The North & The South - A Prelude To War

The United Stare of America were not entirely united, there were two major issues which divided it – slavery and trade of slaves. The North was much more industrialized, aiming for innovations and economic growth, the South, on the other hand, was much more traditional and rural. It was highly dependable on its big cotton plantations which based its function on African slaves. These “factories of slavery” provided an immerse profit. Slaves were perceived as an efficient, cheap working tool. The North didn’t like this senseless exploitation. We do not talk about human rights movement here, we talk about a movement which made people realized that slavery is bad, it is harmful and society shouldn’t and wouldn’t be built its foundations on. Any forms of compromise failed, the diplomatic language didn’t work. The Civil War had changed the society, its outlook on life, politics and domestic problems. The documents which were about to decrease slavery reminded only on paper, didn’t have any executive power.

The war itself triggered the North’s economy, it was a very profitable business to follow. America came out of its shadow and became noticeable: going back in time to 1775, 4^th of July – the British King George III wrote in his notebook “…Nothing Important Happened Today…” he didn’t notice an upcoming revolution and changes America wanted to implement, He didn’t believe it came true, that, the Declaration of Independence would be proclaimed. He diminished the importance of human desire to become free and independent.   

The Civil War was a symbol, the symbol of changes, suffice to take and read Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone with the Wind” to understand its profound meaning which is thicker than water. The year 1810 was marked by the population growth, 1.2 million of 7.2 million of citizens were black and they were slaves. They wanted to believe that they were equal, sadly it was all far from the truth. The leaders of the movement for American freedom and independence: Thomas Jefferson and George Washington aimed to change people’s mentality. They wanted to change the conservative, ‘unscrupulous’ South. The big landowners from Virginia defended slavery. The North was against slavery from moral and religious reasons. The debate emerged in 1820 whether slavery should be legalized or not. The newly made territory on the West needed speed development and hands to work, it favored slavery, as a cheap and not demanding work force. The same votes won in Missouri. The Missouri Compromise was established, as good as it sounds, it didn’t finish the disputes between the North and the South. The imported duties were very important, Northern states favored these duties because it protected its young, blooming industries against foreign manufactured goods.  Import duties would rise the prices of many goods. The next twenty years were marked by a huge economic growth. In 1848 the United Stated divided Oregon with Britain and took a vast areas of the Southwest from Mexico. The Missouri Compromise appeared to be very fragile. The Congress put an issue of slavery into a vote, in the meantime, the Fugitive Slave Act was proclaimed. It gave right to chase runaway slaves by big plantation owners. Slaves flee for safety to free states – the journey was very hard, impossible at times. ‘The boundary hunters’ were hired to recapture the fugitives. The escape could safely end only in Canada where slaves were freed from the hunt and hurtful laws. To make the escape possible the ‘Underground Railroads’ were used, ‘conductors’ ex-slaves guided runaway slaves, gave them hiding places so-called ‘depots’.

In 1854 another vote led by Congress was proclaimed, this time Kansas made troubles. Eventually in 1858 the supporters of slavery won majority of votes. The breaking point has just begun.  The presidential election on 1860 was the most tense one, it was a bitter fight between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen.A.Douglas. The winner Abraham Lincoln was not welcomed as a president who supports  freedom for slaves and forbids slavery. The South states showed their dissatisfaction and decided to ‘secede’ – in December 1860 it started from South Carolina, in February 1861 eleven stated announced secession:

1. South Carolina (December 20, 1860)

2. Mississippi (January 9, 1861)

3.  Florida (January 10)

4.  Alabama (January 11)

5.  Georgia (January 19)

6. Louisiana (January 26)

7.  Texas (February 1; referendum February 23)

Ft. Sumter (April 12) and Lincoln's call up (April 15)

8.  Virginia (April 17; referendum May 23, 1861)

9.  Arkansas (May 6)

10.                  Tennessee (May 7; referendum June 8)

11.                  North Carolina (May 20)

They called themselves – the Confederate States of America or The Confederacy.

The prelude to war has just started and become the bloodiest conflict in the 19^th century. It started changing and re-shaping the United Stated of America – by giving it new citizens – Afro-Americans.

Bibliography:

1. The Norton Anthology of American Literature.

2. A History of American Literature, A. Grey

3. An Outline of American History.

4. An Illustrated History of the USA.