- Joined
- Apr 19, 2007
- Messages
- 971
So, lately I've been studying up on this for history (along with the Three Kingdoms era, the Warring states of Japan era, the Renaissance, and the Midieval eras while simultaneously juggling the burdens of having to do both 11th and 12th grade in one year... and you people complain about tests and exams...)
Anyway, the American Civil War has particularly sparked my interest, and I have a strong urge to discuss this war with you. Anything related to the American Civil War is allowed, political, economical, military, battlegrounds. So long as it relates to the American Civil War, it's on-topic.
First off, the Confederate States of America. I'm willing to bet that if you were to walk up to a normal person in America, and ask them their opinion of the Confederacy, they'd give some off-the-wall answer about how 'evil' they were. I don't think they were. Do I support slavery? No. But I don't think they were evil at all. They attacked Fort Sumter out of fear most likely (It was being built in Confederate territory, that would get people antzy and nervous). The Union's response was to declare war. Of course war wasn't the first solution the Union had tried. Negotiations had been attempted, to no avail. But, when Sumter was attacked, it started a grueling 4 year war that is considered the bloodiest in American history.
But this raises the question: How was the South able to last 4 years when the North outnumbered them 2:1 and how the South was so inferior technilogically? Well, my personal thoughts are the advantages they had.
1. They were fighting a defensive war, they could outmaneuver their enemy much easier.
2. They had most of the distinguished generals.
3. They couldn't tire of the war as quickly as the Union could. Surrender meant the death of their lifestyle.
Economically, there's no denying it. It was A LOT stronger than it is now. A Union soldier was payed $13 a month, which, back then, was easily a livable wage. As for the South, had they been considered an independent nation, they would've been the 4th most powerful nation in the world in 1860. However, their economy relied largly on cotton. I believe that using the slaves, along with the decline of cotton over the years, would've led the economy (and possibly the Confederacy itself) to eventually collapse had they won their freedom.
Please, feel free to contradict me, I'd love to get a heated discussion about the American Civil War going.
Anyway, the American Civil War has particularly sparked my interest, and I have a strong urge to discuss this war with you. Anything related to the American Civil War is allowed, political, economical, military, battlegrounds. So long as it relates to the American Civil War, it's on-topic.
First off, the Confederate States of America. I'm willing to bet that if you were to walk up to a normal person in America, and ask them their opinion of the Confederacy, they'd give some off-the-wall answer about how 'evil' they were. I don't think they were. Do I support slavery? No. But I don't think they were evil at all. They attacked Fort Sumter out of fear most likely (It was being built in Confederate territory, that would get people antzy and nervous). The Union's response was to declare war. Of course war wasn't the first solution the Union had tried. Negotiations had been attempted, to no avail. But, when Sumter was attacked, it started a grueling 4 year war that is considered the bloodiest in American history.
But this raises the question: How was the South able to last 4 years when the North outnumbered them 2:1 and how the South was so inferior technilogically? Well, my personal thoughts are the advantages they had.
1. They were fighting a defensive war, they could outmaneuver their enemy much easier.
2. They had most of the distinguished generals.
3. They couldn't tire of the war as quickly as the Union could. Surrender meant the death of their lifestyle.
Economically, there's no denying it. It was A LOT stronger than it is now. A Union soldier was payed $13 a month, which, back then, was easily a livable wage. As for the South, had they been considered an independent nation, they would've been the 4th most powerful nation in the world in 1860. However, their economy relied largly on cotton. I believe that using the slaves, along with the decline of cotton over the years, would've led the economy (and possibly the Confederacy itself) to eventually collapse had they won their freedom.
Please, feel free to contradict me, I'd love to get a heated discussion about the American Civil War going.
