Understanding the Civil War: Motivations of Union & Confederate

This essay delves into the motivations behind the conflict between the Union and Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. The Union soldiers, representing the United States of America under President Abraham Lincoln, fought to preserve the Union and ultimately create a society where black people would be on equal footing with white people. Conversely, the Confederate soldiers fought for independence, defending their homes and families against what they perceived as northern invasion, oppression, and tyranny. They believed the Union sought to dominate the South, triggering the conflict. The essay highlights the rhetoric of self-government and liberty embraced by the Confederate soldiers, who were willing to die for their cause. The victory of the Union soldiers meant that it would lead to the creation of the society where the black would be at a sound footing with the white people.

Running head: HISTORY ESSAY
History Essay
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1HISTORY ESSAY
The essay aims at discussing the reasons behind the fight undertaken by the Union
soldiers and the Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Civil also referred as the War
Between the States, was fought between United States of America and Confederate States of
America over the issue of slavery
The Union represented the United States of America during the Civil War between
the years 1861-1865 (Mackey and Robert). This was during the time when Abraham Lincoln
was the President. Union consisted of twenty states that were free along with four border as
well as slave states. Thus, the Union Soldiers represented the land force that fought for
preserving the Union during the Civil War. The troops of the union soldiers consisted of
regular army men of United States along with temporary units that consisted volunteers and
conscripts. The Union Soldiers fought relentlessly for defeating the Confederate Soldiers
during the American Civil War. An approximate of around 620,000 soldiers succumbed to
death as a result of disease, accident, combat and starvation during Civil War (Skocpol and
Theda). The victory of the Union Soldiers meant that it would lead to the creation of the
society where the black would be at a sound footing with the white people.
The Confederate Soldiers represented the land force of the American Confederate
States during the Civil War (Randall, James and David). The Confederate Soldiers
bombarded into the Union Soldiers at immediately after the election of Abraham Lincoln that
finally gave rise to the war. The Confederate Soldiers fought for independence so they took
up arms for defending their family and home. The Confederate Soldiers defended the fight
saying that it was to suppress the northern invasion, oppression and tyranny. This was the
reason why their flags also had the motto that justice, freedom and liberty. These soldiers
thus bristled with rhetoric of self government and liberty along with the willingness of dying
for a cause (Melillo and Jerry).

2HISTORY ESSAY
The essay ends by throwing a light on the reasons for the fight between the Union and
the Confederate Soldiers. The Confederate Soldiers felt that the Union was more liberated
which gave them the power to dominate the south. This acted as a trigger for the fight.

3HISTORY ESSAY
References:
Mackey, Robert R. The Uncivil War: Irregular Warfare in the Upper South, 1861–1865. Vol.
5. University of Oklahoma Press, 2014.
Melillo, Jerry M. Climate change impacts in the United States: the third national climate
assessment. Government Printing Office, 2014.
Randall, James Garfield, and David Donald. The civil war and reconstruction. Pickle Partners
Publishing, 2016.
Skocpol, Theda. Diminished democracy: From membership to management in American
civic life. Vol. 8. University of Oklahoma press, 2013.