Impact of the Civil War on American Society and its Transformation

This essay delves into the profound impact of the American Civil War on the nation's societal fabric. It begins by outlining the historical context, emphasizing the role of slavery as a catalyst for the conflict and the election of Abraham Lincoln as a pivotal event. The essay then explores the war's key developments, including the attack on Fort Sumter and the secession of Southern states, highlighting the shift from a divided nation to a period of intense conflict. It examines the war's devastating human cost, the casualties, and the central role of liberty and freedom in the struggle. The essay discusses how the Civil War led to the abolishment of slavery and the subsequent Reconstruction period, which aimed to integrate the formerly enslaved people into society. The essay also touches upon the lasting effects of the war, including modifications to national identity and the evolution of American ideology, specifically the shift from a slave-based system to a free labor economy, and the continuing struggle for racial equality in America.

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History
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Author Note

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The Civil War in America stands as the historical significance which put an end to the
slavery practice. The Civil Wars are considered to be the birth of the new era which got the
Americans, the most awaited freedom from bondage and exploitative practices by the upper class
and privileged society. It began as the reaction to the prolonged controversy of enslavement
which primarily was imposed on the black people of the nation. The war began in 1861 when
Fort Sumter was attacked by secessionist forces in South of Carolina right after Abraham
Lincoln came to be elected as the President of America. The paper would discuss how civil war
brought change in the American society.
The states of the South in America were continually deprived of their rights and forced to
be exploited for prolonged period of time. Slavery was one of the prime reasons behind the
disunion in America as majority of the population was indifferent about the ongoing matter
throughout the States (Jaffa 2018). In the southern part of America, slavery, over time, became
an integral part of the society. The war broke out primarily because of the differences in the
Slave and Free states. When Abraham Lincoln came to power as the president, after winning the
elections, he pledged to keep slavery out of practice in the territories. There were seven states
which withdrew from the cause and decided to become a new nation, which was known as the
Confederate States of America. Most of the people in the northern region rejected the
government and its promise to put an end to the exploitative practices of slavery. At the same
time that the administrative power of the newly formed government will decline because of the
secession. It was feared that United States will no longer remain as the great nation it was and
break up into smaller regions which would only be a discredit of the administration and
government.

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The event which give rise to the war was the attack at the Fort Sumter in 1861. They
claimed that the fort was their own and open fired at the federal garrison which compelled them
to lower the American Flags. As a result of which, Lincoln decided to take charge over the
agonizing situation all over America. Soon more states withdrew and joined the confederacy.
Several battles took place starting from a gathering of army from Virginia to Missouri (Foner
2008). There was an insurgence of the strategy to restore the union which gave way to the
destruction of the order of slavery. It can be viewed as the new birth of freedom. It did not
initiate as a total war but soon took the shape. Before this, there were no such occurrences when
armies fought each other with weapons which came into usage as a result of the industrial
revolution.
The war changed the history of America as it did not ever experience the number of
casualties which took place during this period. It was a time of great pity and anxiety all over the
nation. Over 600,000 people died during the war which even includes more than 260,000
confederates, which amounted to one fifth of the total population of the adults in southern
regions. Liberty is one of the greatest features of the American constitution, which was at stake
because the blacks were denied their rights. The basic attributes of the country were not only
being compromised but exploited when they concerned the blacks of the nation. In 1940, Ralph
Bunch opined that every man no matter black, red or yellow knew that they were free and thus
the irony lied with the comprise which was being made and imposed over the people.
Civil war was fought for the freedom which was long due. There were many who took up
arms during the period said that it was only for the sake of liberty which was to be preserved.
The understanding of freedom was very much rooted in the system of governance, economic
independence and right to property (Foner 2008). It cannot be said that Racism was eradicated

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completely by the end of the Civil War. Whereas, it was made certain that racial discrimination
which were possible because of legislations and definitions linked to American citizenship were
changed. Earlier, citizenship and rights had significant boundaries which restricted the blacks to
exercise their fundamental rights and most importantly their rights to vote (Foner 2008). The
national identity underwent significant modifications and a national sense of consciousness
among people were built. It is also important to note about the period of Reconstruction, which
was the aftermath of Civil War (Jaffa 2018). It was when the people of the nation were trying to
accommodate the newer developments of the period which basically concerned the union
victory. Freedom was a conflicted topic as it had varying interpretations among people.
It can thus be concluded by saying that the changes were brought and Abraham Lincoln
asserted that freedom was the only intention in order to bring a new order to the nation. The
effect which was felt on the American society and politics was much greater as compared to any
other event in America. The ideology which dominated the American society before 1861, which
comprised of the slave system and plantation society was replaced by a free labor ideology. The
systems which were centuries old were uprooted and change was brought about which cannot
just the assessed by the effects felt by the next two or three generations.

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References and Bibliography
Astor, Aaron. "The Thin Light of Freedom: The Civil War and Emancipation in the Heart of
America." The Historian 80, no. 4 (2018): 815.
Chapman, Roger, and James Ciment. Culture wars: an encyclopedia of issues, viewpoints and
voices. Routledge, 2015.
Foner, Eric, ed. Voices of freedom: A documentary history. Vol. 2. WW Norton & Company
Incorporated, 2008.
Glover, Jacob A. "We Ask Only for Even-Handed Justice: Black Voices from Reconstruction,
1865–1877 by John David Smith." Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 113, no. 4 (2015):
755-756.
Jaffa, Harry V. A New Birth of Freedom: Abraham Lincoln and the Coming of the Civil War
(with New Foreword). Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.
Myrdal, Gunnar. An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy, Volume
1. Routledge, 2017.