Essay On How Did Texas Fight In The Civil War

Fight, or Flight?

In 1820, the binding force that held America together for nearly 100 years had started to collapse. After 41 years of crumbling down, the force had broken, leading to the Civil War - the bloodiest war in the history of wars - and the darkest part of American History. Thousands of civilians, including 65,000 Texans, went forward to serve in the Confederate military. Unfortunately, 1 in 5 of every Texan soldier that went to fight died. But, in the first place, why did Texans fight in the Civil War and endanger their lives? Texans fought in the Civil War to preserve slavery, defend states’ rights, and protect their families and state.
First of all, Texas residents wanted to defend slavery. The Texas Secession Convention states that “the servitude of the African race … is mutually beneficial to both bond (slave) and free, and is … justified by the experience of mankind, and the revealed will of the Almighty Creator.” (Document
B). Texans (and the rest of the Confederacy) viewed African Americans as an “inferior and dependent race” (Document B) and essential not only to their personal needs but also to their economy. By 1860, the slave population in Texas was 182,566, 30% of the total population of Texas. (Document A). So, the South was basically surviving only with slave labor, and this is probably the main reason why their agricultural industry was so successful.
In addition, Texans desired to maintain states’ rights. For example, O.M. Roberts asserted that “the true theory of our (national) government as an association of sovereignties (independent states), and not a blended mass of people in one social compact” (Document C). Unlike the Union, the Confederacy wanted less federal power and more power to the states. This is why the states in the southern United States believed that each of them had the right to make their own decisions (such as secede from the Union). On the other hand, President Lincoln believed that “the Union of these States is perpetual … (N)o state … can lawfully get out of the Union.” (Document C). Lincoln believed in a strong central government, thus being against the idea of states’ rights.
Most importantly, Texans expressed a deep love for their family, and ultimately, their state.
In a letter to his family, John Wesley Rabb tells his brother to “only enlist for Texas service” and expresses that he wants “to be home so bad” (Document D). Also, whenever he feels his family is being threatened, he warns his mother by saying, “I hear the Yanks are in Texas … Do the best you can, Ma” (Document D). The Civil War was the most deadly war in the world. The majority of Texans did not quite see Texas as part of the larger South. Texas was relatively new to America, and then the Confederacy. Texans still had a strong, patriotic sensation towards their state. Moreover, people were most likely scared by the thought of how the unthreatened United States of America had unexpectedly broken into two sides fighting for what they think is right. Who knows when the Northerners suddenly appear out of nowhere as part of their surprise attack? A quest for the economy had soon become a quest for survival with a blanket of
uneasiness. All in all, Texans fought in the Civil War to maintain slavery, retain states’ rights, and, most of all, to safeguard their families and Texas. Although the soldiers were fighting for different causes, in the end, they still have ended up on the same battlefield fighting against the Union. But, the bigger picture is, in my opinion, the bravery of the thousands of soldiers that risked their lives for Texas. The soldiers that went to fight did it as an act of selflessness for their family, state, and nation. Courage is not merely the absence of fear, it is the ability to move beyond fear, which is the same factor that made Martin Luther King stand up for equal rights and Texans fighting in the Civil War.