Civil War: Outcomes, Decisions, and Historians' Perspectives - Essay Sample

Introduction

The civil war left a remarkable historical mark on the wellbeing and existence of the United States. The events of the civil war shaped the subsequent political, social, and economic journey of the country. Analysts have presented different opinions in favor of or against the outcomes of the civil war. The question that has lingered among historians is whether there is a possibility of different outcomes in case political decisions took a different turn during the civil war era. One of the historical concerns is the nature of outcomes if the Southern states had managed to secede from the Union. Secondly, the aftermath of the civil war shaped socioeconomic factors in the country, which affected the quest for equality. Thirdly, the effects of the war extended beyond the borders of the United States. This essay addresses these three key concerns to present a critical overview of the effects of the civil war in the United States and beyond and how present-day America could have been in the Southern states managed to secede from the Union.

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The South and the Union

A critical review of the civil war indicates how the primary accomplishments could be linked to emancipation as well as the preservation of the Union. The current achievements and the position of the United States in the global arena have been linked with the preservation of the Union. However, a significant number of commentators have attributed a different outcome if the Union did not remain consolidated. One of the key concerns is the possibility of the disintegration of the Union opening up the existence of two or more independent nations. Suppose the United States broke into two, other states or regions could have followed the trend and taken the advantage of the Confederate secession. Both the North and South could have faced further disintegration originating from the call for secession. The quest for autonomous independent nations or republics could be an ending political struggle. However, the preservation of the Union prevented any further pursuit of autonomy by states. Today, the continental United States could be composed of independent republics with unique political and economic structures and strategies. Being that the region is bigger than Europe, a successful secession could have further encouraged the existence of more than the present-day states.

Another remarkable dimension regarding the Union and the civil war is the possible outcome in terms of political relations between the North and the South. Suppose the secession was a success, the political relationship between the two regions could have deteriorated. Each of these regions could be having different allies to protect their internal interests. A permanent division of the United States into the North and the South could have led to a more stable global economy position for the two regions. Such conclusions stem from the case example of Britain and France. It is essential to point out that by the end of 1860, the United States was doing excellently in terms of the global economy; however, when separated into individual regions, both the North and the South were performing poorly. A successful secession could have opened opportunities for the individual regions to achieve personalized economic stability. A fallout between the two regions could be characterized by the South having a deficit of the manufactured good. Since the war would have created a barrier in terms of diplomatic relations. In this case, the South would be inclined towards Europe to meet its manufacturing deficits. The North was successful in intensive industrial development and urbanization when compared to the South back in 1680 but the South was productive and rich. The imbalance in natural and technical resources between the two regions could have led to a multilateral agreement; however, this could have only been considered amid the lack of alternatives. With time, it would have been evident that overreliance on agricultural production just like the South did, was unsustainable.

Furthermore, the preservation of the Union has shaped trade ties and economic shifts, which equally implies that these aspects would be different if the South had succeeded with the secession. The question of whether the United States could have joined World War 1 is worth revisiting from the Union and secession perspective. It is possible that with separate South and North regions would have led to the South having close ties with Britain thus shaping the justifications to participate in the war. The South would have been unable to offer a significant contribution to the First World War because industrial advancement played a key role among participants. Britain had faced significant challenges with its demand for cotton due to the existing embargo. A weaker North was the leeway for Britain to renegotiate their trade deal with the South. In this case, a successful secession would have led to stronger trade ties with the South at the expense of the North. Regardless of the potential benefits that would have been realized through successful secession, the preservation of the Union also had significant social, economic, and political changes and reforms that extended beyond the confines of the United States.

The Civil War and Civil Rights

The history of the United States is characterized by the struggle to achieve equality and respect for civil rights. In this case, a significant number of groups have lobbied the call for equality for marginalized groups. However, it is important to recall that the onset of the existence of minority groups and the tendency to racial discrimination stems from the civil war and slavery. The declaration of independence saw Jefferson Thomas declaring that all men are equal; however, the process of ensuring that each person enjoys unalienable rights such as happiness, liberty, and life has been mired by those suppressing the achievement of equality. A look at the effects of civil war ascertains that the impact of slavery affected the journey and the struggle for equality in the United States. The establishment of the constitution saw the framers of the solemn document failing to comprehensively capture the implementation of equality. The support for abolition was a minority affair during that time. The expansion of the United States westwards came with a huge influence on slavery. For example, opposers of slavery anticipated the confinement of the practice to the South but were not willing to allow it to spread to the West of the North.

Abolitionists from the North considered slavery as immoral and against the beliefs of the United States. However, the underpinning reasons for this critical stance have been termed ingenuine since it was characterized by the fear of a possible dominance by the South due to slavery. The supreme court ruling on the Dred Scott v. Sandford in 1857 proved that slavery expansion to the West was an inevitable occurrence. The Emancipation Proclamation was also limited to the states that rebelled. In this case, while slavery was considered an inappropriate practice, the right to be free was only valid to those states that accepted and documented the legal changes. Although slaves were considered free on paper, the biggest question was whether they were entirely free and, in a position, to enjoy their liberty and rights. The effects of slavery had reached the far ends of the society and social existence such that it was not easy for a free slave to be accepted or integrated into the community. In this case, being free on paper was not entirely equivalent to being free in real life as evidenced by the subsequent events across major states in the country after the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Effects of The Civil War Beyond America

A critical review of the civil war indicates how the primary accomplishments could be linked to emancipation as well as the preservation of the Union. The current achievements and the position of the United States in the global arena have been linked with the preservation of the Union. However, a significant number of commentators have attributed a different outcome if the Union did not remain consolidated. One of the key concerns is the possibility of the disintegration of the Union opening up the existence of two or more independent nations. Suppose the United States broke into two, other states or regions could have followed the trend and taken the advantage of the Confederate secession. Both the North and South could have faced further disintegration originating from the call for secession. The quest for autonomous independent nations or republics could be an ending political struggle. However, the preservation of the Union prevented any further pursuit of autonomy by states. Today, the continental United States could be composed of independent republics with unique political and economic structures and strategies. Being that the region is bigger than Europe, a successful secession could have further encouraged the existence of more than the present-day states.

Another remarkable dimension regarding the Union and the civil war is the possible outcome in terms of political relations between the North and the South. Suppose the secession was a success, the political relationship between the two regions could have deteriorated. Each of these regions could be having different allies to protect their internal interests. A permanent division of the United States into the North and the South could have led to a more stable global economy position for the two regions. Such conclusions stem from the case example of Britain and France. It is essential to point out that by the end of 1860, the United States was doing excellently in terms of the global economy; however, when separated into individual regions, both the North and the South were performing poorly. A successful secession could have opened opportunities for the individual regions to achieve personalized economic stability. A fallout between the two regions could be characterized by the South having a deficit of the manufactured good. Since the war would have created a barrier in terms of diplomatic relations. In this case, the South would be inclined towards Europe to meet its manufacturing deficits. The North was successful in intensive industrial development and urbanization when compared to the South back in 1680 but the South was productive and rich. The imbalance in natural and technical resources between the two regions could have led to a multilateral agreement; however, this could have only been considered amid the lack of alternatives. With time, it would have been evident that overreliance on agricultural production just like the South did, was unsustainable.

Furthermore, the preservation of the Union has shaped trade ties and economic shifts, which equally implies that these aspects would be different if the South had succeeded with the secession. The question of whether the United States could have joined World War 1 is worth revisiting from the Union and secession perspective. It is possible that with separate South and North regions would have led to the South having close ties with Britain thus shaping the justifications to participate in the war. The South would have been unable to offer a significant contribution to the First World War because industrial advancement played a key role among participants. Britain had faced significant challenges with its demand for cotton due to the existing embargo. A weaker North was the leeway for Britain to renegotiate their trade deal with the South. In this case, a successful secession would have led to stronger trade ties with the South at the expense of the North. Regardless of the potential benefits that would have been...