Civil War and Reconstruction Essay Test

To what extent is it correct to say that the Civil War represented a Second American Revolution?
Whether the North did or not, the South certainly viewed itself as a separate country, fighting
for independence against a tyrannical government. The southern states were fighting to keep their
culture alive and to fix a government that they found to be broken. As a consequence, this was a war of
independence of the South, and a loss would mean losing their lifestyle, slaves, and possibly, their
rights. Even in this brief description of the Civil War, it is blatantly obvious that it closely mirrors the
American Revolution. The American Revolution and the American Civil War are essentially identical in
cause, situation, and to some degree, tactics.
One of the main reasons the parallel is often not seen, is that the victor writes history. The
American Revolution is told from the rebels point of view, while the Civil War is told from the
oppressive governments. Because of this, the Revolution is seen as a war for Freedom, while the Civil
War is seen as a war for slavery a somewhat true but very incomplete conclusion. Essentially,
however, the cause is the same. A separate part of a controlling nation wants more economic and
political freedom, so it rebels from the central government. Although this is a very simplified description
of the two wars, every part of it holds true for both conflicts, showing that the cause and overall
situation are highly similar.
In each conflict, the opposing sides used similar tactics as well. The Union and the British both
used their superior navies to suffocate their enemies, while the South and the Americans used defensive
warfare and defended their own territory. The revels also realized that they only had to hold off the
government until their enemies citizens grew tired of war and a truce was negotiated. Perhaps the most
important of the similarities however, is the South and Rebel Americas realization that then needed
foreign aid to win the war. Had the Confederates won Gettysburg just as Washingtons forces won at
Saratoga, then Britain and France may have joined in against the US, just as France did in the Revolution.
The tactics of both wars share astounding similarities, but key victories could not be attained by Lee as
they had been by Washington, assuring the Confederacys defeat.
The American Revolution and Civil War shared many similar attributes, the sole exception was
who ended up winning the war. Both sets of rebels fought for increased freedom and less government
mingling in the affairs. The North/England both fought to remain in control of the rebelling
colonies/states and to quell their respective rebellions. The Civil War was, in fact, a second American
Revolution, as it was a war for political and economic freedom.