Chapter 13 Civil War Analysis

The American Civil War was, arguably, the most important war in American history. Without the presence of African Americans and the ideologies of slavery, the civil war never would have happened. The Union believed that slavery was immoral, and the Confederates linked slavery to their prosperity. Regardless of this fact, at the outset of the war, it became evident that the war would be exclusively a white-man’s war. The fear of an African American revolution if they were armed seemed to be too great of a risk for either side to take, at least in the beginning. The war was successfully political in its attempts to exploit the emotions of men and women of American society and convince them that going to battle was best for the country, and even more so in its ‘freeing’ of the slaves from the south. Through the primary source documents in chapter 13, it becomes evident that the Civil War was an attempt by both sides to …show more content…
Thomas Freeman asked his brother to “consult some counsel in Relation to the Matter and see I a man could not sue for his Discharge and get his views on the Subject and let [Thomas] know immediately for [he] is tired of such treatment” (13.10). If an African American soldier did not like the orders that were given to them, “some white man will Give you a crack over the Head with his sword” (13.10).
In conclusion, the letters written from soldiers on both sides of the Revolutionary War show not only the political coercion that took place, but the military history of the war. The attempts to prevent slavery from expanding west lead to a political and moral impasse between the Union and the Confederacy. As each side became more desperate, innocent citizens were manipulated in an attempt to win the war. The long-lasting effects of the war make it one of the most politically revolutionary and important wars in the history of the United