The Civil War: Second American Revolution or Costly Mistake?

October 6, 2004

The Civil War: Second American Revolution or Costly Mistake?

American Military University

HS 101, United States History to 1877

by James Landrith

It is commonly accepted that the Civil War was the most costly, bloody and senseless conflict in American history. At the root of the Civil War’s causes are several concepts that need discussion. Primary among the causes of this war were Northern trade abuses and the rising abolitionist movement. The Civil War tested this nation, the Constitution and the concepts of state’s rights to their very core.

Opposition to slavery was a major issue on the nation’s path to war with itself, but it was not the only issue. The growing abolitionist movement in the North was making headway in turning public opinion against the use of slave labor in the South. This was accomplished primarily through the use of the written word via books, stories and the firsthand accounts of escaped or freed slaves. Further, as the Southern economy began to falter, working-class Southerners and small business owners were also growing unhappy with the unfair competition of slave labor by large plantation owners. These reasons combined, however, were still not enough to drive the nation into open war upon itself.

The North’s use of punitive tariffs and unfair trade practices further alienated Southern states who felt under siege by the growing tide of anti-slavery sentiment. As the South grew more and more discontent with the North, the political battle between Lincoln and Douglas would prove to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. The possibility of a Northern president at a time when the South was feeling vulnerable was the beginning of chain of events that would lead to an incredible waste of human life and resources.

The Civil War tested the Constitution in several ways. First, it demonstrated that the federal government was capable of using military force against member states in order to preserve the Union. It is still debated today that such a use of force to compel membership in the Union is not a clear right granted it by the Constitution. The concept of “might makes right” seems closer to the truth of this matter.

The Bill of Rights to the Constitution was also tested by Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus, harassment of the media and open comment for dissenters. Also at issue, is the right of Southern states to secede from the Union without the full consent of those men and women residing within their borders. The unanswered question at issue is whether the federal government has the right to compel membership and whether Southern state governments had the right to secede from the Union in the first place.

The victory of the North seemed to put these uncomfortable questions to rest, but only by default via the victories General Grant. The larger philosophical questions remain unanswered. Further, the issue of slavery was resolved in the midst of all this bloodshed. Without the Civil War, it is likely that slavery would have persisted for several more decades until it was eventually outlawed region by region. As Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was done as a purely political move, not for moral reasons, it is easy to come to this conclusion.

In the end, the Civil War was a defining moment in American history. This is not a result of the larger questions surrounding the issue being settled, but more in the manner in which such questions were silenced. Such a dramatic regional secession is not likely to occur again, but we are still left with an unclear answer as to the rights of states to go their own way, and the rights of the federal government to compel continued membership. Grant’s prowess on the battlefield may have put the Civil War to rest, but the larger question of the rights of people to voluntarily leave the Union remain unanswered.

References

Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, Thomas A. Bailey. The American Pageant. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 2002.

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