Introduction
America was torn in two during the years 1861 and 1865. This was right after President Abraham Lincoln was elected. The conflict really rooted from the conflict between the free North and the South that supported slavery. 1There were eleven states from the south that did not seem to like the idea of America being united as a single nation; they turned their backs from the Union. Lincoln was only in presidency for six weeks before he declared the acts of secession committed by the south illegal. The first states to secede from the Union were South Carolina, Mississippi and Florida. Events that lead to the Civil War were economic and social. Different people had different ideas for America during the time. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton saw the United States heading in different directions; this is what caused the conflict between the two. Visions for the success of the nation caused conflict between people and states.
The Civil War
Throughout the ages, America has gone through a lot as a country, events which have torn the nation apart, yet in its own way sown unity within our hearts. The struggles started even as early as the colonization of the Americas, and still continue until this day. Although, there are events in time which helped shaped our country and our people. Over the course of American history, people have tried to craft imagery or symbols to try to embody the nation and shape its meaning and character.2 From the middle of the 19th century, when the white people of the North and South were in feud for their beliefs in politics, economics, society and especially African American slavery, known as the Civil War. It was the War between the States, and had literally torn the nation up for a good four years. It posed as one of the earliest industrial wars in history.
Missouri, one of the first to secede from the Union, was considered a national controversy during the 1800s as congress debated over the future of slavery in the area through the Louisiana Purchase.3 The Missouri Compromise is what led the state to enter the Union as a slave state. A lot of horrific things happened during this time in that particular state that can be considered shocking now. During the time, the Congress wanted to balance things out, getting an equal number of free states and an equal number of slave states. However, even though Missouri came in as a slave state during the year 1921, the Compromise had changed things during the time of the Louisiana purchase.4
The state of Missouri came to know a couple of laws in regards to blacks and slavery. One of these read that:
“[Any] free negro or mulatto, other than a citizen of some one of the United States to come into or settle in this state under any pretext whatever”5
If someone who was of African descent stepped in Missouri without being able to show documentation or proof that he or she was a citizen, they were to pay a fine of $10. During that time, this was a lot of money. No slave would have earned that amount. If they could not pay the fine, the state would punish them by allowing twenty lashes and even imprisonment. This law was only for the blacks who were considered runaway slaves. Free blacks were not affected by this law, especially those living in the Northern states. The states would go up to the extreme, having slave patrols on the lookout. Even citizens were given the right to beat any slave that was found twenty miles or more from his master’s home.
There were a number of reasons which started the conflict that caused the American Civil War; this can be traced back from the times of American Colonization. The main reason for conflict and the most known reason was slavery. The Northern states abandoned this lifestyle by the end of the American Revolution and turned anew, however the South continued its ways because of the growing plantation economy of the South – slavery was something which they believed they needed.6 The years before the war, the conflict really revolved around this slavery issue, and this began with debates in connection to the Constitutional Convention during the year 1787 and continued until 1850.
The conflict was heated by Southern Politicians who started defending and justifying slavery in their half of the nation, they did this by retaining control of the federal government. Most of the presidents during that time were from the South, and they greatly benefitted from this; they also wanted to retain a good balance of power of Southerners within the Senate.7 When new states started emerging, compromises were seen and a series of compromises were agreed upon, maintaining an equal number of “free” and “slave” states. It was with this compromise that the gap between slave states and free states were seen in their differences. This was somewhat symbolic of the changes America was going through. Between the years 1820 and 1830, an Abolitionist movement was seen; this began in the North where people believed that slavery was morally wrong not just socially evil. These Abolitionists varied in their beliefs, however the bottom line was that slavery was not something they wanted happening in the country; Lincoln was involved in this.8 It was this movement which really stirred up the conflict which led to the Civil War.
Earlier on in history, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton had disagreements regarding the direction the United States was heading. During the year 1789, the Constitution had been ratified and a lot of changes were seen in America.9 Their visions for the United States were very different, competing if you would. Jefferson imagined a free America where people did not have to depend on the government. He believed that this would cancel out the independence if the citizens were dependent on other things. Their understandings of American power and the American people were very contrasting. This was not only due to their background, but their way of life. Hamilton’s America was beyond his years, it can be said that it is America today. The arguments between the two were really based on social and economic reasons; much like the Civil War.
Conclusion
The Civil War started because certain states did not share the same beliefs. The southern states wanted to keep their way of life, holding on to slavery and sticking to their statuses in society. Freeing the blacks meant that they will have to do the dirty work themselves; this reason is mostly social. The North saw a free America, the economy was more industrialized rather than agriculture. This is where the South flourished; their fields were well kept and they did not have to endure hot weather. They had slaves to do this work for them. However, when the war began, the South was at a loss economically. The North had more men, more money and more power. The reasons for Jefferson’s and Hamilton’s disagreements were also of social and economic basis. The two saw that America could be thriving from different industries; they were merely looking out for the economic well being of the nation.
Bibliography
Higham, R. & Woodworth, S.E. (1996). The American Civil War: A Handbook of Literature and
Research, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Laws of the State of Missouri. 1825, pp. 600.
Welcher, F.J. (1989). The Union Army, 1861–1865 Organization and Operations. Vol. 1, The
Eastern Theater. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
