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Abstract
The American Civil War (1861-1865) was mainly caused by different views on the issue of slavery among the Southern and Northern States. Democracy has four institutions that seek to influence outcomes that dictate democracy. They all revolve around freedom and citizenship of an identified people. Before the war, America was not a democratic state as slaves were considered property and not citizens of America. The Dred Scott vs. Sanford decision dictates these factors regarding slaves. When the pro-slavery states are defeated, America sees the start of a democracy in the country. The Emancipation Proclamation was the first step towards a liberated country and Uncle Tom’s cabin ignited the Civil War by depicting the sufferings of African American slaves at the hands of their masters.
Introduction
The American Civil War of 1861 to 1865 involved the armies belonging to the Union and Confederate States and resulted to changes in the country’s ideas of democracy. The major cause of the war is the issue of slavery. The rift existed in the fact that the Northern States sought to end slavery but the Southern States depended on the institution that ensured free labor for their cotton plantations. Symonds (2013) attests to this when he states that, “In particular, the Southern states feared that the Northern states would place a limit on the expansion of slavery” The different opinions regarding slavery saw an abolitionist movement rising from the North and moving towards the Southern States in a bid to free slaves and liberate them in all States of America.
According to Willy & Dalton (2003), democracy finds its definition based on outcomes rather than the actions taken. In the article Understanding democracy: Data from Unlikely Places, Willy & Dalton attest to this when they state that, “Democracy emphasizes freedom and liberty as its essential goals, with democratic institutions as the means to achieve them” (p. 144). For democracy to be palpable there is need for the four Democratic freedoms that entail political freedom, involvement rights for all legal citizens, equality in justice distribution before the law and equal rights for the marginalized women (Willy & Dalton, 2003) .
Slavery before the Civil War
It is important to note that with the issue of slavery in the country, white people were considered American Citizens while Blacks were mere property of said citizens. Blue (2000) in his book, Why the Civil War Came, gives a report of the ruling in Dred Scott’s petition against Sanford. Taking place in 1857, the court ruling regarding Scott’s petition to be set free since his master has moved to a Free State was denied (p. 56). According to the judge, a slave was not considered an American citizen and regardless of State, a slave would always remain his or her master’s property. With regard to democracy, slavery stands against the four dictated institutions in which freedom is a major factor.
The Abolitionists Win in the Civil War and the Start of Democracy
Once the War ended, the Northern States emerged the winners and in turn, evoked the emancipation of all slaves. This was done by Lincoln Abraham, the then president of the United States of America under the Republican Party. On January 1, 1863 in Washington D.C, Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation in which he promised freedom for all slaves if the Union won the Civil War (Foner 2010, p. 77). This was the first step towards democracy as African Americans’ mistreatment and disregard was the only factor holding back America from being a democratic country.
With the victory, the first outcome was the preservation of the Union and collapse of the defeated Confederate Party. This in turn saw the Northern States implement their ideas and see the freedom of slaves in the country. As per the understanding of democracy, free slaves meant their identification as American citizens. In addition, the liberation saw an independent people with rights as citizens before the law. This however does not mean that the black people were immediately accepted as the whites’ equals. Stereotypes still governed the country as each side judged the other based on previous ideologies. That is, African Americans did not trust the Whites while the Whites had trouble seeing the blacks as anything other than slaves.
Abraham Lincoln's comment on Harriet Beecher
Written by Beecher Harriet, Uncle Tom’s Cabin carried information on how slaves were treated by their masters. The cruelty depicted in the narration ignited the abolitionists from the North to end slavery in America. Vollaro (2009) writes that, when Lincoln heard Beecher’s name, he seized her hand and asked, “Is this the little woman who made the Great War?” Her novel brought awareness to the slavery situation in America especially with regard to the mistreatment of slaves in the South. It can be argued that, her writing saw the start of a war that sough democratic rights and equality for every person in America. In addition, the motivation Uncle Tom’s Cabin gave to the anti-slavery Sates saw their determination to win increase and in turn, helped them win the war.
Conclusion
References
Blue, F. (1997). Why the Civil War Came. New York: Oxford University Press.
Foner, E. (2010). Give Me Liberty!: An American History (Seagull Third Edition) (Vol. 1). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Jou, R. D. (2003). Understanding democracy: Data from Unlikely Places. Journal of Democracy , 142-156.
Symonds, C. (2013, April 8). American Civil War (1861-1865). New York Times .
VOLLARO, D. (2009). Lincoln, Stowe, and the "Little Woman/Great War" Story: The Making, and Breaking, of a Great American Anecdote. Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association Volume 30, Issue 1 .
