The Civil War

A. Out of 2,500 adults 2/3 of whites in former Confederate states said "states' rights"B. 20 million Google hits "what was the cause of the Civil War?"C. Why are we unaware? 1) desire to deny that slavery ever existed 2) no market for books of war photographs after it ended 3) first publishing success= southern slant - The Lost Cause - "A History of the American People" - Gone With the WindD. War gave U.S. the nation we have become today 1) stopped secession and preserved Union 2) made slavery illegal

Goals/ Purpose

David von Drehle’s goal in writing this article was to enlighten his readers about the different aspects of the Civil War. In it, he outlines causes, effects, and the unfortunate fact that much of society is unaware of the specificities of war. Therefore, his purpose is to increase knowledge about the Civil War, in order to facilitate humility and healing.

"But 150 years later, Americans have lost that clarity about the cause of the Civil War, the most traumatic and transformational event in U.S. history, which left more than 625,000 dead - more Americans killed that in both world wars combined

Thesis

Analysis

The author was successful in defending his thesis. He gave numerous specific examples about the "loss of clarity" among society about the causes and effects, and why the war was traumatic and transformational. It is true that people tend to clump the civil war into a general category of “north vs. south” or “slavery.” Few actually know the specific occurrences in the war, and this article is effective in enlightening the reader. It is still the most pivotal event in our history. Like that author claimed, it shaped or country. It prevented slavery from spreading, and kept the country United. If we weren’t one Union, we would be less of a nation power today. Also, border disputes may have occurred. Whether or not the war deeply effects you depends on the classroom or setting you are in. If the facts are just skimmed over in a textbook and no application is done, then that won’t have the same effect as an uncensored documentary. It is vital for society to take a more active role in investigation the past.

The Civil War: Crash Course US History

Historiography

The Civil War: 150 Years After Fort Sumter: Why We're Still Fighting the Civil War

Evidence

A. History textbook stance on cause: Fort SumterB. Truly started from Constitutional Convention 1) Expansion 2) Kansas- Nebraska Act; war started in Kansas 3) 1856: proslavery army attacked Lawrence 4) retaliation: John BrownC. Southern View: secede or submit and abolish slavery 1) Viewed North as tyrannical federal government 2) Slaves were happy property 3) Their whole economy was based on slave labor; abolition = collapseD. Other views on the causes: northern aggression, high tariffs, blundering statesmen, industrial vs. agricultural economies, or fanatics

http://www.soldierstudies.org/index.php?action=webquest_1

http://abolitionlaikin.weebly.com/page-2.html