Civil War transformed the nation through the "countless dead" that the country was now all about. So many lives were lost, and so many people were grieving and in shock about the war that it was said that war had created a "world of death" pg. 271. "Civil War Americans lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss" pg. 266. The country was trying to figure out how deaths in the war had changed lives now that more than 2% of citizens were dead, and a lot of these deceased were unidentified, making it all the more worse for people. Faith now threatened to be in the shadow of doubt because of this, and it might just have been. But despite all of this, "an expanded nation- state with new powers and duties emerged" (pg. 268) because of "the human price paid for its survival" pg. 268. People believed that this tragedy brought on a new destiny for the nation- the loss of thousands of soldiers was thought to have a reason, and it brought new meaning to the USA. Also, the relationship between government and the people was seen in a new light because of the dead and also the survivors. I don't believe that the Civil War could have been avoided because of the tension created by slavery. The South wanted slavery for their economy and labor. But the North believed it was wrong. Although the war was a very horrible event, good did come out of it believe it or not. The country is still whole and has become a very strong nation.
Response to Justine- Good point in saying that there might still be slavery if the Civil War had not happened. The war was what did stop slavery. But, in today's world, I don't think slavery would be tolerated at all, especially with the Constitution and people who get technical about it. Although there is the possibility that slavery might still exist, a different war might have broken out about the issue. But, I think that my point is, either way there isn't slavery today thanks to the Civil War.
The Civil War transformed this nation because it brought us back to the unity that was installed when fought in the Revolutionary War. There was a sense of pride that this nation had unique from all other nations. We were falling apart for something that was more important to the southerners as nation than simply being part of a nation. A lifestyle. We were falling down and loosing our status as the America we used to be. This Civil War had every means necessary to do what it had done. The preservation of the union was Abraham Lincoln's greatest concern. He was not siding with anyone, had no opinions, on the matter at hand, just to do what every great president has done. Preserve the country with any means necessary. This is why I think that the American Civil War was at all means necessary from beginning to end.
I agree with you that civil war was an issue that needed to be taken of. Yet you must realize that while slavery was thee background of where the Civil War got started, the preservation of the Union war in the best interest of the country, so this is the real reason that America went to the war with the south. As Abraham Lincoln was the president, he directly stated that the preservation of the union is what we were truly fighting for.
The Civil War transformed America through loss but also through survival. People from both the North and the South were devastated by the many lives that were lost and were focused on mainly burying the dead. However, "The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead." (page 268) Americans had to believe that the soldiers that had died had sacrificed themselves for the good of their country or rights. Therefore, it showed that these soldiers were helping with the survival of a strong nation or the survival of a budding one. The war united both sides because it demonstrated how difficult it was for both sides to hold up countries without the support of the other. I don't necessarily feel that the war was a great thing, for example the North could have allowed the South to secede, and therefore separate a strong nation. However, they didn't and an even stronger country came out of it. The war made us both stronger and wiser for future issues to come, and bettered the United States in the end.
In your response to Michelle I liked that you mentioned that the men were fighting for a better way of life on both sides. They weren't just fighting for no reason as if they were five year olds. You explained,"These men did not act like they were five again, they felt their way of life was threatened, and decided to do something about it. Don’t get me wrong I also think the war could’ve been avoided if both sides put the effort into doing so, but I don’t think those men that fought had similar motives to those of a five-year-old." Yes, the war could have been avoided if compromises were made, however when your beliefs are being ignored or threatened you want to fight for them. The war was a way for both the North and the South to realize that compromises were needed to be made, and like you explained Ben, it made us both smarter and stronger.
The Civil War transformed the nation in many ways. People and how they lived changed knowing that many of them had lost loved ones. “The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of the dead.” (268). Right after the war, the North and the South’s relationship was strained. Eventually, however, the war caused the two sides to unify since they all experienced death. The war also caused people to understand how citizens and states related. The Civil War helped to establish war efforts in naming, burying, and the management of death. I think that the war could not have been avoided. Both sides were very stubborn on what they wanted. The South wanted slavery and the North wanted liberty. Both sides could have tried to compromise, but they both wanted major things that were opposites. Although, if it was avoided our nation would be dramatically different today. We possibly wouldn’t even have a nation and the South could still have slavery today. I can’t imagine our nation different than it is today, and even though the Civil War killed over 600,000 people, it brought our nation to what it is today.
In Response to Sophia: I agree with you. The war was not a great thing as it killed so many and hurt many more. The war united both sides through death and a stronger country was built. The war did make us stronger in future wars and made us stronger as a nation. I agree that the North could have allowed the South to secede, but slavery would have continued and the war allowed the people to be free. Like I said in my original post, I cannot imagine a different nation than what we are fortunate enough to have today.
I understand how you might feel when you said, "...if the North really wanted to save the Union, they were not doing a very good job." However, I believe the North did a great job in saving the Union. If the Civil War had not happened, who knows what might have happened. The North and South could still be split up, or there might still be slavery happening. If the Civil War was avoided, how would we have handled compromises and solving conflicts. Overall, the Civil War was an important part of our nation's history and it is the foundation of the abolition of slavery.
I agree with your statement, “The Civil War transformed our nation in many ways, but most importantly it taught us to survive.” A war with a scale as large as the Civil War is bound to have an impact on the nation and its people. After the end of the war, people had to learn to deal with death(s) in the family and with their sorrow. I also agree that “Our country had no choice but to move forward from such tragedy and not only ensure that it would not happen again, but also see to it that those who died did not die in vain. We learned as a nation to grieve, unite, survive, and move forward.” After hundreds of thousands of deaths, the only way to go is forward. The South particularly needed some reason as assurance that their soldiers did not die in vain. Uniting and expanding seemed to be the answer at the time.
In reality, I do not think that this war could of been avoided. I think this because the South had many issues with the North, due too their customs/beliefs and efforts to keep slavery apart of everyday life. An example of a issue that really triggered the Civil War was a states right to choose what that state was going to do. Another huge issue was once again; Slavery. The South wanted to continue the act of slavery, while the North was against it. Putting two-and-two together, it triggered the Civil War. Even though Abraham Lincoln was against slavery, their was not anything he could do to stop the war. The congress did not know how to dispose the territories of free states, free territories, slave states and exported slave states, which made it a difficult issue.
I totally agree with you. The war would have happened eventually. The Civil War was just one of those things that really could not have been discussed or worked out without further actions being taken. If the South would have succeeded, then the act of slavery would have still been in existence.
The war transformed our nation by writing a step in history of freeing slaves/the act of slavery in the United States being illegal. The Emancipation Proclamation which stated that "All slaves in rebellious areas, shall be set free", was a major step in history that Abraham Lincoln wrote to transform our country, giving everyone the right of freedom. The North's goal was to preserve the Union and prevent the secession of the South, and they succeeded. "The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead. The war's staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny, one designed to ensure that lives had been sacrificed for appropriately lofty ends" (pg. 268)
The civil war transformed our nation by freeing the African American slaves. I don't think the civil war could have been avoided. When two sides disagree on an issue as big as slavery, and believe as strongly about it as the Union and the Confederacy did, war can't really be avoided. I think it is important because if the war wouldn't have happened, we would still be split in half, based on what we thought about slavery. Although the war is terrible, there are times where it can't be avoided.
I agree with your point that although the war was a very hard thing, it made us a stronger nation in the long run. If we wouldn't have had the war, we would still be split in half, and we deffinitely we would not be as strong as we are now.
I agree that the Civil War couldnt have been avoided because like you said its very difficult to agree on anything when in the first place they disagreed on something so storng like Slavery. But i disagree that we would still be a seperated union because of the knowledge that we as citizens know and the knowledge that our government knows.
I think that the Civil War transformed the nation by proving that the ideals of democracy can remain strong throughout a war, and it also took America closer to equality for everyone. I don’t think the Civil War should have or could have been avoided. With two contradicting views and ideals, war was inevitable between the North and South. Of course, it would be preferable to resolve this dispute without violence, but this was next to impossible because neither side would give in to the other. The North felt like it could not let the South secede because it would divide the nation and prove that democracy will fail. And the South felt like it could no longer be part of the Union.
I totally agree with you that the Civil War could have been avoided, but it would have been bad for the nation. Unfortunately, many people had to die to keep the nation together. It’s sad, but totally unavoidable if we are to have the same America that we have today.
The civil war started all of the equal rights movements and shaped america into what it is to day. It probably could have been avoid but not many people will just give up their life style without a fight. It would have been nice if the south would have given up slavery with out a fight but one way or the other it was ended.
I agree that with the north and south's contradicting views the war couldn't have been avoided or there would not be a United States of America or it would be ones with slavery. But the war was good for America thanks to the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers America is the greatest country i the world.
The Civil War transformed the nation in a few ways. “The Way's staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny.” (268) After the war, Americans believed it was there destiny to expand west. They thought it was a way to honor the soldiers that had fought in the war. Although it had also brought up new problems. Such as segregation. Even though the slaves were released they did nit have the same rights as everyone else. This then created a huge problem later on in history. Many wondered if the war could have been postponed or not happen at all. I believe that if Lincoln had not been elected the the war would have been postponed. since the north and the south had not seen eye to eye, then the war would have broken out eventually. It was a good lesson for our nation, and if it were to happen again, I believe we would be able to handle it differently. Since we know what happened last time.
The civil war made us a stronger country by uniting the North and South. I honestly believe it could not have been avoided and if it was it was still bound to happen due to the south disagreeing with the north and the north being against slavery.
I’m not convinced that the Civil War solved any of the differences between the North and the South, because one can still see a definite division between Northern and Southern cultures. The war did however teach us, as a nation, that since we have so many different peoples in our country that we were going to have to find a way to coexist (and not through war). So I guess that learning to deal with each others differences did help in putting up a united front to the rest of the world. I believe that the Civil War was inevitable. There were fundamental differences between the North and the South and it was only a matter of time until those differences were either ironed out or they found a way to live with each other. So maybe a "war" wasn’t necessary, but there was going to have to be some sort confrontation between the two sides.
I don't believe the Civil War truly did transform the nation. The North and South had contentions before the war and still do up to this day. The difference is that most people are lots more tolerant today and less likely to give their life for a cause and so we life in peace. The cultures are still very separate. I believe that the freeing of the slaves was a transformation for the country. It set a precedent that our country was a place where everyone could live and the government would support their rights at any cost. I believe that the mass immigration in the early and late 20th century from all over the world were a result of the Civil War. Our government took action for peoples rights and people loved that. I do believe that the Civil War on such a huge scale could have been easily avoided. The people could have solved their differences civilly. Someone said during WWII that the right way to solve disputes would be to put the leaders in a cage and not let them out until they settled it.
Jonah- in response to Garrett: I agree with everything you stated. As always your words flow to my mind. Well thats weird. I agree that there is still a cultural division today. I love the past teaching me things and so im very glad that we leaended to coexist without more war. Whenever war can be avoided it is a plus in my book.
The Civil War transformed the nation to become a stronger and more independent country. By having the war, it has united everybody in the United States. Although it had scarred our country forever, it had only resulted in a positive way by bringing all people together. The Civil War has also prepared ourselves for future, and what's to come. To my opinion, I do not think that the Civil War could've been avoided because both sides were not willing to cooperate. And even if the Civil War did not occur, the disagreements of both sides could not have been solved any other way.
I believe that the Civil War brought the nation together under a banner of reconstruction and change. Page 268 notes that, "The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead." People learned and came together. The nation was stronger; united. And without the war, the Confederacy may be, to this day, its own country, preventing the U.S.A. as we know it from being created. Were slavery and succession not issues at the time, perhaps war could have been avoided. But, with the state of the country and the problems it faced, the U.S. only bettered from the experience. Those who were sacrificed bravely died for the bettering of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the future.
I agree that the war promoted equality. And with the stubbornness of the South at the time, perhaps war was the only way. The war started the debate for where to draw the line for civil rights- a debate that still rages on, for as long as there is difference, there will be argument over it. We must just hope such a thing never again leads to war.
I believe that the civil war completely changed our country. If the civil war had never happened we could very possibly still have slaves. Who knows what would be. What if the South won the war? Our lives would be 100% different. This war was definitely not avoidable. This is because there were to many problems going on with the South's government. They were making people of a different race do work for them. This war was needed and even though hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives, this war was for the better.
I agree with your ideas about how the Civil War transformed the nation. The war had greatly affected the actions of all people. It had scarred the ones that experienced the times. It had also affected people that lived in the years afterwards by shaping the nation.
In response to Sofia: I agree with you about the war was not a loss but a survival too. The country survived and survived strong, with the sacrifices of many, but what made the country what it is today. And helped the future concieve such a powerful movement that was a huge situation back then. But it also helped people know what to expect for wars like that.
"The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death… (268) The death and experience changed the nation for the better. The war "...demanded a new sense of national destiny."(268) After the war both north and south were united. "...the United States' new and elevated destiny became bound up with the nation itself: its growing power, its wealth, its extent, its influence."(268) "We still live in the world of death the Civil War created." We are a strong nation. After the Civil War we became stronger. "And both the unity and responsibilities of this transformed nation were closely tied to its Civil War Dead."(268)
ReplyDeleteI do not think the Civil War could have been avoided. I think it was a mistake and it was fatal, however we have to learn from our mistakes. This war was going to happen whether we wanted it to or not. Ideas were conflicting and fighting was the way to settle it. Back then, there was no other way. The Civil Wr was a huge step in history and it could not have been avoided.
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ReplyDelete“They had lost their own lives as they had understood them before the war. As Lucy Buck of Virginia observed, ‘We shall never any of us be the same as we have been’”. [268] The nation was transformed in three ways: religion was under question “Where did God belong in such a world? How could a benevolent deity countenance such cruelty and such suffering? Doubt threatened to overpower faith…” [267]
ReplyDeleteThe value of one life was set at a new price “The living searched in anxiety and even ‘phrensy’ to provide endings for life narratives that stood incomplete, their meanings undefined”. [267] and the value of holding the nation together became greater than it had ever been before. “The war’s staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny, one designed to ensure that lives had been sacrificed for appropriately lofty ends”. [268]
For the purpose of keeping the nation together, I do not think that the civil war could have been avoided. For the purpose of peace, I believe that it could have. If the North had just let the South secede, there may not have been a war, however, as President Lincoln stated “a house divided against itself cannot stand”. http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/house.htm
Response to Jamie Baumgarten
ReplyDeleteI agree with the point that Jamie made that our nation became stronger because of the Civil War. “We are a strong nation. After the Civil War, we became stronger”. The North and the South were united once again. “assumptions of racial hierarchy would unite whites North and South in a century-long abandonment of the emancipationist legacy”. [268] Though the nation was not quite ready for racial equality, the North and the South were united and a century later, all races would be united. The civil war was a big step in U.S. history and provided a growing opportunity. We have learned our lesson well. The only way that we as a nation would be able to unite against our enemies was to unite ourselves. Sadly it took a Civil War, but we learned from it and continued pressing forward.
Obviously, after the Civil War, the United States as a nation was transformed forever. The first main transformation was the fact that there were so many dead. “More than 2% of the nation’s inhabitants were dead as a direct result of the war-the approximate equivalent of the population in 1860 of the state of Maine…” [pg.266] Many families were either broken apart, or ruined all together. Another direct result of the war, was that slavery had been abolished. Everyone was free, and the nation became stronger because the Union and the Confederates were no longer in conflict. Everyone could go anywhere that they wanted. Slaves were free everywhere, not just north of the Mason-Dixon Line. And the most important thing was the United States could work together again. It was a whole nation, instead of practically two countries.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, there was no chance that the United States could have ever avoided the Civil War. The Union and the Confederates were always fighting about something, and then there was the fact that slaves were being killed, beaten, and being overworked on a daily basis. Slavery could not have gone on into the future. A Civil War was bound to happen sooner or later. Even if the United States could have dodged a Civil War in the 1860’s, it was going to happen in the future. There was too much fighting between the North and South. There was no way around the American Civil War.
The Civil War transformed the nation by making it more united. Although the South hated the North I think that losing as many good men as both sides did that united us. We both lost loved ones and can bring our loses together and can understand each others anger. I think that if we had tried to talk it out and had been cooperative with each other we eventually could have found a solution that didn't consist of war and bloodshed.
ReplyDeleteResponse to McKenzie Hamilton
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. However, if the south had seceded, the war still would have happened, it would have been later though. I think no matter what, the war would have happened eventually. It was a necessary step in history. The war changed our nation for the better and we are stronger because of it. The war was huge and it killed many, however it was going to happen one way or another.
“And the living had been changed too, by what they had seen and done, what they had felt, and what they had lost. They were … ‘sentenced to life’ and to making sense of how Civil War death had redefined what life might be.” (p. 267) The families of the fallen would be permanently changed, due to the loss of a loved one. The survivors of the war would also likely be scarred for life after the horrific things they had seen. The war also transformed the people’s faith: “Doubt threatened to overpower faith – faith in the Christian narrative of a compassionate divinity and a hope of life beyond the grave, faith in the intelligibility and purpose of life on earth.” (p.267) The war also changed the nation as a whole. “The war’s staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny, one designed to ensure that lives had been sacrificed for appropriately lofty ends.” (p. 268) The nation also began to honor the dead more effectively after the war. National cemeteries, pensions, and records of the dead “involved a new understanding of the relationship of the citizen and the state.” (p.268)
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War could have been avoided, at least temporarily. The simple opposite of war is peace (talking). However, I do not think this would work in the end. When people feel very strongly about something, they are likely to take action, and not sit back and wait for something to happen. The North’s desire for abolition and preservation and the South’s need of slaves to preserve lifestyle and economy could only coexist peacefully for so long.
“But the fallen had solved the riddle of death, leaving to the survivors the work of understanding and explaining what this great change had meant. And the living had been changed too, by what they had seen and done, what they had felt, and what they had lost. They were, like Bierce, “sentenced to life” and to making sense of how Civil War death had redefined what life might be (267).” Through the experience and passage of death our country was transformed and changed. It united our country both literally and spiritually through the dead making them reconsider what life really was and what it meant. The war also brought doubt to their religious beliefs. Although God was questioned by many people in the South it served to strengthen their Christian faith. Freedom also came as change to our country. After hundreds of years of slavery liberation had finally come to the African Americans. Among other changes, death was redefined and thoroughly considered. “Death without dignity, without decency, without identity imperiled the meaning of the life that preceded it. Americans had not just lost the dead; they had lost their own lives as they had understood them before the war (268).” Overall the dead had affected the living far greater than the living affected the dead. An age of respect for the dead as well as for the living was created. Proper burial had grown to be of great significance as well as new humanity and the value of life.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Civil War could never have been avoided. The issue of slavery and moral values could never had been avoided or solved peacefully. The conflicting values and thoughts of both the North and South could only have been resolved through violence and fighting. Even if it did not happen when it did and circumstances were different it would still have eventually happened, though the outcome may have been different. The opposing thoughts of anti-slavery and a slave based society could never exist long together.
In response to Jamie B:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jamie that even if the North did allow the South to succeed, war between them would have been inevitable. Their conflicting ideas of anti-slavery and the South’s style of life based on slavery would never allow peace. I also agree with your statement, “It was a necessary step in history.” Human nature wouldn’t allow this relationship to last and one side would eventually give in to fighting. Without war our country wouldn’t have been united and our country’s great accomplishments wouldn’t have happened. The outcome of the future events could have changed as a result not only affecting us but the majority of the world. Together we stand, divided we fall.
We as a nation have built something truly remarkable we have been through so much and so far survived everything. People have fought and given their lives in order to make a point. The Civil War was a tragedy for a nation to fight each other we were tearing a part something that should have meant a lot to us. I felt that the civil war didn't make a stronger in many ways it made a smarter. After the war we were all probably hitting our selves for how stupid and childish we acted. Someone doesn't like what your doing suck it up and stop it. Slavery was horrible it never was OK and the South knew it, but why should they have to give up something they (in some ways) liked? They thought like children. We as a nation acted like children. I felt that the war could have been avoided if not only the South quit with being in charge but also the North. Everyone wants what they want to happen and if they don't get it, people through fits. "Its not fare" we say and it ends up in a fight. Do you remember the playground, when you wanted to play tag and someone else wanted to play hide and go seek? A fight would occur and friends would be divided and people would sometimes get hurt. Its just like that but, these were men. Why did grown men act in such a way that got others killed? Why did men act like they were five again? This war could have been avoided. Slavery is horrible but, the South just wanted it they didn't care what the North thought, and because they couldn't solve this problem with out violence people died.
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ReplyDeleteI response to Tanner.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with you when you said "Without war our country wouldn’t have been united and our country’s great accomplishments wouldn’t have happened." How does a war make anything stronger? Doesn't it weaken a person? War has always made a person depresses some insane and many end up dead. War is a way of killing off a human and when your killing someone how can you make anything stronger? This war cause not only neighbors to fight but even families. When a family fights just normally and it a really big fight sometimes that family doesn't talk to each other for years. Thats not making anything stronger. During the war brothers, fathers, and sons fought against each other that's destroying a house and nation everything. how can destroying something as big as love for each other make any other person stronger?
The Civil war transformed our nation into what we know it to be now, one of the most if not the most powerful countries in the entire world. Directly after every war there is a period of shock and remorse for those who had died. This was true after the Civil War. "More than two percent of the nation's inhabitants were dead as a direct result of the war."(266) this is a huge number and during that time that number was equal to the population of whole states. This I believe led to our nation becoming stronger. In respect to all of the fallen soldiers it was said, "The war's staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny, one designed to ensure that lives had been sacrificed for appropriately lofty ends." This is very important because it reinforced that even though they have different political views it was in the people's and the nation's best interest to just get along. Now it is not as extreme but we have Democrats and Republicans that may disagree politically but are still able to work together to build our country to where it is today. With both the North and the South being so close, no the war could not have been avoided. It was bound to happen and throughout history neighboring states or nations have always been fighting against each other. I believe without the civil war we would today not be the UNITED states.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Austin:
ReplyDeleteYou said, "Slaves were free everywhere, not just north of the Mason-Dixon Line." This was a great point that made me think of something. There were tens of thousands of slaves during and before the Civil War. These slaves worked for just their owner and nobody else within their community and country. Now that they were set free they were allowed to get jobs, make money, and raise a family. This helped with our whole economic situation. The more people you have, the more labor you will be able to receive. More workers made better trade objects that brought our nation to where it is now. Without slaves our country now would not be the same.
The Civil War left a huge scar on this nation. “More than 2 percent...were dead as a direct result of the war,” (pg 266) more than “twice the entire population of Vermont,” (pg 266). That by no means, however, was the only change in the United States. “What they had done, what they had felt, and what they had lost...redefined what life [in the postwar United States] might be,” (pg 267). “Challenged notions of unity and integrity,” (pg 268) swept the nation. After the final shots were fired and the nation was reunited, there became “a new sense of national destiny,” (pg 268). Borders were forever changed, a new era of debate about civil rights had emerged, and America’s future looked bright. Before South Carolina’s secession, I think that it would have been possible to avoid the Civil War. Although the nation was still in it’s earlier stages, I still think that there were plenty of signs that not everything was going to go well, and I think there were many opportunities to turn it around. However, once South Carolina seceded on Christmas Eve of 1860, there was no going back. There would be blood, and lots of it. The United States would not be as strong without its sheer size, and that was the major eye-opener that many politicians, citizens, and governing agencies wouldn’t take lightly.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War transformed the nation by giving it unity and responsibility. “And both the unity and responsibilities of this transformed nation were closely tied to its Civil War dead (268).” Of course the war could have been avoided; it was a conscious decision to go to war, when the decision could have been not to go to war. The question is should the war have been avoided? No. If there had not been a war, then there might have still been a Union and Confederacy, there might have been slavery, and there might have been hatred for each other in the same country.
ReplyDeleteThe post-Civil War nation was "transformed by its encounter with death." The new nation was overwhelmed with grief and loss for the time. After this period passed, however, the United States were stronger and more united than ever. Although initially there was still emnity between the North and the South, the country grew stronger in the long run. The nation would be very different today had the Civil War not occurred. I think that it was difficult, though possible to avoid the Civil War. The Civil War was caused when the South did not feel that they had enough of a say in what happened in their own country. The North was more populated, and therefore had more votes in Congress. With the majority of government officials being from the North, the South felt excluded in what was happening in their own country. Their new president, Abraham Lincoln, was not even on the ballot in the deep South and strongly disagreed with slavery, which was an essential part of the South's economy. Several attemts were made by the South to save the Union through compromises and Constitutional ammendments, yet all of these were rejected by the Senate. In my opinion, if the North really wanted to save the Union, they were not doing a very good job. After all, how would fighting the South make them want to rejoin their ememies. It seems that all the North was doing was stirring up more hatred in its citizens for the South.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Stephanie:
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely right when you say "Of course the war could have been avoided...The question is should the war have been avoided?" There is always a way to avoid war, but sometimes it involves making moral compromises that people should not be willing to make. Had the Civil War not happened, there could easily still be slavery in the United States today. If a cause is worthy enough that men are willing to lay down their life for it, then fighting for it is the only option. Securing the United States as one nation, united indeed, was a noble cause, as was the abolition of slavery. If the Civil War was not fought, our nation could have become more of a mess than it is today. For this reason, I believe that the Civil War was fought with good reason and was necessary in the developement of our nation.
Things were different after the Civil War. “The war’s staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny.” (268) People believed after the war that the destiny of America was to expand west and it was important to do so because they believed it honored the soldiers that lost their lives during the war. The country had suffered enough and it was time for it to move on to bigger things. However it brought up new problems. Even though the slaves had been released they still were not granted equal rights with the whites. This would become a problem for a large part of America’s history to come. After the war many people questioned if the war could have been avoided. I believe there are things that could have postponed the war. If President Lincoln was not elected the South may have held on longer. But the two sides didn’t see eye to eye. I think the war would have broken out eventually. We gained valuable lessons from the Civil War and I think if something like this happened again we would handle it differently knowing what the outcome was last time. However at the time I don’t think there was a way of avoiding the Civil War.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Jamie B:
ReplyDeleteI agree that “Ideas were conflicting and fighting was the way to settle it. Back then, there was no other way.” I still think that there is no other way; conflicting and fighting is the only way there ever has been and ever will be to settle differences on such a large scale. I disagree, however, that the Civil War “was a mistake.” I think that it was one of the best things that could’ve happened for this country in the long term. The Civil War was what made the United States question their motives. It changed civil rights cases around the world. It made other countries think twice before messing with a country that can manage to kill 600,000 of their own citizens within a couple of years. It spawned the creation of a new political era of structure and strength which made the United States the strongest country that it is today.
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ReplyDeleteResponse to Michelle:
ReplyDeleteIn your post you say the war didn’t make us stronger, but instead it made us smarter, but why didn’t it do both? We learned many lessons from the war, which did make us smarter, and as an effect of the knowledge we gained I also think it made us stronger. Learning that a byproduct of huge death tolls is the loss of individuality for each death, seems to have made us stronger because now a top priority in our wars is recovering and honoring each body. I also think that your idea that these men acted like children is a little off. You make it sound like these men got into a fight, and then decided to kill each other for no reason. You have to remember that this war was fought over a disagreement of two different ways of life, and if there’s one thing people take defense to it’s their way of life. These men did not act like they were five again, they felt their way of life was threatened, and decided to do something about it. Don’t get me wrong I also think the war could’ve been avoided if both sides put the effort into doing so, but I don’t think those men that fought had similar motives to those of a five-year-old.
The war created both short-term and long-term effects which both aided each other in transforming the nation. Civil War survivors, and citizens at the time, felt the short-term effects and “lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss.” (266) According to Faust “Americans had not just lost the dead; they had lost their own lives as they understood them before the war.” (268) Because of seeing so much death, and watching the individuality being removed from death, many Americans found themselves lost in shock of what had happened. Today we see the long-term effects in our similar struggle “to understand how to preserve our humanity and our selves.” (271) In addition after the war new policies were created that “led to today’s commitment to identify and return every soldier killed in the line of duty.” (271) The Civil War transformed our nation by showing us the possibility of huge death tolls, and that individuality can be lost in a person’s death sometimes. I don’t know if the Civil War could have been avoided altogether, but I do think both sides could’ve put a better effort into avoiding what did happen. It seemed right as things turned sour for the South, and their way of life, their first thought was secession, not negotiating or solving the problem politically. Then in return the Union’s first response to the South’s secession was war, not a peaceful attempt to lure them back in. I think avoiding the war solely relied on how much effort both sides put in to make it work, I think if both sides really put in the effort to stay together a war could’ve been avoided, but as result of little effort a war did occur.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War in the end brought the North and the South back together and most importantly, set the slaves free. That's what changed our nation. If the South had one and seperated from the Union, we would be living in two different countries and who knows what would have happened after that. Would we be getting along with the South? Would they still have slaves? Could there have been more fights and wars between the North and the South? Who knows. Although, I'm not completely sure it could have been avoided. Even if we had tried to avoid it by compromise or something, we probably eventually would have come back around to war since both sides believed strongly in what they believed in.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Jordyn V:
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with your assessment that the war probably couldn't have been avoided, at least for long, I;m not sure that I agree with your statement that "If President Lincoln was not elected the South may have held on longer." I don't think it was the election of Abraham Lincoln that broke the camel's back, so to speak, but I think it was what he did as President that may have shaken the South. He was a fairly radical thinker for that time in history, as well as an abolitionist, which the South didn't like. But there were other reasons that the South seceded, and eventually started a war, and it wasn't all to do with Lincoln.
Response to Evan,
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your statement that the Civil War changed the nation into what we know today. There are many things like technological breakthroughs and many other major events that slowly transformed the nation into what we know today. The Civil War was obviously important but certainly did not solely change the nation into what we know today.
This nation was transformed by the Civil War because of how much we had gone through. The people had changed and the nation had changed. "The war's staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny." (pg. 268) After the war our views had changed and the purpose of life and the now sacred view on it was stronger. "So much suffering had to have transcendent purpose, a 'sacred significance,' as Fredrick Douglas," (pg. 268) a former slave, had put it. The biggest change that had come about the nation was that slavery was no longer. The nation was not split up anymore and there was somewhat a sense of peace. "Slavery had divided the nation, but assumptions of racial hierarchy would unite whites North and South in a century-long abandonment of the emancipationist legacy." (pg. 268)
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War forever changed America, as i view, in a positive stand point. There was no way around the Civil War. Our country made a mistake and we learned from it. It is a good thing the Civil War was not avoided, otherwise we would probably still have many conflicts throughout our country.
The Civil War definitely changed the nation. Most importantly, the war led to the ultimate abolition of slavery. This forever changed the status and power of African Americans. For example, now we have an African American president. The issue of slavery had been going on since America's beginning. Many compromises had been made to prevent conflict over slavery. Violent conflicts still took place in neutral areas such as Kansas. Compromises only solved the slavery problem temporarily so war became inevitable. That is why I think the Civil War could have not been avoided.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War also led to expansion. After the war, there was lots of open land in the West that could be settled for cheap. This often caused clashes with Indian tribes. The Civil War was a very important event that forever changed America's history.
Without the Civil War, our country would be completely different then it is today. “Americans had not just lost the dead; they had lost their own lives as they had understood them before the war.” (268) Because more than 2 percent of Americans died, the nation forever transformed. “Civil War Americans lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss.” (266) Death destroyed families and forever altered them. Another transformation was the freedom of slaves. “Slavery divided the nation…” (268) but with the abolishment of it, the nation became stronger, even though blacks would still not be treated equally by “racial hierarchy…whites [of the] North and South.” (268) After the war, the nation was no longer split therefore making it stronger. “The United States’ new elevated destiny became bound up with the nation itself: its growing power, its wealth, its extent, its influence.” (268) I don’t believe the Civil War could have been avoided. The nation was slowly dividing in the nineteenth century and it was just a matter of time before some conflict (war) would occur between the North and South. The North was about keeping everyone together whereas the South was about having their own freedom and own country. But, there was no negotiating from either side to try and make each other happy. Because of this war occurred and forever changed our country, for the better.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Orion:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. One of the most important outcome from the war was the abolishment of slavery. “This forever changed the status and power of African Americans.” I completely agree. Without the war, we may not have Obama as our president. You said, “Compromises only solved the slavery problem temporarily so war became inevitable.” You also talked about the expansion of America because of the Civil War. The war helped Americans’ want to expand which overall benefited our country.
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ReplyDelete“The living had been changed too, by what they had seen and done, what they had felt, and what they had lost”(267). The nation was transformed by loss, Americans doubted for the first time things they had known to be true. Faith in God was challenged as was the goodness of man, for man, “had shown himself far closer to the beasts than to the angels”(267). The Civil War taught the Americans, the losses that came with war and as a result, new ideas were presented to make the losses of war as painless as possible. “The Civil war ... led to today’s commitment to identify and return every soldier killed in the line of duty.” (271)
ReplyDeleteI personally think that the Civil war could have been avoided; the North didn’t really understand how different it was becoming from the South. To have been prevented the nation would have had to notice how different the North and South was getting to be. If these differences would have been noticed earlier before blood began to boil, the whole thing could have been avoided The South was more agriculture and the North was more of an industrialized, and the North overpopulating the South was getting the benefits of the laws being passed at the time. But by this time I think the differences were far to great to overcome, and the war would have then become unavoidable. It would have been difficult but not impossible to altogether avoid the Civil War.
In Response to Kaylie:
ReplyDeleteI too believe the war could have been avoided. Your question, “how would fighting the South make them want to rejoin their enemies?” was intriguing, and I am not sure of the answer but it did make me wonder about the south’s feelings towards the north even today. I completely agree with your response, the Civil war could have been avoided if the north would have paid more attention to the south’s needs.
"Civil War Americans lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss." The Civil War transformed the United States from a vibrant, lively nation, to a nation shrouded in death, destruction, and grief. "The nation was a survivor...transformed by its encounter with death..." Most of, if not all of, the nation was in mourning after the Civil War. every single death of a soldier affected many people, and so many died that it affected the entire country. The US learned how to mourn and how to honor the dead. National cemeteries were built, monuments constructed, government money was given to the families of soldiers; the nation acquired a new way to look at the destruction and devastation caused by a war of such magnitude.
ReplyDeleteI think that war was unavoidable. It may have been postponed a few months, or maybe even a year or two, but the tension between the North and the South was building so rapidly that it would have come eventually. The election of Lincoln may not have helped the situation between North and South, but the tension that had been building for years, especially over the topic of slavery, was bound to give somewhere, sometime. When the South seceded it was only a matter of time before the war broke out. It was unavoidable.
In response to Tanner H:
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Tanner’s statement here, “Through the experience and passage of death our country was transformed and changed. It united our country both literally and spiritually through the dead making them reconsider what life really was and what it meant. The war also brought doubt to their religious beliefs. Although God was questioned by many people in the South it served to strengthen their Christian faith. Freedom also came as change to our country.” Tanner makes an excellent point in the quote above. Even though the country suffered great losses after the Civil War, it also became a stronger and more considerate nation afterwards. Many people started realizing that death was a real possibility even after the war. Family members of the fallen, in my opinion started to realize that life was a precious thing, and not to take it for granted since so many people had fallen around them. People started to be a bit more understanding to everyone as the United States tried to rebuild after one of the largest disasters in its history.
The Civil War transformed the nation. Through death, turmoil and destruction our country was united. Although faith was questioned in the South our faith was stregthened as a nation. Though so much blood was sheed I think it was necessary in order for the North and the South to come together and allow the slaves to be free.
ReplyDeleteBut even as the Civil War brought new humanity-new attentivenesss to "sentiment"- in the management of death, so too it introduced a level of carnage that foreshadowed the wars of the century to come. (pg.271)
I do not believe that the war could have been avoided the tension between the North and the South was building at an alarming rate. Without the Civil War we would still be in many conflicts over slavery, land and many other things the Civil War ended this.
In response to Brenna H
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with you. I don’t think the war could have been avoided. The differences between the North and the South were pretty much the cause of the war. Even if we had seen it earlier there was no way the South was going to come to an agreement with the North. I don’t think we could have got past how different the two sides were enough to stay a country. There is no question that the Civil War was costly and an absolute bloody mess. But I do not see a way it could have been avoided. We would have kept having the same problems until it led to what occurred.
The Civil War changed America. Not only did the vastness stun the nation, "more than two percent of the nation's inhabitants were dead," (266 pg) but this showed the end of slavery. The war showed the really meaning of freedom. This was the start of America's progress. After the war civil rights movements started to occur like rights for blacks and women. Americans also took on Bushnell's of expansion. Americans took over the rest of the country.
ReplyDeleteWith out the war America wouldn't be what it is today. I also believe that there was no avoiding the war. Slavery was a major issue and it needed to be settled.
In response to Brenna:
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you. There was no for the war to be avoided. You said, "If the North would have paid more attention to the South’s needs," the war would have been avoided. It was the South that started the war not the North. The South left the Union and showed hostility towards the North. The South didn't have needs. The south wasn't willing to compromise with the North. How could the war been avoided when the South and North had such tension between themselves?
The Civil War transformed the nation in more ways then we realize. Many lives were lost, and that was an awful time for America. But, if anything the Civil War has only made the United States stronger. "But the fallen had solved the riddle of death, leaving survivors the work of understanding and explaning what this great change had meant." (pg.267) The Civil War had taught a deeper understanding of life entirely. This changed morals and made Christians question their faith, "Where did God belong in such a world?" (pg.267) Man was now at war with itself, constantly wondering how the world could be so corrupt. The war could definetly not have been avoidable, this war gave America the fresh start it needed. It gave freedom to all. So much suffering had a purpose and the purpose was to Fredrick Douglass freedom, slavery had divided the nation. So with that out of the way, we could move on to become something bigger as a whole. Who knows what would've become of our nation if it werent for this new beginning? All I can say is that it is impossible for us to come to an understanding of the magnitude of sorrow that was caused by the Civil War, but we can be sure that no soldier died without a purpose and because of it we are a stronger nation.
ReplyDeleteIn response to David White:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the war was unavoidable and that slavery needed to be faced or it could've been disaterous to our nation. I also think that America grew from this experience and was only able to move forward with slavery gone. The Civil War did help to lead America in the right direction with the Civil Rights Movements following the war.
I think this chapter is titled appropriately as "Surviving". The Civil War transformed our nation in many ways, but most importantly it taught us to survive. We learned that no matter how tough things get, even when we are fighting amongst ourselves, we continue on. The tremendous losses that our nation suffered taught us to deal with the harsh reality of death, and to move on from it. "The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead. The war's staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny, one designed to ensure that lives had been sacrificed for appropriately lofty ends" (268). Our country had no choice but to move forward from such tragedy and not only ensure that it would not happen again, but also see to it that those who died did not die in vain. We learned as a nation to grieve, unite, survive, and move forward.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War could have been avoided, but nothing good would have come of it. President Lincoln could have simply let the South secede. He didn't have to hold the Union together. But he did, and the only way to do it was through war. We are a greater, stronger nation today because of the Civil War; it was tragic, but absolutely necessary.
In response to Sam:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that the Civil War brought about a "new beginning" for our nation. The North and South had such irreconcilable differences that they had to destroy all ties they had with each other and start over completely. The conflict was unavoidable, and the war was inevitable, but in the end both helped to create a stronger nation.
The Civil War transformed the nation by doing a lot of different things. It sort of put the nation in shock of how many soldiers died. "Neither side could have imagined the magnitude and length of the conflict that unfolded, nor the death tolls that proved its terrible cost" stated on page three. The Civil War taught the nation a lot of things including about life and death. The Civil War also impacted the nation by out lawing slavery which was a huge deal. I do not think that the Civil War could have been avoided because the conflict between the North and the South was serious and very controversial. If the Civil War would have been avoided then there might still be slaves.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Brenna:
ReplyDeleteYou are right. I do not think that the Civil War would have been impossible to avoid. Yet I think that the Civil War was bound to happen and that although it was not impossible, it was very unavoidable. The North and the South were in serious conflct over an extremely controversial issue. Although I see where you are coming from, I have a little bit of a different view and that is that the war was way more unavoidable than avoidable.
The Civil War transformed the nation through the "countless dead" that the country was now all about. So many lives were lost, and so many people were grieving and in shock about the war that it was said that war had created a "world of death" pg. 271. "Civil War Americans lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss" pg. 266. The country was trying to figure out how deaths in the war had changed lives now that more than 2% of citizens were dead, and a lot of these deceased were unidentified, making it all the more worse for people. Faith now threatened to be in the shadow of doubt because of this, and it might just have been. But despite all of this, "an expanded nation- state with new powers and duties emerged" (pg. 268) because of "the human price paid for its survival" pg. 268. People believed that this tragedy brought on a new destiny for the nation- the loss of thousands of soldiers was thought to have a reason, and it brought new meaning to the USA. Also, the relationship between government and the people was seen in a new light because of the dead and also the survivors.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that the Civil War could have been avoided because of the tension created by slavery. The South wanted slavery for their economy and labor. But the North believed it was wrong. Although the war was a very horrible event, good did come out of it believe it or not. The country is still whole and has become a very strong nation.
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ReplyDeleteResponse to Justine-
ReplyDeleteGood point in saying that there might still be slavery if the Civil War had not happened. The war was what did stop slavery. But, in today's world, I don't think slavery would be tolerated at all, especially with the Constitution and people who get technical about it. Although there is the possibility that slavery might still exist, a different war might have broken out about the issue. But, I think that my point is, either way there isn't slavery today thanks to the Civil War.
hank hammond
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War transformed this nation because it brought us back to the unity that was installed when fought in the Revolutionary War. There was a sense of pride that this nation had unique from all other nations. We were falling apart for something that was more important to the southerners as nation than simply being part of a nation. A lifestyle. We were falling down and loosing our status as the America we used to be. This Civil War had every means necessary to do what it had done. The preservation of the union was Abraham Lincoln's greatest concern. He was not siding with anyone, had no opinions, on the matter at hand, just to do what every great president has done. Preserve the country with any means necessary. This is why I think that the American Civil War was at all means necessary from beginning to end.
hank hammond
ReplyDeleteIn response to Justine
I agree with you that civil war was an issue that needed to be taken of. Yet you must realize that while slavery was thee background of where the Civil War got started, the preservation of the Union war in the best interest of the country, so this is the real reason that America went to the war with the south. As Abraham Lincoln was the president, he directly stated that the preservation of the union is what we were truly fighting for.
The Civil War transformed America through loss but also through survival. People from both the North and the South were devastated by the many lives that were lost and were focused on mainly burying the dead. However, "The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead." (page 268) Americans had to believe that the soldiers that had died had sacrificed themselves for the good of their country or rights. Therefore, it showed that these soldiers were helping with the survival of a strong nation or the survival of a budding one. The war united both sides because it demonstrated how difficult it was for both sides to hold up countries without the support of the other. I don't necessarily feel that the war was a great thing, for example the North could have allowed the South to secede, and therefore separate a strong nation. However, they didn't and an even stronger country came out of it. The war made us both stronger and wiser for future issues to come, and bettered the United States in the end.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ben Grote:
ReplyDeleteIn your response to Michelle I liked that you mentioned that the men were fighting for a better way of life on both sides. They weren't just fighting for no reason as if they were five year olds. You explained,"These men did not act like they were five again, they felt their way of life was threatened, and decided to do something about it. Don’t get me wrong I also think the war could’ve been avoided if both sides put the effort into doing so, but I don’t think those men that fought had similar motives to those of a five-year-old." Yes, the war could have been avoided if compromises were made, however when your beliefs are being ignored or threatened you want to fight for them. The war was a way for both the North and the South to realize that compromises were needed to be made, and like you explained Ben, it made us both smarter and stronger.
The Civil War transformed the nation in many ways. People and how they lived changed knowing that many of them had lost loved ones. “The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of the dead.” (268). Right after the war, the North and the South’s relationship was strained. Eventually, however, the war caused the two sides to unify since they all experienced death. The war also caused people to understand how citizens and states related. The Civil War helped to establish war efforts in naming, burying, and the management of death.
ReplyDeleteI think that the war could not have been avoided. Both sides were very stubborn on what they wanted. The South wanted slavery and the North wanted liberty. Both sides could have tried to compromise, but they both wanted major things that were opposites. Although, if it was avoided our nation would be dramatically different today. We possibly wouldn’t even have a nation and the South could still have slavery today. I can’t imagine our nation different than it is today, and even though the Civil War killed over 600,000 people, it brought our nation to what it is today.
In Response to Sophia:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. The war was not a great thing as it killed so many and hurt many more. The war united both sides through death and a stronger country was built. The war did make us stronger in future wars and made us stronger as a nation. I agree that the North could have allowed the South to secede, but slavery would have continued and the war allowed the people to be free. Like I said in my original post, I cannot imagine a different nation than what we are fortunate enough to have today.
In response to Kaylie:
ReplyDeleteI understand how you might feel when you said, "...if the North really wanted to save the Union, they were not doing a very good job." However, I believe the North did a great job in saving the Union. If the Civil War had not happened, who knows what might have happened. The North and South could still be split up, or there might still be slavery happening. If the Civil War was avoided, how would we have handled compromises and solving conflicts. Overall, the Civil War was an important part of our nation's history and it is the foundation of the abolition of slavery.
In response to Abbey:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement, “The Civil War transformed our nation in many ways, but most importantly it taught us to survive.” A war with a scale as large as the Civil War is bound to have an impact on the nation and its people. After the end of the war, people had to learn to deal with death(s) in the family and with their sorrow. I also agree that “Our country had no choice but to move forward from such tragedy and not only ensure that it would not happen again, but also see to it that those who died did not die in vain. We learned as a nation to grieve, unite, survive, and move forward.” After hundreds of thousands of deaths, the only way to go is forward. The South particularly needed some reason as assurance that their soldiers did not die in vain. Uniting and expanding seemed to be the answer at the time.
In reality, I do not think that this war could of been avoided. I think this because the South had many issues with the North, due too their customs/beliefs and efforts to keep slavery apart of everyday life. An example of a issue that really triggered the Civil War was a states right to choose what that state was going to do. Another huge issue was once again; Slavery. The South wanted to continue the act of slavery, while the North was against it. Putting two-and-two together, it triggered the Civil War. Even though Abraham Lincoln was against slavery, their was not anything he could do to stop the war. The congress did not know how to dispose the territories of free states, free territories, slave states and exported slave states, which made it a difficult issue.
ReplyDeleteBaumgarten,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. The war would have happened eventually. The Civil War was just one of those things that really could not have been discussed or worked out without further actions being taken. If the South would have succeeded, then the act of slavery would have still been in existence.
The war transformed our nation by writing a step in history of freeing slaves/the act of slavery in the United States being illegal. The Emancipation Proclamation which stated that "All slaves in rebellious areas, shall be set free", was a major step in history that Abraham Lincoln wrote to transform our country, giving everyone the right of freedom. The North's goal was to preserve the Union and prevent the secession of the South, and they succeeded. "The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead. The war's staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny, one designed to ensure that lives had been sacrificed for appropriately lofty ends" (pg. 268)
The civil war transformed our nation by freeing the African American slaves. I don't think the civil war could have been avoided. When two sides disagree on an issue as big as slavery, and believe as strongly about it as the Union and the Confederacy did, war can't really be avoided. I think it is important because if the war wouldn't have happened, we would still be split in half, based on what we thought about slavery. Although the war is terrible, there are times where it can't be avoided.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Sophia:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that although the war was a very hard thing, it made us a stronger nation in the long run. If we wouldn't have had the war, we would still be split in half, and we deffinitely we would not be as strong as we are now.
In response to Ben:
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Civil War couldnt have been avoided because like you said its very difficult to agree on anything when in the first place they disagreed on something so storng like Slavery. But i disagree that we would still be a seperated union because of the knowledge that we as citizens know and the knowledge that our government knows.
I think that the Civil War transformed the nation by proving that the ideals of democracy can remain strong throughout a war, and it also took America closer to equality for everyone. I don’t think the Civil War should have or could have been avoided. With two contradicting views and ideals, war was inevitable between the North and South. Of course, it would be preferable to resolve this dispute without violence, but this was next to impossible because neither side would give in to the other. The North felt like it could not let the South secede because it would divide the nation and prove that democracy will fail. And the South felt like it could no longer be part of the Union.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Abbey Borchers
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that the Civil War could have been avoided, but it would have been bad for the nation. Unfortunately, many people had to die to keep the nation together. It’s sad, but totally unavoidable if we are to have the same America that we have today.
The civil war started all of the equal rights movements and shaped america into what it is to day. It probably could have been avoid but not many people will just give up their life style without a fight. It would have been nice if the south would have given up slavery with out a fight but one way or the other it was ended.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Steven,
ReplyDeleteI agree that with the north and south's contradicting views the war couldn't have been avoided or there would not be a United States of America or it would be ones with slavery. But the war was good for America thanks to the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers America is the greatest country i the world.
The Civil War transformed the nation in a few ways. “The Way's staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny.” (268) After the war, Americans believed it was there destiny to expand west. They thought it was a way to honor the soldiers that had fought in the war. Although it had also brought up new problems. Such as segregation. Even though the slaves were released they did nit have the same rights as everyone else. This then created a huge problem later on in history. Many wondered if the war could have been postponed or not happen at all. I believe that if Lincoln had not been elected the the war would have been postponed. since the north and the south had not seen eye to eye, then the war would have broken out eventually. It was a good lesson for our nation, and if it were to happen again, I believe we would be able to handle it differently. Since we know what happened last time.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jordyn V:
ReplyDeleteYour post was logical and put things in a better view for me. I liked how you summed it all up.
The civil war made us a stronger country by uniting the North and South. I honestly believe it could not have been avoided and if it was it was still bound to happen due to the south disagreeing with the north and the north being against slavery.
ReplyDeletein responce to ryan
ReplyDeletei agree with you that the war did make this country better and stronger.
I’m not convinced that the Civil War solved any of the differences between the North and the South, because one can still see a definite division between Northern and Southern cultures. The war did however teach us, as a nation, that since we have so many different peoples in our country that we were going to have to find a way to coexist (and not through war). So I guess that learning to deal with each others differences did help in putting up a united front to the rest of the world. I believe that the Civil War was inevitable. There were fundamental differences between the North and the South and it was only a matter of time until those differences were either ironed out or they found a way to live with each other. So maybe a "war" wasn’t necessary, but there was going to have to be some sort confrontation between the two sides.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the Civil War truly did transform the nation. The North and South had contentions before the war and still do up to this day. The difference is that most people are lots more tolerant today and less likely to give their life for a cause and so we life in peace. The cultures are still very separate. I believe that the freeing of the slaves was a transformation for the country. It set a precedent that our country was a place where everyone could live and the government would support their rights at any cost. I believe that the mass immigration in the early and late 20th century from all over the world were a result of the Civil War. Our government took action for peoples rights and people loved that. I do believe that the Civil War on such a huge scale could have been easily avoided. The people could have solved their differences civilly. Someone said during WWII that the right way to solve disputes would be to put the leaders in a cage and not let them out until they settled it.
ReplyDeleteJonah- in response to Garrett: I agree with everything you stated. As always your words flow to my mind. Well thats weird. I agree that there is still a cultural division today. I love the past teaching me things and so im very glad that we leaended to coexist without more war. Whenever war can be avoided it is a plus in my book.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War transformed the nation to become a stronger and more independent country. By having the war, it has united everybody in the United States. Although it had scarred our country forever, it had only resulted in a positive way by bringing all people together. The Civil War has also prepared ourselves for future, and what's to come. To my opinion, I do not think that the Civil War could've been avoided because both sides were not willing to cooperate. And even if the Civil War did not occur, the disagreements of both sides could not have been solved any other way.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Civil War brought the nation together under a banner of reconstruction and change. Page 268 notes that, "The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead." People learned and came together. The nation was stronger; united. And without the war, the Confederacy may be, to this day, its own country, preventing the U.S.A. as we know it from being created. Were slavery and succession not issues at the time, perhaps war could have been avoided. But, with the state of the country and the problems it faced, the U.S. only bettered from the experience. Those who were sacrificed bravely died for the bettering of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the future.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ryan Lynch,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the war promoted equality. And with the stubbornness of the South at the time, perhaps war was the only way. The war started the debate for where to draw the line for civil rights- a debate that still rages on, for as long as there is difference, there will be argument over it. We must just hope such a thing never again leads to war.
I believe that the civil war completely changed our country. If the civil war had never happened we could very possibly still have slaves. Who knows what would be. What if the South won the war? Our lives would be 100% different. This war was definitely not avoidable. This is because there were to many problems going on with the South's government. They were making people of a different race do work for them. This war was needed and even though hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives, this war was for the better.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jenna:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement for the most part. I believe that both sides were very stubborn and would not give up without a fight aka the Civil War.
In response to Jenna Hofmann,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your ideas about how the Civil War transformed the nation. The war had greatly affected the actions of all people. It had scarred the ones that experienced the times. It had also affected people that lived in the years afterwards by shaping the nation.
In response to Sofia:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the war was not a loss but a survival too. The country survived and survived strong, with the sacrifices of many, but what made the country what it is today. And helped the future concieve such a powerful movement that was a huge situation back then. But it also helped people know what to expect for wars like that.