For each question, answer the question completely using proper English and make sure to proofread! You must also respond to at least one other student post to receive full credit.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Epilogue: Surviving
How did the Civil War transform the nation? Do you believe that the Civil War could have been avoided? Why or why not?
Because of the Civil War, our country was changed into a completely different nation. The uncertainty and management of the fear of death were realized, as bereavement had become a common sight. Faith in God and religion was challenged by doubt; a concept that had never been experienced to devout followers. People who saw the destruction and carnage cause by the war questioned “notions of the unity and integrity of the human selves” (268). Preceding the war, the United States realized its commitment to the dead, their duty to honor the fallen for their sacrifices. There was an increased understanding “of the relationship of the citizen and the state” (268). The Civil War showcases a nation’s attempt to “preserve our humanity and ourselves” (271) in a state of immense devastation and death.
I definitely believe that the Civil War could not be prevented. There were too many differences in opinion and a lot of tension between the Northern and Southern states. Both had very different ways of life, with the South needing workers to tend the large plantations and the North being more industrialized. When the North condemned slavery as evil, the way of life in the South was threatened. The only way to settle the conflict was the Civil War, which united both sides to be a “Republic of Suffering.” The “Civil War dead belonged to the whole nation” (269). All of America was connected through grief and mourning which I think ultimately united us to be the single nation we are today.
The Civil War drastically transformed the nation in multiple ways. In the initial stages of the war, it became clear that countless soldiers were going to be denied the right of a “Good Death”. This forced the nation’s views concerning a proper death to evolve. Also, as Larissa stated, “faith in God and religion was challenged by doubt.” The carnage induced by the Civil War led many to question the existence of their God. Lastly, after the war, citizens no longer referred to themselves as inhabitants of their particular states. After the Civil War people began to call themselves Americans. The nation had been brought together as result of the suffering so many had endured.
I personally agree with Larissa, and do not believe that the Civil War could have been avoided. The North and South possessed opposing views on to many fundamental issues. It would have been impossible for both sides to co-exist for a prolonged amount of time. However, it would also have been impossible for either the North or the South to thrive as independent nations. They relied on each other to heavily economically. Clearly, for America to survive the Civil War had to be fought.
If you look at history every county or empire will have a civil war for the simple reason that no one is perfect and there will never be a government close to perfect. The civil war could not be prevented it was too turbulent a time I believe that even if the idea of enslaving another human being never existed the war still would have been fought.
I agree with Nick and Larissa that the war was inevitable. However I think it could have been won more quickly and with much less carnage if McClellan had not been in charge. His reluctance to pull the trigger and pursue Lee's army made the war go on far too long. His insubordination of Lincoln caused a rift in the command of the army. Some give McClellan credit for not wanting his men to die. However the sheer length of the war caused more death than the coward prevented.
OK that does it for my rant. I am sure that the war was necessary to keep our nation strong if we were divided countries like England, France and Germany would surely has taken both halves over. For the integrity and well being this great country the war had to be fought the only question is how many had to die.
You made a very good point when you stated the war went on longer than necessary. It seems to me that McClellan was hesitant to do the deeds required to win a war and because of that more destruction persisted. I believe that if someone else was in charge the war would have been shorter with fewer deaths. Very good point.
The Civil War changed the nation in a couple ways. The nation became a totally new nation when the Civil War fired its last shot. The death part was the big thing that people learned from the war. People realized that in war time the idea of a “Good Death” can’t happen for all the soldiers that died during the duration of the war. It changed cause “The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead.”(268). Also it said about the transformation this “And both the unity and responsibilities of this transformed nation were closely tied to its Civil War Dead.”(268).Most of the American population was effective from all the deaths of the Civil War, so they all changed so the nation would change along with the people. That what happened to change the nation after the Civil War.
I really think that the Civil War could not have been avoided. I think that the differences between the North and South were too much to resolve without one giving in to the others ideas. The North had a more industrial where the south is more farming kind of style. Two different styles can’t be working together if one doesn’t cave into the others’ style. The only way in this time was to go to war from to get the other side to agree with their style. The breaking point was when Lincoln was elected, so the south had no choose but to succeed from the nation and then the North had to fight to get the south back in the nation.
I agree with your post on this question. I agree with you when you said that the nation turned into a complete different team. The two quotations you put in were good in “notions of the unity and integrity of the human selves” (268) and “of the relationship of the citizen and the state” (268). I agree with you when you said that you definitely think that the Civil War could have been avoided. I agree with your opinion but the war wasn’t started because of slavery, it didn’t come into the war till half way through the war.
The Civil War changed our nation in a few different ways. Many people experienced the feeling of sorrow. Because of this, the idea of faith was greatly tested. People began to doubt God because they did not understand how he could allow such a tragety to occure. Also, as Nick said, many soldiers were denied a "good death". The idea of the was taken into deep consideration. Although a lot of pain came out of the war, there was also a lot of good that came out of it. The nation had grown so much. at the end of the war, the North and the South pulled together and had the same goals in honoring their lost men. The Civil War caused the nation to become united because of the awful experience everyone had shared.
I do not believe that the Civil War could have been avoided. I think that the North and the South could not have resolved any issues had the war not occured. Eventually the nation would have completely fallen appart. I do think it is sad, though, that the war lasted as long as it did and that so many lives were lost. That should have been avoided, in my opinion, but sometimes it takes a lot of bad to finally make people realize what is right. In the end, we became true Americans.
I agree with what you have said about how the war could not have been avoided. I believe that there really were far too many issues that needed to be resolved between the North and the South. It is true that they could not survive as independent nations. However, I also believe that the war should have ended much sooner so that as many lives were not lost.
In the beginning, people thought that the Civil War was going to last a couple of months, that included some small skirmishes with very few deaths. Instead of this little feud between two sides, a whole war broke out. The Civil War lasted four years with over 600,000 casualties. No one was prepared for it to amount to that level of fighting. From the first explosion at Fort Sumter to the last shot fired at Appomattox, the nation as a whole changed dramatically.
Throughout the war, soldiers and civilians alike changed. People had never seen death and destruction like that before. It took its toll on every single American. “But even has the Civil War brought new humanity – new attentiveness to ‘sentiment’ – in the management of death, so too it introduced a level of carnage that foreshadowed the wars of the century to come.” (271) Due to all the carnage that the war introduced, peoples’ ideals and religious philosophies were questioned. Many “rejected the solace of Christiantiy,” (270) which in turn, allowed them to doubt the presence of God. People had a new perspective on death and the virtues of life after the war. Overall, the war changed our nation mentally, physically, economically, and religiously.
I agree with Kendra that the Civil War could not have been avoided. There were too many differences between the North and the South. Varied views on politics, different ways of life (industry vs. agriculture), and a strong dislike for the other caused the built-up tension to finally release in an all-out war. The relationships with other countries also added to the tension of war (England was a strong ally to the South during the war.) Whichever way it is viewed, the changes that occurred during the Civil War united our nation and made it what it is today.
I can tell you strongly despise General McClellan. He could have taken the initiative to chase after Lee’s army and end the war. He had more men than Lee so he could have won. I would have to strongly agree with you. The outcome of McClellan chasing after Lee would have been less carnage, suffering, and death. Ultimately, fewer men would have died and the Civil War would have come to an end sooner. Well said.
Because of the Civil war, our nation has never been the same since. The war had made it clear that thousands of soldiers weren’t going to get the “good death”. This issue had then forced the nation to view a more proper way of death than how it was before. Because the Civil war had induced so many deaths, many people had started to question if their God had really even existed. After the war, many civilians had started to say they were either inhabitants of either the North or the South. Americans, is what civilians had called themselves after the war because of how the nation was brought together because of all the suffering they a endured.
I agree with what pstidwell had said. I agree that you were right when you said the war was far too long and many lives could have been spared if the fighting had stopped sooner than it did.
Because of the Civil War the nation transformed in drastic ways. The war was supposed to be small and the deaths few. Instead over 600,000 men died and it lasted for many years. Faith also became a changing view. The resulting carnage caused the American's to question the actually existence of god. As Kendra said, "People began to doubt God because the couldn't understand how he could allow such a tragedy to occur." It became a huge problem for the Americans. The importance of 'good deaths' was also affected. But it also affected the people individually. The war left no one untouched. It wasn't only the surviving soldiers who struggled, but the families as well.
I do not believe that the Civil War could have been avoided. The hostility and opposition between the North and South was too great. The views that each had were very different and it couldn't be ignored. It changed the nation in many ways, but it made us the nation we are today.
I agree that the War couldn't have been avoided. The issues between the two were very big issues, and couldn't be ignored. It is sad that such carnage had to happen. 600,000 deaths can not and should not be taken lightly. But it also caused the transformations that made the nation what it is. It caused the nation to come together in the end. And both good and bad came out.
I agree with you statement that the Civil War “made us the nation we are today.” While I do not think anyone considers the war a good thing, it definitely is one of the main contributing factors that shaped our nation. It bridged the gap between the Northern and Southern ways of life, and eventually allowed our nation to prosper as a whole. If the Civil War had not been fought, I believe our nation’s history would have been drastically altered for the worse.
The Civil War transformed the nation in many distinct ways. Obviously, every person encountered the sad feeling of mourning for loved ones. They had to endure so many deaths in so little time, that it made them question their belief in a God. And yet, this made the nation turn to God for guidance, whether it was a Reverend they looked up too, or a Bible, they grew in their religion.
Another way the Civil War transformed the nation was by; "establishing polices that led to today's commitment to identify and return every soldier killed in the line of duty." (271).Without those policies a lot more men and women would not be recognized for their war efforts to this day.
Also, on page 268 it says that "National cemeteries, pensions, and records that preserved names and identities involved a dramatically new understanding of the relationship of the citizen and the state." This quote from the text explains that the realization of the deaths of so many people actually brought the nation together, despite their disagreements.
Sadly enough, I do not think the war could have been avoided. There were so many differences between the North and the South that it would be impossible for the two sides to agree on one thing. Between the two sides, they depended too much on each other anyways, that if they became two separate nations it could not be done. But with every bad there is good to come from it, and our nation is the prime example of that. We became Americans, one nation...under God.
The Civil War transformed the nation by showing soldiers and civilians alike "the Great Change." Every American experienced mourning and grief for their fallen loved ones. The deceased were never forgotten. "John Palmer carried the bullet that killed his son with him to the grave. Mary Todd Lincoln remained in mourning until the day she died." Americans experienced the true meaning of tragedy and devastation. Their faith in God had been shaken and for some lost completely. The Civil War also brought a whole new meaning to death and a fear that even haunts people today, "that death is the only end." This only end consumed many good people, fathers and sons alike. The death and tragedy of the Civil War has forever scarred our great nation.
The Civil War could not have been avoided. The ideas of slavery were so different that it divided our nation. The North and South had different views on moral issues. It is nearly impossible to change a person’s morals. There was also too much hostility between the North and South. A war would never have been prevented, as tragic as it is. However the war did unite us as one great nation...the United States of America.
Kendra- I agree completely with your statement that “the North and the South could not have resolved any issues had the war not occurred." Their issues were based on moral values and these values never would have been changed or the problems resolved. A war was inevitable. Well said Kendra!
After the Civil War the nation changed dramatically. The war did not go as planned at all. Instead of a short war with few deaths it was the exact opposite. Many people questioned their faith because of the severity of the war. People asked "How could a benevolent deity countenance such cruelty and such suffering?"(267) All the deaths and carnage cause many people to question their faith. Also, it was no longer two nations; the Union and Confederacy. It was now America. This was a big change. Finally, many people were in mourning now. They didn't just lose their loved ones, "they had lost their own lives as they had understood them before the war."(268) People had never seen so many deaths and didn’t believe it could happen before the Civil War. Lucy Buck stated "'We shall never any of us be the same as we have been.'"(268)
I do not believe the war could have been avoided. The two nations were divided by many things. The main thing was slavery though. They hated each other for having their different beliefs. Only having the war could decide whose beliefs to keep. Once this happened could the people and country be united. They were forced to do the same thing and so bonded and grew. The only way to avoid the war would be to separate into two countries. But the North did not want this, so to preserve the country they had to fight.
I agree with you that the war could not have been avoided. You said "I think that the differences between the North and South were too much to resolve without one giving in to the others ideas." I agree. They had many differences that were just too great to still get along. The North had an industrial, no slave policy whereas the South had agriculture and many slaves. They had to fight in order to unite the country which was greatly needed.
I like how you said that the North did not want the two sides to separate so they had to fight. I agree with it because it would have been very difficult for the two sides to be two independent countries. For one, the South was dependent on the North's industries, and the North was dependent on the South's farming. If the Civil War did not happen, our country would not be the same united country as it is today.
The Civil war changed the nation in huge ways. Religious ideas were modified and some were even forgotten. The war made the "good death" harder to achieve and the idea of the good death had to be modified so that it was closer to possible. After the war people began to abandon religion and many people began to lose hope. While in other cases people turned to religion even more.
I also believe that people cherished and began to value life even more becuase they realized that it can be cut short, one life can make a difference. Our nation will forever be changed in the after math of this war.
"John Palmer carried the bullet that killed his son with him to the grave; Henry Bowditch habitually wore a watch fob fashioned from his fallens son's uniform button; Mary Todd Lincoln dressed in mourning till she died", people were changed forever.
I agree that the war was necessary because it kept our nation together. Can you imagine the North and South as seperate countries? Issues would have never been solved without the Civil War. It was definitly needed to keep our country united.
I agree with your statement that the issues between the two sides were too big to be decided without one side giving up on their ideas, thus making war necessary. "The breaking point was when Lincoln was elected, so the south had no choose but to succeed from the nation and then the North had to fight to get the south back in the nation." This I believe was why the cookie crumbled and the war was on the verge of starting when Lincoln was elected.
The Civil War has changed our nation. We showed the world what we were capable of and became a respected country. Also how both the South and Northern states reconstructed the nation by working together. Almost 500,000 American soldiers died for what they believed in. Also we kinf of had a technological boom during the Civil War. We created new medical treatments, weapons, tools, and so on. I mean look we were the first nation to create ironclad gunboats which scared Europe because the ironclad gunboats rendered their wooden ships obsolete. An slavery was abolished for good through out the United States.
I believe just like many of you that the War could not be avoided. Both sides would fight for what they believed in and nothing was going to stop them. An just imagine if the Civil War was still going on till today there would be no United States of America. An many more soldiers and even civilians would lose their lives. The death toll would just be unthinkable. But in the end a great nation was saved.
You made a good point when you stated that "Although a lot of pain came out of the war, there was also a lot of good that came out of it. The nation had grown so much." I think good and bad came out of the war, and that it is sad how many lives had to be lost, sometimes it takes a lot of bad for people to realize what's right.
The Civil War transformed the nation in lots of different ways. First of all, in a time when the majority of the population believed in God, it made them doubt the existence of god and their faith. They wondered how, if there truly was a God, he could let such a nationwide tragedy happen. It also denied thousands of soldiers the traditional "good death". This made Americans reconsider it, since in a time of so much death a "good death" was hard. The Civil War changed many peoples' outlooks on life- the survivors of the war had to live with what they had been through and remember it for the rest of their lives.
I personally do not think that the Civil War could have been avoided. Before the war, the North and South had such different moral values; they were like two separate nations. The war brought both the North and South together- people were no longer Northerners or Southerners, they were all Americans. I think the war had to happen to bring both sides together. Although it is sad that so many people had to die during the war, we wouldn't be the same country we are today if it wasn't for the Civil War. It helped the country become one as a nation, and it made America stronger in the end.
The civil war transformed the nation in many ways. One main way was how the war shook people from their very foundations; many people lost their faith because of the Civil War. People would wonder how their god could let a war like this tear a nation. Also the famous “Good death” was denied to so many soldiers, causing even more to lose their faith.
I personally think the Civil war was completely unavoidable. Slavery, and outlooks towards a central government were some of the largest causes of the tension between the north and south. And with strong differences between the north and south, conflict was a force that couldn’t be stopped.
I agree with your statement of: "Overall, the war changed our nation mentally, physically, economically, and religiously." With the ravages of war effecting every part of the American life, no one could see things the way they did before the civil war began. Additionally, our economy drastically changed with money being diverted to the creation of weapons and the sending of supplies to the troops.
The Civil War transformed the country in mulitiple ways. The majority of the people believed in God, but during the war they wondered how God could let a war like this happen. People seemed to value life more than before the war, because they saw how hundreds of thousands of people died fighting for what they believed in.
In my opinion, the Civil War could not have been avoided, because slavery caused a lot of tension between the North and South and needed to be solved. The North and South could not agree on anything and they had to work things out somehow.
I agree with you saying that the North and South couldn't agree on one thing and that they depended on eachother too much that if they were two nations then things wouldn't get done.
The civil war transformed this nation in many ways. It made the people of this contry take the little things more seriously and how fast life can be taken away from them. Also it made states right a way more important topic. Yes it also freed the slave but that was not the main reason for the war.
I do not think that this war could of been avoided. I think this because the south had many issues wuth the north. Such as states rights to choose what that state was going to do. Also slavery was a big issue that would have caused war no matter how Abrham Lincoln Chose to resolve that issue.
The Civil War changed this country in many ways, and these changes ultimately changed the country into a united nation. It was no longer the North and South, or Virginia and Pennsylvania. America turned into the United States of America. With this change in trust and devotion to citizen's nation, there also came many changes in feelings about religion. Many people lost faith during this time, and questioned whether he existed or not. God became a fixture of curiosity, and wonder rather then something citizens held full faith in. Ultimately the nation changed for the better, but the citizens of that time and their descendents would never be the same.
The Civil War wouldn't have ever been able to be prevented. Personally I believe that because slavery was such a great conflict there really was no way to prevent it from growing into what the issue became. The reality of it all is that the best they could have done would have been to prolong the issue and fight this war later on in time. A war was the only way this conflict would be solved, and at the end of the day there wasn’t much anything the government could have done about it. It's clear the Civil War had to be fought for the United States to live up to its great name.
I to believe that there was no way to prevent the Civil War, because like you said "the North and South had such different moral values." Moral values create the foundation for a nation, and when the moral values of different states don’t add up there are problems. The fact is that the North and South were too different to be unified, and the only way to solve the conflicts was war. It seems to be the only simple solution even in today’s modern world. Unfortunately it also comes at the highest price.
Our country went through a big change as a result of the civil war. The whole rebuilding process changed nearly every thing. The war set slaves free which was the biggest way the south was able to run their farms. I think it could have been avoided and maybe it should have been. It makes you think if we actually had the right to tell the south they couldnt suceed and be their own country. Was that really up to us or was it their choice?
The Civil War was a great transformer of our nation. War where those seeking to maintain slavery and those seeking to abolish it and replace it with liberty served many purposes. The war and its magnitude changed millions of lives and ended 360,222 Union soldiers’ lives abruptly. Throughout the years of war, Americans were challenged to find meaning in their lives’ and in others’ demise. They were challenged to reprioritize their lives and find reason for such chaos. Lucy Buck, a resident of Virginia, proclaimed, “We shall never any of us be the same as we have been,” (268). In the course of the war and in its aftermath, God’s existence was questioned, yet faiths grew stronger. Men and women alike learned to work with one another towards a common purpose. People of different backgrounds faced the common struggle of war, death, and bereavement. Our great nation of the United States of America “was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead,” (268). This Civil War was an unavoidable encounter in which life was sacrifice for a greater purpose, freedom. The nation grew stronger by this encounter; it was destined to unfold the way it did.
In response to jenni robinson: As you said, "Before the war, the North and South had such different moral values; they were like two separate nations. The war brought both the North and South together- people were no longer Northerners or Southerners, they were all Americans." If this war hadn't occurred, we might still be living with the harshness of slavery and the bitterness of uncommon goals. Because of this war, change was created at the sacrifice of many brave lives, change that was destined to transpire.
The Civil War transformed the nation as well as every citizen. “Civil War Americans lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss” (266). 2 percent of the citizens had died form the war. “No longer fathers or brothers or sons, they had become corpses and memories…” (266). Not only had thousands died, the living believed they were “…sentenced to life” (267). It caused the living to question their faith in God that had, before the war been strong.
“The nation was a survivor, too…the war’s staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny…” (268). The nation had changed. “…the United States affirmed its belief in values that extended beyond the merely material and instrumental” (269). The government understood the importance of honoring the brave with a decent burial even if it cost. “The Dead had become the vehicle for a unifying national project of memorialization” (269). The once two sided nation had been brought together because of those who died.
I do not believe that the Civil War could have been avoided. The North and the South believed very different things and their way of life was much different. Compromise wasn’t really an option, especially with the South wanting to secede and their differing views on slavery. Like others said the war might have not lasted as long if some different things had happened. But the Civil War was unavoidable. We wouldn’t have the nation we do today if it wouldn’t have occurred.
I agree with both of your posts. The Civil War couldn’t have been avoided. I agree with your statement, Nick, that if they had become two separate nations they wouldn’t have survived for long. They also had such different ways of life and beliefs that there was no way that it could have worked. You both had great points!
The United States was an entirely different nation after the civil war. The war touched every person in the country's life. The North and South were able to settle their differences, although it was not peacibly. The nation became stronger because of this. But it also changed people in negative ways. "Civil war americans lived the rest of thier lives with grief and loss." I dont think that the civil war could have been avoided. The north and the south were just too different, and I think it would have ended up in a war no matter what.
In response to Amy Bowman I agree that "Throughout the years of war, Americans were challenged to find meaning in their lives’ and in others’ demise. They were challenged to reprioritize their lives and find reason for such chaos." American Citizens, devastated as they were, still took something positive in the war. They were basically forced to find meaning in the death of so many, and by doing that, could find meaning in their own lives.
Sarah, I agree with your statement that no one was untouched by the Civil War. So many died and every person was somehow affected. I also agree with you that the war could not have been avoided.It was a tragic war but as you said, we are the nation we are today because of it.
The Civil War changed America in many ways. It brought rights to many minorities and inderectly effected women getting their rights. Before the Civil war, you would classify yourself based on what state your from. That doesn't happen so much any more. I don't think the Civil War could have been avoided. If it was, many wouldn't be where they are today. I think the Civil War shows our strengh and toughness as a country. What doesn't kill you will make you stronger.
I agree with Mary Harris statement,"The United States was an entirely different nation after the civil war." I agree how the Civil War changed many peoples live and had an effect on everyone in one way or another. I also believe that it is true that the war was unavoidable just because the two sides were much different.
The Civil War completely changed our nation. The main way was it gave freedom and rights to black men. Also, because of the roll women played, I think it gave them respect they needed to obtain their rights later. I think it really made people realize the damage that could be done when a war breaks out. Both sides thought the war would only last a couple of years and the casualties would be much less.
I think the Civil War was inevitable. The North and South disagreed on too many things. They disagreed on slavery and how the country should be run. When Abraham Lincoln was elected, it was the last straw, as Southerners envisioned Lincoln abolishing slavery and siding with the North. Both sides had completely different ways of life. The South was full of huge plantations with many slaves. Farming cotton and tobacco was something that had been done for many years. Northerners lived in more crowded cities, with industrial businesses. These differences caused too much tension, and finally the U.S. split.
The Civil War changed the nation in multiple ways. First off, it made Americans change their view of death. They realized that not everyone could have a "Good Death" even if the dying deserved it. Also, it changed people's religious convictions. Many Southerners began to question God after they lost the war. But the biggest way it changed the nation was by ending slavery.
As many have said before me, I do not think the Civil War could have been avoided, nor do I think it should have been avoided. A nation could not last together with so different views by two sides. But, ultimately, I believe the Civil War was a good thing. Even though so many were lost, it was for a much greater cause, and our nation became better from it.
You said that we wouldn't have the nation we have today if the Civil War hadn't occured, and I completely agree. I think if we had never gone to war, then we would still be two seperate nations today.
I agree with your post. You make a great point by saying the North and South had different morals, and that it is very difficult to change someones morals. You develop your morals from people you trust such as parents, teachers, and other friends. It would take some incredible convincing for a stranger to change your morals.
The Civil War has drastically transformed the nation. Few expected this war to be as horrific as it was. It brought the country to its knees and the “Civil War Americans lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss.” (266). As horrific as it was however, it unified the nation and made us the great country we are today.
Citizens had faced challenges they could never have imagined. Not only were death tolls through the roof, but “the living had been changed too, by what they had seen and done, what they had felt, and what they had lost.” (267). “Individuals found themselves in a new and different moral universe, one in which unimaginable destruction had become daily experience. Where did God belong in such a world?” (267). The agony and despair caused by the Civil War remained for decades to come and citizens began to question their beliefs in a supreme being, for “Doubt threatened to overpower faith” (267). They also had to accept the fact that there may not be a “Good Death” for all, that there was “Death without dignity, without decency, without identity imperiled the meaning of the life that preceded it.” (268). Throughout the madness however, Americans did realize one thing, that ‘We shall never any of us be the same as we have been.’ (268).
I believe the Civil War most likely could not have been avoided. The two sides had considerably different views, especially when it came to slavery, and were unwilling to compromise. Both fought and died for what they believed in. Even if avoidance were possible, I believe it would’ve only been for the worse.
CJ I agree with you that "it unified the nation and made us the great country we are today." It truly did. By being knocked to our knees, we received the chance to get back up and throw the next "punch" and be successful as a country of United States.
The Civil War transformed the Nation by simply erasing doubt from peoples minds. By literally pulling itself together, the nation proved itself to it's citizens that it could really succeed at being a nation. With any doubt of our status as a nation erased, it caused a sense of pride and we prospered as a Nation. I believe that it would have been hard to have avoided the civil war. It was like punishing a child, it has to be done to teach a lesson. The Civil War taught everyone that we can be united under one flag, the flag of United States.
Due to the Civil war, our nation has changed immensely. People learned what mass death truly is, and how burring the dead in the sense of a "good death" is hard if not possible to do during wartime. As Nick said, this allowed our understanding of how to deal with the dead evolve. This war also helped African Americans by granting them freedom after so many years of suffering. I see the civil war as a stepping stone in the United States becoming a country were everyone can TRULY be free. Another way the nation prospered was that it was finally able to become united and people started to view themselves as part of a nation rather than as part of a state or colony. This greatly increased the nations power and created a bigger idea of brotherhood.
Personally, I do not think the civil war could have been avoided. One side wanted slavery and the other did not so they needed to solve that problem. They also needed to solve the problem of non unity. As sad as it is, i think that a war was necessary to bring people closer to one another. It showed people the pain of killing their fellow brothers. The nation also needed to evolve and the civil war helped this happen.
In response to Brian Bower- I agree with your entire post. By erasing the dount from peoples minds, the civil war greatly changed and strenghened our nation. The creation of nation pride truly helps bring people closer together and i like your comparison of the civil war and punishing a child as it is very true, it need to be done.
I agree that “the Civil War could not have been avoided. There were too many differences between the North and the South.” The two lifestyles were more or less complete opposites with their “Varied views on politics” and ways of life. The war seemed to have no alternative to the extreme hostility that each side had for the other. Compromising was not an option and both sides would give up nothing in order to defend their beliefs.
Since this question is extremely open-ended, I’m going to take it beyond Faust’s central theme of death. Also, I’m going to work backwards on this one. First I’ll talk about how the Civil War might have been prevented and then talk about how it changed our country.
Prior to the war, many compromises had been created in an attempt to prevent it. There was the Compromise of 1850, the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and several others. These compromises failed because the Civil War was not just about slavery. This was a war between an agrarian lifestyle and an industrial one. This was a war about economic and colonial expansion versus preserving a historic way of life. The South needed slavery for economic reasons. The industrial North and the frontier west had no such need. As more and more states and territories were added in the western United States, the South saw itself becoming more and more outnumbered by votes in Congress. Therefore, its decision to secede from the Union was inevitable in part because of western expansion. The secession decision is the point in time where the war possibly could have been prevented. Had the North, had Lincoln been content to allow the South to be its own country separate from the United States, there would have been no war. The North would have had no reason to attack the South and vice versa. The southern country would have allowed slavery, the northern country would not. (Only during the war did Lincoln’s focus turn to the abolition of slavery. At first, all he was concerned about was keeping the Union together.) This is a gamble; nevertheless I don’t see any other way the war could have been prevented. Compromise wasn’t working; people’s convictions on both sides of the slavery issue were too complex for that. (continued on to next post)
(continued from previous post) The Civil War transformed the nation economically, politically, morally, and spiritually. Having lost its source of cheap labor, the agricultural economy of the South was devastated. Technological advances in agriculture since then have resulted in several farmers becoming extremely wealthy and others losing everything they had. Either way, the plantation lifestyle of the South was “Gone With the Wind”. Today’s farmers must either become large agribusinesses, or they go out of business altogether. On the political scene, for several terms after the war, it was difficult to impossible for a Democratic candidate to become elected president. This permitted the Republican goal of industrial expansion to gain strong support and basically move America into the industrial age. Moving into the industrial age completely changed the morals, values, and work ethics of Americans. Fortunes are now made or lost not on hard work and a well tended crop, but on the unpredictable swings of the stock market or the rulings of judges in lawsuits.
At the beginning of the war, strong morals and religious convictions seemed to guide both the North and the South in how they acted. But by the end of the war things had almost descended into anarchy. The initial respect for soldiers and the effort put forth to give them a “Good Death” was overtaken by economic realities as their bodies were left to rot well after the South’s surrender at Appomattox. The South’s defeat had a huge downward effect on their economy, and poverty tends to bring out the worst in people. To this day, the southern United States has higher crime rates than the national average. As for the North, the morals and religious principles of the Pilgrims and Puritans were once firmly established there. The aftermath of the Civil War seems to be the place where these values began to change. By many accounts today, the northeastern United States is essentially a secular state now. Some of this was probably related to economic prosperity and a perception that God was no longer needed. Perhaps these declines in moral and religious fervor would have occurred whether the Civil War had been fought or not. But it seems clear to me that moral and religious values were very different before the war than they were after it. I don’t think that change is entirely coincidental.
RE: Danielle Sheehan You wrote, “I do not think the war could have been avoided” due to the various disagreements of the North and South. In truth, there were really not that many arguments between the two other than the developed one of slavery. Slavery was not the cause of the Civil War; the South’s secession was. Lincoln attacked the South because he wanted to keep the Union together. If the South had not separated themselves from the Union, Lincoln’s pre-war indifference to slavery would have had no cause for conflict.
The Civil War changed the nation drastically. After the war ended, the American people were forced to be stronger than they were before it. They had to be strong to mourn the losses and take care of the dead. The North and the South had to work together in caring for deceased. While mourning, many people were questioning their faith. People didn't understand how a "benevolent deity" could allow this suffering and cruelty and "doubt threatened to overpower faith-faith in the Christian narrative of a compassionate divinity and a hope of life beyond the grave, faith in the intelligibility and purpose of life on Earth." (267) "Americans had not just lost the dead; they had lost their own lives as they had understood them before the war,"(268) and they were forever changed on their outlook at life and death.
Like many others, I too do not believe the Civil War could have been avoided. The North believed in abolishing slavery and war was the only way to end it. I agree with Nick Burns that "it would have been impossible for both sides to co-exist for a prolonged amount of time. However, it would also have been impossible for either the North or the South to thrive as independent nations." There were too many conflicts for America to survive without the Civil War being fought.
Like I said in my previous post, I think you make a good point of the Civil War North and South. That with the conflicts that were, they wouldn't have been able to co-exist for long. And, at the same time, they couldn't thrive as independent nations because of how they relied on each other. They were bordering and these issues would arise in a war eventually.
I think the Civil War transformed the nation in a few ways. So many peopled had lost friends or family in the war that almost everyone’s lives had changed. “The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of the dead.” (268). I also think that it reunited our nation. Both sides came together once again to form one solid union.
I truly believe that the Civil War was unavoidable. The North’s feelings were very firmly set on abolishing slavery but they did not want the nation to fall apart. Slavery was a way of life for many people in the South and they did not want to give it up, therefore they seceded from the Union. There is no possible way that the North and South could have sustained themselves as separate nations. The only solution to the problem was a war.
The war transformed our nation by showing us, we can find enemies every where, including here at home. It also transformed us because in our country's history it was the war with the most casualties, and that is just the Union. If you add the confederates, who all became Americans it doubles! However, I do not believe this war could have been avoided. I feel that since our country was being seperated, this was necissary.
Our country undertook some drastic changes because of the Civil War. The carnage and overflowing number of deaths forced most Americans, including Northerners and Southerners, to doubt their faith and it definitely went on to alter their views on life dramatically. The ars moriendi in which the majority of the population during this era firmly believed in was threatened by the sudden and violent ways in which soldiers were being killed. This and the lack of proper burials for the fallen troops debilitated the whole principle of the “Good Death”.
I feel that this massive war could not have been avoided. The conflicts and contradictory beliefs which led up to the fighting were just too large to have been evaded by the people. The contrary views on slavery and on the nation remaining divided into two were not every day arguments and a big confrontation was required to resolve this. The North and the South had many differences to resolve and I find it hard to believe that any solution could have been peacefully acquired.
I agree with what you said about it having been pretty much impossible to avoid the Civil War and for both sides to have resolved their differences in a more peaceful manner. Keeping in mind the drastic number of fatalities this war brought on us it just seems unfeasible. You are right about the war having cost us much but also making "us the nation we are today".
I agree with you that the war could not have been peacefully resolved. The war was much the same as a volcano. The conflict between the North and South escalated in the same way the pressure builds in a volcano until it finally erupted into war.
Jared, This is an excellent point, "The North’s feelings were very firmly set on abolishing slavery but they did not want the nation to fall apart. Slavery was a way of life for many people in the South and they did not want to give it up, therefore they seceded from the Union." because it is exactly why the war started. The South had a set way of life and the north didn't like it. When the north abolished slavery and elected a present the south didn't like they were prepared to fight for their life style.
Even though the Civil War was an awful, awful war, i feel like it transformed our country for the better. First off, it ended slavery which to me is one of the worst things our country has ever done. It also pushed our country to work together because no matter who won or lost, the tradgegy of the war swept the nation, and we never want another war like that to happen again. I dont necessarily think that the war could've been avoided though. Breaking a country in two and expecting it to work out is asking for a very large problem, and slavery was a large issue for the North, and I'm surprised they didn't act sooner than they did. Also, learning about the Civil War now is very important for keeping it from happening again.
The war couldn't have been resolved peacefully the way things were during that time. I feel that maybe if both sides had a better government set up at the time that they could have made the war less tragic, but still not completely solve the problem.
Thanks Larisa I agree with you when you said “There were too many differences in opinion and a lot of tension between the Northern and Southern states.” Slavery was lust one of the many issues surrounding the war it was bound to break out eventually it was just a matter of time. The war could have been shorter but had to happen.
Our country undertook some drastic changes in account of the Civil War. Slavery was accknowledged and mostly abolished within the United States. Then we also found the importance of a "good death." As Nick had said "this forced the nation’s views concerning a proper death to evolve." I believe he has a good point because we did look and undersstand the importance of how important it is to have a loved one porperly buried and identified. We as a nation, North and South came together to form America and call one another our neighbor, and friend. We could finally call ourselves Americans as people did.
I personally believe that the war could have not been avoided. Slavery was such a widespread issue that if it had been avoided for even longer, we would of had an even larger breakout and human slaughter. The North had also felt so strongly on slavery and it would have been confroted in some way or another. If they would have not had the war I believe that it would have been very difficult for them to co-exist and survive. Slavery was a huge part of everyday life then and I think that the South was just to dependent upon the slaves.
I agree that it could have been waited out but would have been worse. I think it was to late to solve it in peace and the only way to solve the issue was through war. The North was in rage so I do not think that they would have been able to hold in there rage.
Because of the Civil War, our country was changed into a completely different nation. The uncertainty and management of the fear of death were realized, as bereavement had become a common sight. Faith in God and religion was challenged by doubt; a concept that had never been experienced to devout followers. People who saw the destruction and carnage cause by the war questioned “notions of the unity and integrity of the human selves” (268). Preceding the war, the United States realized its commitment to the dead, their duty to honor the fallen for their sacrifices. There was an increased understanding “of the relationship of the citizen and the state” (268). The Civil War showcases a nation’s attempt to “preserve our humanity and ourselves” (271) in a state of immense devastation and death.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that the Civil War could not be prevented. There were too many differences in opinion and a lot of tension between the Northern and Southern states. Both had very different ways of life, with the South needing workers to tend the large plantations and the North being more industrialized. When the North condemned slavery as evil, the way of life in the South was threatened. The only way to settle the conflict was the Civil War, which united both sides to be a “Republic of Suffering.” The “Civil War dead belonged to the whole nation” (269). All of America was connected through grief and mourning which I think ultimately united us to be the single nation we are today.
The Civil War drastically transformed the nation in multiple ways. In the initial stages of the war, it became clear that countless soldiers were going to be denied the right of a “Good Death”. This forced the nation’s views concerning a proper death to evolve. Also, as Larissa stated, “faith in God and religion was challenged by doubt.” The carnage induced by the Civil War led many to question the existence of their God. Lastly, after the war, citizens no longer referred to themselves as inhabitants of their particular states. After the Civil War people began to call themselves Americans. The nation had been brought together as result of the suffering so many had endured.
ReplyDeleteI personally agree with Larissa, and do not believe that the Civil War could have been avoided. The North and South possessed opposing views on to many fundamental issues. It would have been impossible for both sides to co-exist for a prolonged amount of time. However, it would also have been impossible for either the North or the South to thrive as independent nations. They relied on each other to heavily economically. Clearly, for America to survive the Civil War had to be fought.
If you look at history every county or empire will have a civil war for the simple reason that no one is perfect and there will never be a government close to perfect. The civil war could not be prevented it was too turbulent a time I believe that even if the idea of enslaving another human being never existed the war still would have been fought.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nick and Larissa that the war was inevitable. However I think it could have been won more quickly and with much less carnage if McClellan had not been in charge. His reluctance to pull the trigger and pursue Lee's army made the war go on far too long. His insubordination of Lincoln caused a rift in the command of the army. Some give McClellan credit for not wanting his men to die. However the sheer length of the war caused more death than the coward prevented.
OK that does it for my rant. I am sure that the war was necessary to keep our nation strong if we were divided countries like England, France and Germany would surely has taken both halves over. For the integrity and well being this great country the war had to be fought the only question is how many had to die.
Patrick-
ReplyDeleteYou made a very good point when you stated the war went on longer than necessary. It seems to me that McClellan was hesitant to do the deeds required to win a war and because of that more destruction persisted. I believe that if someone else was in charge the war would have been shorter with fewer deaths. Very good point.
The Civil War changed the nation in a couple ways. The nation became a totally new nation when the Civil War fired its last shot. The death part was the big thing that people learned from the war. People realized that in war time the idea of a “Good Death” can’t happen for all the soldiers that died during the duration of the war. It changed cause “The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead.”(268). Also it said about the transformation this “And both the unity and responsibilities of this transformed nation were closely tied to its Civil War Dead.”(268).Most of the American population was effective from all the deaths of the Civil War, so they all changed so the nation would change along with the people. That what happened to change the nation after the Civil War.
ReplyDeleteI really think that the Civil War could not have been avoided. I think that the differences between the North and South were too much to resolve without one giving in to the others ideas. The North had a more industrial where the south is more farming kind of style. Two different styles can’t be working together if one doesn’t cave into the others’ style. The only way in this time was to go to war from to get the other side to agree with their style. The breaking point was when Lincoln was elected, so the south had no choose but to succeed from the nation and then the North had to fight to get the south back in the nation.
Larissa,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post on this question. I agree with you when you said that the nation turned into a complete different team. The two quotations you put in were good in “notions of the unity and integrity of the human selves” (268) and “of the relationship of the citizen and the state” (268). I agree with you when you said that you definitely think that the Civil War could have been avoided. I agree with your opinion but the war wasn’t started because of slavery, it didn’t come into the war till half way through the war.
The Civil War changed our nation in a few different ways. Many people experienced the feeling of sorrow. Because of this, the idea of faith was greatly tested. People began to doubt God because they did not understand how he could allow such a tragety to occure. Also, as Nick said, many soldiers were denied a "good death". The idea of the was taken into deep consideration. Although a lot of pain came out of the war, there was also a lot of good that came out of it. The nation had grown so much. at the end of the war, the North and the South pulled together and had the same goals in honoring their lost men. The Civil War caused the nation to become united because of the awful experience everyone had shared.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that the Civil War could have been avoided. I think that the North and the South could not have resolved any issues had the war not occured. Eventually the nation would have completely fallen appart. I do think it is sad, though, that the war lasted as long as it did and that so many lives were lost. That should have been avoided, in my opinion, but sometimes it takes a lot of bad to finally make people realize what is right. In the end, we became true Americans.
Nick,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have said about how the war could not have been avoided. I believe that there really were far too many issues that needed to be resolved between the North and the South. It is true that they could not survive as independent nations. However, I also believe that the war should have ended much sooner so that as many lives were not lost.
In the beginning, people thought that the Civil War was going to last a couple of months, that included some small skirmishes with very few deaths. Instead of this little feud between two sides, a whole war broke out. The Civil War lasted four years with over 600,000 casualties. No one was prepared for it to amount to that level of fighting. From the first explosion at Fort Sumter to the last shot fired at Appomattox, the nation as a whole changed dramatically.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the war, soldiers and civilians alike changed. People had never seen death and destruction like that before. It took its toll on every single American. “But even has the Civil War brought new humanity – new attentiveness to ‘sentiment’ – in the management of death, so too it introduced a level of carnage that foreshadowed the wars of the century to come.” (271) Due to all the carnage that the war introduced, peoples’ ideals and religious philosophies were questioned. Many “rejected the solace of Christiantiy,” (270) which in turn, allowed them to doubt the presence of God. People had a new perspective on death and the virtues of life after the war. Overall, the war changed our nation mentally, physically, economically, and religiously.
I agree with Kendra that the Civil War could not have been avoided. There were too many differences between the North and the South. Varied views on politics, different ways of life (industry vs. agriculture), and a strong dislike for the other caused the built-up tension to finally release in an all-out war. The relationships with other countries also added to the tension of war (England was a strong ally to the South during the war.) Whichever way it is viewed, the changes that occurred during the Civil War united our nation and made it what it is today.
Re: pstidwell
ReplyDeleteI can tell you strongly despise General McClellan. He could have taken the initiative to chase after Lee’s army and end the war. He had more men than Lee so he could have won. I would have to strongly agree with you. The outcome of McClellan chasing after Lee would have been less carnage, suffering, and death. Ultimately, fewer men would have died and the Civil War would have come to an end sooner. Well said.
Because of the Civil war, our nation has never been the same since. The war had made it clear that thousands of soldiers weren’t going to get the “good death”. This issue had then forced the nation to view a more proper way of death than how it was before. Because the Civil war had induced so many deaths, many people had started to question if their God had really even existed. After the war, many civilians had started to say they were either inhabitants of either the North or the South. Americans, is what civilians had called themselves after the war because of how the nation was brought together because of all the suffering they a endured.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what pstidwell had said. I agree that you were right when you said the war was far too long and many lives could have been spared if the fighting had stopped sooner than it did.
Because of the Civil War the nation transformed in drastic ways. The war was supposed to be small and the deaths few. Instead over 600,000 men died and it lasted for many years. Faith also became a changing view. The resulting carnage caused the American's to question the actually existence of god. As Kendra said, "People began to doubt God because the couldn't understand how he could allow such a tragedy to occur." It became a huge problem for the Americans. The importance of 'good deaths' was also affected. But it also affected the people individually. The war left no one untouched. It wasn't only the surviving soldiers who struggled, but the families as well.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that the Civil War could have been avoided. The hostility and opposition between the North and South was too great. The views that each had were very different and it couldn't be ignored. It changed the nation in many ways, but it made us the nation we are today.
Kendra
ReplyDeleteI agree that the War couldn't have been avoided. The issues between the two were very big issues, and couldn't be ignored. It is sad that such carnage had to happen. 600,000 deaths can not and should not be taken lightly. But it also caused the transformations that made the nation what it is. It caused the nation to come together in the end. And both good and bad came out.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you statement that the Civil War “made us the nation we are today.” While I do not think anyone considers the war a good thing, it definitely is one of the main contributing factors that shaped our nation. It bridged the gap between the Northern and Southern ways of life, and eventually allowed our nation to prosper as a whole. If the Civil War had not been fought, I believe our nation’s history would have been drastically altered for the worse.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War transformed the nation in many distinct ways. Obviously, every person encountered the sad feeling of mourning for loved ones. They had to endure so many deaths in so little time, that it made them question their belief in a God. And yet, this made the nation turn to God for guidance, whether it was a Reverend they looked up too, or a Bible, they grew in their religion.
ReplyDeleteAnother way the Civil War transformed the nation was by; "establishing polices that led to today's commitment to identify and return every soldier killed in the line of duty." (271).Without those policies a lot more men and women would not be recognized for their war efforts to this day.
Also, on page 268 it says that "National cemeteries, pensions, and records that preserved names and identities involved a dramatically new understanding of the relationship of the citizen and the state." This quote from the text explains that the realization of the deaths of so many people actually brought the nation together, despite their disagreements.
Sadly enough, I do not think the war could have been avoided. There were so many differences between the North and the South that it would be impossible for the two sides to agree on one thing. Between the two sides, they depended too much on each other anyways, that if they became two separate nations it could not be done. But with every bad there is good to come from it, and our nation is the prime example of that. We became Americans, one nation...under God.
The Civil War transformed the nation by showing soldiers and civilians alike "the Great Change." Every American experienced mourning and grief for their fallen loved ones. The deceased were never forgotten. "John Palmer carried the bullet that killed his son with him to the grave. Mary Todd Lincoln remained in mourning until the day she died." Americans experienced the true meaning of tragedy and devastation. Their faith in God had been shaken and for some lost completely. The Civil War also brought a whole new meaning to death and a fear that even haunts people today, "that death is the only end." This only end consumed many good people, fathers and sons alike. The death and tragedy of the Civil War has forever scarred our great nation.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War could not have been avoided. The ideas of slavery were so different that it divided our nation. The North and South had different views on moral issues. It is nearly impossible to change a person’s morals. There was also too much hostility between the North and South. A war would never have been prevented, as tragic as it is. However the war did unite us as one great nation...the United States of America.
Kendra-
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with your statement that “the North and the South could not have resolved any issues had the war not occurred." Their issues were based on moral values and these values never would have been changed or the problems resolved. A war was inevitable.
Well said Kendra!
After the Civil War the nation changed dramatically. The war did not go as planned at all. Instead of a short war with few deaths it was the exact opposite. Many people questioned their faith because of the severity of the war. People asked "How could a benevolent deity countenance such cruelty and such suffering?"(267) All the deaths and carnage cause many people to question their faith. Also, it was no longer two nations; the Union and Confederacy. It was now America. This was a big change. Finally, many people were in mourning now. They didn't just lose their loved ones, "they had lost their own lives as they had understood them before the war."(268) People had never seen so many deaths and didn’t believe it could happen before the Civil War. Lucy Buck stated "'We shall never any of us be the same as we have been.'"(268)
ReplyDeleteI do not believe the war could have been avoided. The two nations were divided by many things. The main thing was slavery though. They hated each other for having their different beliefs. Only having the war could decide whose beliefs to keep. Once this happened could the people and country be united. They were forced to do the same thing and so bonded and grew. The only way to avoid the war would be to separate into two countries. But the North did not want this, so to preserve the country they had to fight.
Golight,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the war could not have been avoided. You said "I think that the differences between the North and South were too much to resolve without one giving in to the others ideas." I agree. They had many differences that were just too great to still get along. The North had an industrial, no slave policy whereas the South had agriculture and many slaves. They had to fight in order to unite the country which was greatly needed.
Tanner,
ReplyDeleteI like how you said that the North did not want the two sides to separate so they had to fight. I agree with it because it would have been very difficult for the two sides to be two independent countries. For one, the South was dependent on the North's industries, and the North was dependent on the South's farming. If the Civil War did not happen, our country would not be the same united country as it is today.
The Civil war changed the nation in huge ways. Religious ideas were modified and some were even forgotten. The war made the "good death" harder to achieve and the idea of the good death had to be modified so that it was closer to possible. After the war people began to abandon religion and many people began to lose hope. While in other cases people turned to religion even more.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that people cherished and began to value life even more becuase they realized that it can be cut short, one life can make a difference. Our nation will forever be changed in the after math of this war.
"John Palmer carried the bullet that killed his son with him to the grave; Henry Bowditch habitually wore a watch fob fashioned from his fallens son's uniform button; Mary Todd Lincoln dressed in mourning till she died", people were changed forever.
I agree that the war was necessary because it kept our nation together. Can you imagine the North and South as seperate countries? Issues would have never been solved without the Civil War. It was definitly needed to keep our country united.
Golight-
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that the issues between the two sides were too big to be decided without one side giving up on their ideas, thus making war necessary.
"The breaking point was when Lincoln was elected, so the south had no choose but to succeed from the nation and then the North had to fight to get the south back in the nation." This I believe was why the cookie crumbled and the war was on the verge of starting when Lincoln was elected.
The Civil War has changed our nation. We showed the world what we were capable of and became a respected country. Also how both the South and Northern states reconstructed the nation by working together. Almost 500,000 American soldiers died for what they believed in. Also we kinf of had a technological boom during the Civil War. We created new medical treatments, weapons, tools, and so on. I mean look we were the first nation to create ironclad gunboats which scared Europe because the ironclad gunboats rendered their wooden ships obsolete. An slavery was abolished for good through out the United States.
ReplyDeleteI believe just like many of you that the War could not be avoided. Both sides would fight for what they believed in and nothing was going to stop them. An just imagine if the Civil War was still going on till today there would be no United States of America. An many more soldiers and even civilians would lose their lives. The death toll would just be unthinkable. But in the end a great nation was saved.
Kendra-
ReplyDeleteYou made a good point when you stated that "Although a lot of pain came out of the war, there was also a lot of good that came out of it. The nation had grown so much." I think good and bad came out of the war, and that it is sad how many lives had to be lost, sometimes it takes a lot of bad for people to realize what's right.
The Civil War transformed the nation in lots of different ways. First of all, in a time when the majority of the population believed in God, it made them doubt the existence of god and their faith. They wondered how, if there truly was a God, he could let such a nationwide tragedy happen. It also denied thousands of soldiers the traditional "good death". This made Americans reconsider it, since in a time of so much death a "good death" was hard. The Civil War changed many peoples' outlooks on life- the survivors of the war had to live with what they had been through and remember it for the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not think that the Civil War could have been avoided. Before the war, the North and South had such different moral values; they were like two separate nations. The war brought both the North and South together- people were no longer Northerners or Southerners, they were all Americans. I think the war had to happen to bring both sides together. Although it is sad that so many people had to die during the war, we wouldn't be the same country we are today if it wasn't for the Civil War. It helped the country become one as a nation, and it made America stronger in the end.
The civil war transformed the nation in many ways. One main way was how the war shook people from their very foundations; many people lost their faith because of the Civil War. People would wonder how their god could let a war like this tear a nation. Also the famous “Good death” was denied to so many soldiers, causing even more to lose their faith.
ReplyDeleteI personally think the Civil war was completely unavoidable. Slavery, and outlooks towards a central government were some of the largest causes of the tension between the north and south. And with strong differences between the north and south, conflict was a force that couldn’t be stopped.
Matt-
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement of:
"Overall, the war changed our nation mentally, physically, economically, and religiously."
With the ravages of war effecting every part of the American life, no one could see things the way they did before the civil war began. Additionally, our economy drastically changed with money being diverted to the creation of weapons and the sending of supplies to the troops.
The Civil War transformed the country in mulitiple ways. The majority of the people believed in God, but during the war they wondered how God could let a war like this happen. People seemed to value life more than before the war, because they saw how hundreds of thousands of people died fighting for what they believed in.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the Civil War could not have been avoided, because slavery caused a lot of tension between the North and South and needed to be solved. The North and South could not agree on anything and they had to work things out somehow.
Danielle-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you saying that the North and South couldn't agree on one thing and that they depended on eachother too much that if they were two nations then things wouldn't get done.
The civil war transformed this nation in many ways. It made the people of this contry take the little things more seriously and how fast life can be taken away from them. Also it made states right a way more important topic. Yes it also freed the slave but that was not the main reason for the war.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that this war could of been avoided. I think this because the south had many issues wuth the north. Such as states rights to choose what that state was going to do. Also slavery was a big issue that would have caused war no matter how Abrham Lincoln Chose to resolve that issue.
The Civil War changed this country in many ways, and these changes ultimately changed the country into a united nation. It was no longer the North and South, or Virginia and Pennsylvania. America turned into the United States of America. With this change in trust and devotion to citizen's nation, there also came many changes in feelings about religion. Many people lost faith during this time, and questioned whether he existed or not. God became a fixture of curiosity, and wonder rather then something citizens held full faith in. Ultimately the nation changed for the better, but the citizens of that time and their descendents would never be the same.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War wouldn't have ever been able to be prevented. Personally I believe that because slavery was such a great conflict there really was no way to prevent it from growing into what the issue became. The reality of it all is that the best they could have done would have been to prolong the issue and fight this war later on in time. A war was the only way this conflict would be solved, and at the end of the day there wasn’t much anything the government could have done about it. It's clear the Civil War had to be fought for the United States to live up to its great name.
In Response to Jenni Robinson
ReplyDeleteI to believe that there was no way to prevent the Civil War, because like you said "the North and South had such different moral values." Moral values create the foundation for a nation, and when the moral values of different states don’t add up there are problems. The fact is that the North and South were too different to be unified, and the only way to solve the conflicts was war. It seems to be the only simple solution even in today’s modern world. Unfortunately it also comes at the highest price.
Our country went through a big change as a result of the civil war. The whole rebuilding process changed nearly every thing. The war set slaves free which was the biggest way the south was able to run their farms. I think it could have been avoided and maybe it should have been. It makes you think if we actually had the right to tell the south they couldnt suceed and be their own country. Was that really up to us or was it their choice?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War was a great transformer of our nation. War where those seeking to maintain slavery and those seeking to abolish it and replace it with liberty served many purposes. The war and its magnitude changed millions of lives and ended 360,222 Union soldiers’ lives abruptly. Throughout the years of war, Americans were challenged to find meaning in their lives’ and in others’ demise. They were challenged to reprioritize their lives and find reason for such chaos. Lucy Buck, a resident of Virginia, proclaimed, “We shall never any of us be the same as we have been,” (268). In the course of the war and in its aftermath, God’s existence was questioned, yet faiths grew stronger. Men and women alike learned to work with one another towards a common purpose. People of different backgrounds faced the common struggle of war, death, and bereavement.
ReplyDeleteOur great nation of the United States of America “was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of its dead,” (268). This Civil War was an unavoidable encounter in which life was sacrifice for a greater purpose, freedom. The nation grew stronger by this encounter; it was destined to unfold the way it did.
In response to jenni robinson:
ReplyDeleteAs you said, "Before the war, the North and South had such different moral values; they were like two separate nations. The war brought both the North and South together- people were no longer Northerners or Southerners, they were all Americans." If this war hadn't occurred, we might still be living with the harshness of slavery and the bitterness of uncommon goals. Because of this war, change was created at the sacrifice of many brave lives, change that was destined to transpire.
The Civil War transformed the nation as well as every citizen. “Civil War Americans lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss” (266). 2 percent of the citizens had died form the war. “No longer fathers or brothers or sons, they had become corpses and memories…” (266). Not only had thousands died, the living believed they were “…sentenced to life” (267). It caused the living to question their faith in God that had, before the war been strong.
ReplyDelete“The nation was a survivor, too…the war’s staggering human cost demanded a new sense of national destiny…” (268). The nation had changed. “…the United States affirmed its belief in values that extended beyond the merely material and instrumental” (269). The government understood the importance of honoring the brave with a decent burial even if it cost. “The Dead had become the vehicle for a unifying national project of memorialization” (269). The once two sided nation had been brought together because of those who died.
I do not believe that the Civil War could have been avoided. The North and the South believed very different things and their way of life was much different. Compromise wasn’t really an option, especially with the South wanting to secede and their differing views on slavery. Like others said the war might have not lasted as long if some different things had happened. But the Civil War was unavoidable. We wouldn’t have the nation we do today if it wouldn’t have occurred.
Larissa and Nick,
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of your posts. The Civil War couldn’t have been avoided. I agree with your statement, Nick, that if they had become two separate nations they wouldn’t have survived for long. They also had such different ways of life and beliefs that there was no way that it could have worked. You both had great points!
The United States was an entirely different nation after the civil war. The war touched every person in the country's life. The North and South were able to settle their differences, although it was not peacibly. The nation became stronger because of this. But it also changed people in negative ways. "Civil war americans lived the rest of thier lives with grief and loss." I dont think that the civil war could have been avoided. The north and the south were just too different, and I think it would have ended up in a war no matter what.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Amy Bowman
ReplyDeleteI agree that "Throughout the years of war, Americans were challenged to find meaning in their lives’ and in others’ demise. They were challenged to reprioritize their lives and find reason for such chaos." American Citizens, devastated as they were, still took something positive in the war. They were basically forced to find meaning in the death of so many, and by doing that, could find meaning in their own lives.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that no one was untouched by the Civil War. So many died and every person was somehow affected. I also agree with you that the war could not have been avoided.It was a tragic war but as you said, we are the nation we are today because of it.
The Civil War changed America in many ways. It brought rights to many minorities and inderectly effected women getting their rights. Before the Civil war, you would classify yourself based on what state your from. That doesn't happen so much any more. I don't think the Civil War could have been avoided. If it was, many wouldn't be where they are today. I think the Civil War shows our strengh and toughness as a country. What doesn't kill you will make you stronger.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mary Harris statement,"The United States was an entirely different nation after the civil war." I agree how the Civil War changed many peoples live and had an effect on everyone in one way or another. I also believe that it is true that the war was unavoidable just because the two sides were much different.
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War completely changed our nation. The main way was it gave freedom and rights to black men. Also, because of the roll women played, I think it gave them respect they needed to obtain their rights later. I think it really made people realize the damage that could be done when a war breaks out. Both sides thought the war would only last a couple of years and the casualties would be much less.
ReplyDeleteI think the Civil War was inevitable. The North and South disagreed on too many things. They disagreed on slavery and how the country should be run. When Abraham Lincoln was elected, it was the last straw, as Southerners envisioned Lincoln abolishing slavery and siding with the North. Both sides had completely different ways of life. The South was full of huge plantations with many slaves. Farming cotton and tobacco was something that had been done for many years. Northerners lived in more crowded cities, with industrial businesses. These differences caused too much tension, and finally the U.S. split.
The Civil War changed the nation in multiple ways. First off, it made Americans change their view of death. They realized that not everyone could have a "Good Death" even if the dying deserved it. Also, it changed people's religious convictions. Many Southerners began to question God after they lost the war. But the biggest way it changed the nation was by ending slavery.
ReplyDeleteAs many have said before me, I do not think the Civil War could have been avoided, nor do I think it should have been avoided. A nation could not last together with so different views by two sides. But, ultimately, I believe the Civil War was a good thing. Even though so many were lost, it was for a much greater cause, and our nation became better from it.
Mikayla Greenwell
ReplyDeleteYou said that we wouldn't have the nation we have today if the Civil War hadn't occured, and I completely agree. I think if we had never gone to war, then we would still be two seperate nations today.
In response to erin
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. You make a great point by saying the North and South had different morals, and that it is very difficult to change someones morals. You develop your morals from people you trust such as parents, teachers, and other friends. It would take some incredible convincing for a stranger to change your morals.
The Civil War has drastically transformed the nation. Few expected this war to be as horrific as it was. It brought the country to its knees and the “Civil War Americans lived the rest of their lives with grief and loss.” (266). As horrific as it was however, it unified the nation and made us the great country we are today.
ReplyDeleteCitizens had faced challenges they could never have imagined. Not only were death tolls through the roof, but “the living had been changed too, by what they had seen and done, what they had felt, and what they had lost.” (267). “Individuals found themselves in a new and different moral universe, one in which unimaginable destruction had become daily experience. Where did God belong in such a world?” (267). The agony and despair caused by the Civil War remained for decades to come and citizens began to question their beliefs in a supreme being, for “Doubt threatened to overpower faith” (267). They also had to accept the fact that there may not be a “Good Death” for all, that there was “Death without dignity, without decency, without identity imperiled the meaning of the life that preceded it.” (268). Throughout the madness however, Americans did realize one thing, that ‘We shall never any of us be the same as we have been.’ (268).
I believe the Civil War most likely could not have been avoided. The two sides had considerably different views, especially when it came to slavery, and were unwilling to compromise. Both fought and died for what they believed in. Even if avoidance were possible, I believe it would’ve only been for the worse.
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ReplyDeleteCJ
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that "it unified the nation and made us the great country we are today." It truly did. By being knocked to our knees, we received the chance to get back up and throw the next "punch" and be successful as a country of United States.
The Civil War transformed the Nation by simply erasing doubt from peoples minds. By literally pulling itself together, the nation proved itself to it's citizens that it could really succeed at being a nation. With any doubt of our status as a nation erased, it caused a sense of pride and we prospered as a Nation. I believe that it would have been hard to have avoided the civil war. It was like punishing a child, it has to be done to teach a lesson. The Civil War taught everyone that we can be united under one flag, the flag of United States.
ReplyDeleteDue to the Civil war, our nation has changed immensely. People learned what mass death truly is, and how burring the dead in the sense of a "good death" is hard if not possible to do during wartime. As Nick said, this allowed our understanding of how to deal with the dead evolve. This war also helped African Americans by granting them freedom after so many years of suffering. I see the civil war as a stepping stone in the United States becoming a country were everyone can TRULY be free. Another way the nation prospered was that it was finally able to become united and people started to view themselves as part of a nation rather than as part of a state or colony. This greatly increased the nations power and created a bigger idea of brotherhood.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I do not think the civil war could have been avoided. One side wanted slavery and the other did not so they needed to solve that problem. They also needed to solve the problem of non unity. As sad as it is, i think that a war was necessary to bring people closer to one another. It showed people the pain of killing their fellow brothers. The nation also needed to evolve and the civil war helped this happen.
In response to Brian Bower-
ReplyDeleteI agree with your entire post. By erasing the dount from peoples minds, the civil war greatly changed and strenghened our nation. The creation of nation pride truly helps bring people closer together and i like your comparison of the civil war and punishing a child as it is very true, it need to be done.
In response to Matt,
ReplyDeleteI agree that “the Civil War could not have been avoided. There were too many differences between the North and the South.” The two lifestyles were more or less complete opposites with their “Varied views on politics” and ways of life. The war seemed to have no alternative to the extreme hostility that each side had for the other. Compromising was not an option and both sides would give up nothing in order to defend their beliefs.
Since this question is extremely open-ended, I’m going to take it beyond Faust’s central theme of death. Also, I’m going to work backwards on this one. First I’ll talk about how the Civil War might have been prevented and then talk about how it changed our country.
ReplyDeletePrior to the war, many compromises had been created in an attempt to prevent it. There was the Compromise of 1850, the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and several others. These compromises failed because the Civil War was not just about slavery. This was a war between an agrarian lifestyle and an industrial one. This was a war about economic and colonial expansion versus preserving a historic way of life. The South needed slavery for economic reasons. The industrial North and the frontier west had no such need. As more and more states and territories were added in the western United States, the South saw itself becoming more and more outnumbered by votes in Congress. Therefore, its decision to secede from the Union was inevitable in part because of western expansion. The secession decision is the point in time where the war possibly could have been prevented. Had the North, had Lincoln been content to allow the South to be its own country separate from the United States, there would have been no war. The North would have had no reason to attack the South and vice versa. The southern country would have allowed slavery, the northern country would not. (Only during the war did Lincoln’s focus turn to the abolition of slavery. At first, all he was concerned about was keeping the Union together.) This is a gamble; nevertheless I don’t see any other way the war could have been prevented. Compromise wasn’t working; people’s convictions on both sides of the slavery issue were too complex for that.
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ReplyDeleteThe Civil War transformed the nation economically, politically, morally, and spiritually. Having lost its source of cheap labor, the agricultural economy of the South was devastated. Technological advances in agriculture since then have resulted in several farmers becoming extremely wealthy and others losing everything they had. Either way, the plantation lifestyle of the South was “Gone With the Wind”. Today’s farmers must either become large agribusinesses, or they go out of business altogether. On the political scene, for several terms after the war, it was difficult to impossible for a Democratic candidate to become elected president. This permitted the Republican goal of industrial expansion to gain strong support and basically move America into the industrial age. Moving into the industrial age completely changed the morals, values, and work ethics of Americans. Fortunes are now made or lost not on hard work and a well tended crop, but on the unpredictable swings of the stock market or the rulings of judges in lawsuits.
At the beginning of the war, strong morals and religious convictions seemed to guide both the North and the South in how they acted. But by the end of the war things had almost descended into anarchy. The initial respect for soldiers and the effort put forth to give them a “Good Death” was overtaken by economic realities as their bodies were left to rot well after the South’s surrender at Appomattox. The South’s defeat had a huge downward effect on their economy, and poverty tends to bring out the worst in people. To this day, the southern United States has higher crime rates than the national average. As for the North, the morals and religious principles of the Pilgrims and Puritans were once firmly established there. The aftermath of the Civil War seems to be the place where these values began to change. By many accounts today, the northeastern United States is essentially a secular state now. Some of this was probably related to economic prosperity and a perception that God was no longer needed. Perhaps these declines in moral and religious fervor would have occurred whether the Civil War had been fought or not. But it seems clear to me that moral and religious values were very different before the war than they were after it. I don’t think that change is entirely coincidental.
RE: Danielle Sheehan
ReplyDeleteYou wrote, “I do not think the war could have been avoided” due to the various disagreements of the North and South. In truth, there were really not that many arguments between the two other than the developed one of slavery. Slavery was not the cause of the Civil War; the South’s secession was. Lincoln attacked the South because he wanted to keep the Union together. If the South had not separated themselves from the Union, Lincoln’s pre-war indifference to slavery would have had no cause for conflict.
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ReplyDeleteThe Civil War changed the nation drastically. After the war ended, the American people were forced to be stronger than they were before it. They had to be strong to mourn the losses and take care of the dead. The North and the South had to work together in caring for deceased. While mourning, many people were questioning their faith. People didn't understand how a "benevolent deity" could allow this suffering and cruelty and "doubt threatened to overpower faith-faith in the Christian narrative of a compassionate divinity and a hope of life beyond the grave, faith in the intelligibility and purpose of life on Earth." (267) "Americans had not just lost the dead; they had lost their own lives as they had understood them before the war,"(268) and they were forever changed on their outlook at life and death.
ReplyDeleteLike many others, I too do not believe the Civil War could have been avoided. The North believed in abolishing slavery and war was the only way to end it. I agree with Nick Burns that "it would have been impossible for both sides to co-exist for a prolonged amount of time. However, it would also have been impossible for either the North or the South to thrive as independent nations." There were too many conflicts for America to survive without the Civil War being fought.
Nick Burns,
ReplyDeleteLike I said in my previous post, I think you make a good point of the Civil War North and South. That with the conflicts that were, they wouldn't have been able to co-exist for long. And, at the same time, they couldn't thrive as independent nations because of how they relied on each other. They were bordering and these issues would arise in a war eventually.
I think the Civil War transformed the nation in a few ways. So many peopled had lost friends or family in the war that almost everyone’s lives had changed. “The nation was a survivor, too, transformed by its encounter with death, obligated by the sacrifices of the dead.” (268). I also think that it reunited our nation. Both sides came together once again to form one solid union.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that the Civil War was unavoidable. The North’s feelings were very firmly set on abolishing slavery but they did not want the nation to fall apart. Slavery was a way of life for many people in the South and they did not want to give it up, therefore they seceded from the Union. There is no possible way that the North and South could have sustained themselves as separate nations. The only solution to the problem was a war.
The war transformed our nation by showing us, we can find enemies every where, including here at home. It also transformed us because in our country's history it was the war with the most casualties, and that is just the Union. If you add the confederates, who all became Americans it doubles! However, I do not believe this war could have been avoided. I feel that since our country was being seperated, this was necissary.
ReplyDeleteOur country undertook some drastic changes because of the Civil War. The carnage and overflowing number of deaths forced most Americans, including Northerners and Southerners, to doubt their faith and it definitely went on to alter their views on life dramatically. The ars moriendi in which the majority of the population during this era firmly believed in was threatened by the sudden and violent ways in which soldiers were being killed. This and the lack of proper burials for the fallen troops debilitated the whole principle of the “Good Death”.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this massive war could not have been avoided. The conflicts and contradictory beliefs which led up to the fighting were just too large to have been evaded by the people. The contrary views on slavery and on the nation remaining divided into two were not every day arguments and a big confrontation was required to resolve this. The North and the South had many differences to resolve and I find it hard to believe that any solution could have been peacefully acquired.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about it having been pretty much impossible to avoid the Civil War and for both sides to have resolved their differences in a more peaceful manner. Keeping in mind the drastic number of fatalities this war brought on us it just seems unfeasible. You are right about the war having cost us much but also making "us the nation we are today".
In response to Erick
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the war could not have been peacefully resolved. The war was much the same as a volcano. The conflict between the North and South escalated in the same way the pressure builds in a volcano until it finally erupted into war.
Jared,
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent point, "The North’s feelings were very firmly set on abolishing slavery but they did not want the nation to fall apart. Slavery was a way of life for many people in the South and they did not want to give it up, therefore they seceded from the Union." because it is exactly why the war started. The South had a set way of life and the north didn't like it. When the north abolished slavery and elected a present the south didn't like they were prepared to fight for their life style.
Even though the Civil War was an awful, awful war, i feel like it transformed our country for the better. First off, it ended slavery which to me is one of the worst things our country has ever done. It also pushed our country to work together because no matter who won or lost, the tradgegy of the war swept the nation, and we never want another war like that to happen again. I dont necessarily think that the war could've been avoided though. Breaking a country in two and expecting it to work out is asking for a very large problem, and slavery was a large issue for the North, and I'm surprised they didn't act sooner than they did. Also, learning about the Civil War now is very important for keeping it from happening again.
ReplyDeleteJared and Erick-
ReplyDeleteThe war couldn't have been resolved peacefully the way things were during that time. I feel that maybe if both sides had a better government set up at the time that they could have made the war less tragic, but still not completely solve the problem.
Thanks Larisa I agree with you when you said “There were too many differences in opinion and a lot of tension between the Northern and Southern states.” Slavery was lust one of the many issues surrounding the war it was bound to break out eventually it was just a matter of time. The war could have been shorter but had to happen.
ReplyDeleteOur country undertook some drastic changes in account of the Civil War. Slavery was accknowledged and mostly abolished within the United States. Then we also found the importance of a "good death." As Nick had said "this forced the nation’s views concerning a proper death to evolve." I believe he has a good point because we did look and undersstand the importance of how important it is to have a loved one porperly buried and identified. We as a nation, North and South came together to form America and call one another our neighbor, and friend. We could finally call ourselves Americans as people did.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that the war could have not been avoided. Slavery was such a widespread issue that if it had been avoided for even longer, we would of had an even larger breakout and human slaughter. The North had also felt so strongly on slavery and it would have been confroted in some way or another. If they would have not had the war I believe that it would have been very difficult for them to co-exist and survive. Slavery was a huge part of everyday life then and I think that the South was just to dependent upon the slaves.
In response to Jacob A.:
ReplyDeleteI agree that it could have been waited out but would have been worse. I think it was to late to solve it in peace and the only way to solve the issue was through war. The North was in rage so I do not think that they would have been able to hold in there rage.