How Is The American Civil War Relevant Today

The American Civil War lasted from the year 1860 to 1865 and was the bloodiest conflict in American history, yet in several ways helped to form the United States as it is today. As the events in the mid 19th century unfolded it was becoming more obvious of a great divide the country created on the basis of culture and industry that encouraged southern states out of the United States, and into forming The Confederate States of America. The Southern States of America Seceded from the union because of the future of slavery as the south relied on it for its economy and with the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 whose party favored the abolition of slavery, it became clear to the south that abolition of slavery was near. Because of this, the Confederate States was formed to protect the institution of slavery and fought the United States for years resulting in the fall of the Confederacy.
Complementing the plea of the southern states for secession were events such as the Kansas-Nebraska act in 1854, Bleeding Kansas, and the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850. Many historians agree that one of the major causes of the state's secession and the civil war was over the state's right to own slaves. Successful books such as, “Uncle Tom's Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe and “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” both helped to fuel northern states resentment of slavery and it began to influence politicians in the north. Popular abolitionist such as William Lloyd Garrison helped to publish “ The Liberator’ which helped keep the issue of slavery in the minds of the people who read it. Because of this, more northern states began to favor the abolition of slavery, and because of the population of northern states they would outnumber the southern states vote on slavery. As a result, the southern states began to feel pressure as they relied on agriculture for their economy, and their agriculture relied on slavery. So to the south losing slavery would mean to many as the end of their way of life and economy, which pushed them to leave the union and form the Confederacy to protect it. When the state of Texas seceded from the United States on February 1, 1861, and later joined the Confederate States of America on March 2, 1861, they created a ordinance that explained why the state left the union. In a quote from the declaration, it claims, “She was received as a commonwealth holding, maintaining and protecting the institution known as negro slavery--the servitude of the African to the white race within her limits--a relation that had existed from the first settlement of her wilderness by the white race, and which her people intended should exist in all future time.” it shows that when Texas joined the United States it entered as a slave state and claims that it should remain one for the future. This compliments the idea of southern secession for the future of slavery because it claims that slavery has always been apart of human history and that the north is threatening that idea. The Texas declaration of secession even mentions the Bleeding Kansas confrontations, which was about proslavery and antislavery voters fighting violently over the decision of whether the state of Kansas would enter as a free state or not around 1854.
In the declaration, it claims, “infamous combinations of incendiaries and outlaws have been permitted in those States and the common territory of Kansas to trample upon the federal laws, to war upon the lives and property of Southern citizens in that territory, and finally, by violence and mob law to usurp the possession of the same as exclusively the property of the Northern States” it references the Bleeding Kansas confrontations and talks about how the Northern states unfairly associated Kansas as a free state by violence and how it did not enforce the law. This helps to show the fear the south had over the issue of slavery as they saw the north violently pushing for abolition in new states admitted into the union. Which would result in the antislavery vote possibly outnumbering the proslavery vote, which pushed the south to
secede. Next, the Texas secession ordinance references the northern state’s lack of action with the Fugitive Slave Law, a law passed to catch runaway slaves and return them to their slave’s masters in the south. In the quote, “They have for years past encouraged and sustained lawless organizations to steal our slaves and prevent their recapture, and have repeatedly murdered Southern citizens while lawfully seeking their rendition.” it claims that northerners were helping runaway slaves and disrupting southern slave owners in their pursuit of them. This shows that the south claimed the north was disrespecting the law and even killed slave owners in their pursuit of the runaways. This showed to many southern civilians that the north couldn't be trusted and that the southern states were better off on their own. The State of Mississippi also seceded from the United States on January 9, 1861, a few weeks before the Texas, and left mostly because of the same reasons Texas did. The Mississippi ordinance claims, “Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery ---the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization.” and defends this claim through several points in the ordinance. This complements the earlier argument by stating specifically that slavery was important to the state's economy and its abolition would cost the state's economy dearly. The quote even goes as far as saying that without slavery its civilization would collapse. Because of this the state viewed leaving the union as the only way to preserve its way of life and economy. The Mississippi ordinance even references the North's lack of action in the fugitive slave law, just like Texas would do around a month later. The ordinance, “It has nullified the Fugitive Slave Law in almost every free State in the Union, and has utterly broken the compact which our fathers pledged their faith to maintain.” to call the union out on its lack of proper action to catch escaped slaves in the north. As a result, Mississippi viewed the North as corrupt against slavery and in the end, it would be better on its own and apart from the union. Finally, the Mississippi ordinance for secession goes as far as to say that the north was supporting slave rights and calls it evil. The ordinance claims, “It advocates negro equality, socially and politically, and promotes insurrection and incendiarism in our midst.” to show just how they felt equality would cause. This shows that the southern states viewed white as the superior race and that black slaves aren't worthy of equality. It even goes as far to say that the equality amongst the races would promote insurrection and chaos. As a result, it shifted the populace towards secession to keep order. Many historians argue that the southern states secession and the Civil War was about the southern states avoiding industry and avoiding a tyrannical government, while some of the claims were true they were only minor compared to the fight over slavery. The states left the union to protect its state's right to own slaves and saw abolitionist movements in the north as a threat to that right. The Civil War that followed immediately after the southern states secession would create the nation we see today and began to lay the framework for civil rights for the people that followed.