Shelby Foote Civil War

Historian Shelby Foote said, “Any understanding of this nation has to be based on an understanding of the Civil War”. The Civil War defined us as what we are, and it opened us to being what we became, good and bad things. It is very necessary if you’re going to understand the American character in the 20th century to learn about this enormous catastrophe of the mid-19th century (Adams, 2013). It was the crossroads of our being”. Moreover, he stated that “basing any understanding of this nation is really based on the understanding of the Civil War”. What lead up to the civil war was our involvement with the European Wars and the Revolution lead to our country’s Independence.
The civil war defines the United States as a country based on Independence and freedom; we would not stand strongly if divided with free and slave men. This was inhumane. The war defined us as a country of freedom for all
“The political system surrounding Lincoln provided him with an infrastructure to spread propaganda and garner widespread support. Jefferson Davis never had such an infrastructure and thus failed to create sustained enthusiasm for the war effort”. By spring 1865, more than half of Confederate soldiers had deserted. The Confederacy’s economy was ravaged; the home front demoralized, and with the Union Army’s impending dangers, eroded the Southerners will to fight. When Lee surrendered, the war was finally over, thus was the beginning of our new Union. These two differences that shaped the manner in which this particular war was structured greatly impacted the manner in which the outcome of the war itself was perceived by people and at the same time the gains that were made in the process. To better understand this particular system, Lincoln was so much occupied with ensuring that he had at his fingertips what was needed most and at the same time engaged with people in the most positive way