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The American civil war 1861-1865

The wake of American consciousness can be dated back to the events of the civil war.

America was created as a result of the revolution of 1776-1783[CITATION McP03 \p 234 \t \l

1033 ]. On the other hand, the civil war of 1861-1865 determined the nature of the Americans as

a nation. The civil war clarified the definition of an American citizen and the whole United

States as a country.

History and Causes of the Civil War

The ultimate causes of the civil war are the subject of debate and controversy. However,

according to James McPherson, the civil war was initiated due to the difference between the free

and slave states over the sovereignty of the national government to prohibit slavery in territories

that were yet to become slaves. Abraham Lincoln become the first republican president by

winning the elections of 1860. Abraham Lincoln raised a platform which pledge to eradicate

slavery from the United States. As a form of rebellion, eleven southern states in favor of

slaveholding seceded and formed an independent nation, the Confederate States of

America[CITATION McP03 \p 311 \l 1033 ]. These states chose Jefferson Davis as their leader

and declared war on the remaining states of the country. Majority of Lincoln’s administration

and the North refused to recognize the legitimacy of the act, fearing it would result in the

discretization of the democracy. Consequently, the civil war was not a result of a single factor,
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rather multiple principalities caused the ignition of the war. The civil war clarified the purpose of

the United States of America as an individual country and a nation.

Outcomes of the Civil War

The creation of the United States of America left two questions unresolved, which were

settled through the civil war. Firstly, the war concluded the United States as an indivisible nation

with a supreme national government instead of dissolvable confederation of independent

states[CITATION McP00 \p 13 \l 1033 ]. Secondly, the war questioned founding declaration of

America, which stated that all men are created with an equal right to freedom and liberty. As a

result, it challenged its position as the largest slaveholding country in the world. In this respect,

emancipation was one of the most important outcomes of the war. Consequently, the civil war

determined the status of America as a united country with its nation formulated by free people.

Development of Central Government and the Nation

The civil war redefined the status of the United States as an indivisible nation with a

supreme national government. One of the underlying causes of the civil war was the division of

the country into two parts. However, after the civil war, it became extremely necessary to unify

the different states of American under a strong central national government. The Shay rebellion

following the civil war strengthened the need to create a strong central national government for

controlling domestic insurrections and confronting foreign threats[CITATION Pau92 \p 140 \l

1033 ]. Consequently, the grim economic conditions and political crises following the civil war

compelled the United States to form a strong central government. After the civil war, the loose

union of states solidified into a single entity and emerged as a united nation[CITATION

USD14 \p 25 \l 1033 ]. The post-war era was dominated by grim economic conditions, political
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instability, and poor social conditions. The American brought fundamental changes to their

political structure, social parameters, and economic development.

Conclusion

Although, the United States of America came into being after the revolution of 1776-

1783, however, the civil war of 1861-1865 reshaped the definition of the American country and

nation. For Americans, the civil war brought fundamental changes to the social, economic, and

political structure of the country. Mainly, the civil war clarified the role of federal government

and the status of an American citizen.

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Works Cited

McPherson, James. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, 1848-1865. London: Oxford

University Press, 2003. <http://ouleft.org/wp-content/uploads/Battle-Cry-of-

Freedom_The-Civil-War-Era.pdf>.

—. "What Caused the Civil War?" North & South: The Official Magazine of the Civil War

Society 15 January 2000: 12-22. Print. <https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/brief-

overview-american-civil-war>.

U.S Department of Interior National Park Service. Slavery: Cause and Catalyst of the Civil War.

Washinton, DC.: U.S Department of Interior National Park Service, 2014.

<https://www.nps.gov/shil/learn/historyculture/upload/slavery-brochure.pdf>.