Personal Narrative: The Civil War Legacy

The Civil War legacy still has an impact on Americans today. Today, most Americans look at the Civil War in an awe-inspired perspective. People try to skip over the blood and ugliness that resulted because of it, and instead try to focus on the courage and heroic deeds that soldiers performed. Many today are more likely to view the war as a fight for black freedom instead of for state’s rights, which is what it had previously been known for. The South still seems proud of the Confederate flag, even though it is the cause of a lot of controversy. Some people view it as part of their heritage. Certain topics of the Civil War are still well-known throughout society. Abraham Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address, and the Emancipation proclamation are all examples of what people associate with the Civil War. People try to remember iconic people and images like these, instead of the blood, gore, and hate that took place.
My view of the Civil War has changed
My goals for Reconstruction include unifying the nation by offering aide to the destroyed South, that would in return, profit the North. One problem the South is facing is the difficulty to mechanize the economy after the war left it in ruins. I plan on offering both African Americans, and poor southerners’ jobs that will be provided by the government. These jobs will be focused on rebuilding towns and introducing new factories, with up-to-date equipment. In return, when the rebuilding process is close to completion, the South will be able to participate in more trade and bring in more revenue. Each southern state would eventually have to pay a percentage to the federal government that would go towards paying off the war debt, but also go towards paying the salaries of the men working to rebuild the South. My hope is that this compromise will be seen as a way to benefit everybody, but in some way still let the North feel that the South had to help pay for the