A Recent Article I Wrote On... (*long post*)

[Poimen]

How The Civil War Changed America.

Nations, like people, are compromised of the influences they are reared under, the aspirations they esteem, and the ideals which they hold. They too are often torn by inner struggles and conflicting opinions which significantly shape their future. Such is the case with regard to the War Between the States. The American Civil War, and the issues that precipitated it, were the single most contributing factors in producing the America of today. Of the varied ways this combative division affected the country its most far reaching effect was at the core of national existence in regard to the role of federal government, the sovereignty of states, and recognition of the hypocrisy in proclaiming "liberty for all," except the Negro people. For better, for worse, America changed. Such is the path to maturity and adulthood, both for people, and for nations.

The intention of the founding fathers was to create a limited federal government which served essentially to administer the terms of the union, provide order for things necessary to its common good, and to be a platform for interconnectivity of the various states. The interruption caused by the civil war, and the climate fostering it, led to usurpation of the sovereign rights of the individual states by Washington. Since then it has gradually assumed more responsibility and authority in matters properly belonging to the states themselves. A precedent was set under the Lincoln administration leading to the bureaucratic blight and the ever increasing micromanagement by federal branches in modern America.

The nature of the union was originally more akin to a voluntary alliance of sovereign states. This is most clearly seen in the actual secession of various states from the Union which led to the conflict itself. Along with usurping authority was a denial by the federal government of the right of a state and its people to self rule and determination. The federalists' position was that a state, once in union, lost the right to withdraw from the union. This was in fact a rejection of State's sovereignty. It is interesting to note that the war that emancipated an enslaved people resulted in the oppression and occupation of another, the citizens of the Confederate States. This was a significant and marked change in the evolution towards modern America. The result was a more unified nation, a deeper singular identity shared by its citizens, and a stable base from which it progressed into the superpower it has become. However, this also permitted the imperialistic tendencies in government and global involvement so characteristic of today's U.S.A.

The noblest change the civil war effected was in forcing a people and culture that endeared freedom to admit their own hypocrisy in proclaiming "liberty for all" while conveniently withholding the same from those it enslaved. Slavery was the pet sin embraced by American life, both in the North and in the South. Though it was the issue that broke the proverbial camel's back, slavery was not the primary cause for the War Between the States. Even President Lincoln himself said if he could have saved the Union without freeing the slaves he would have done so. His aim and intention in raising arms against what became the Confederate States of America was to preserve, indeed restore the Union. For this cause Southerners referred to the war as the War of Northern Aggression. Though the issue of slavery was feigned for this war effort it was nevertheless a substantial issue preventing America from fully realizing the ideals it had espoused. Finally legal recognition was given to the plight of the slaves and to the violation of their divinely given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. America came to this realization and, whatever the motivation, corrected itself.

Because of the civil war America can now truthfully proclaim itself "the land of the free" without reservation or guile. Whatever may have been lost because of the bloody contest, much was gained from it. The changes this war forced America to make directly contributed to its crucial influence on the international swell in the belief of the equality of all peoples of the human race, liberty, and democratic principles. Regrettably, errors have been made in the life of the nation, some of which led to its own demise and rebirth during this tragic engagement. Yet, she has learned from and grown better because of them. This is how America has changed.

[KBevangelist]

Poimen,

I enjoy this article very much. Being a history buff myself and having an education based on history, your article was a great read.

KB