The Role Of Texas In The Civil War
Today, almost every American knows about the bloodiest battle in American history that took over 600,000 lives. However, not many people know what really caused the devastating war that tore the nation in two. The Civil War was a battle from 1861 to 1865 where two sides of America fought against each other: the Union North against the Confederate South. Though Texas was a new state in the US, many Texans risked their lives and took part in the long, bloody Civil War. Texans fought in the Civil War for many reasons. The main reasons so many Texans fought the Civil War was the issues over slavery, states’ rights, and loyalty to Texas.
The first reason the Texans fought was slavery. According to Texas Joins The Confederacy, the South’s economy
depended greatly on agriculture, which required labor. Without the slaves working and harvesting the crops on the large plantations, the South’s economy would collapse. The South believed that, as stated in Document B, “...the servitude of the African race … is mutually beneficial to both bond (slave) and free…”. Southerners thought that slavery was beneficial to the whites and the economy, as well as to the slaves themselves. Therefore, to them, slavery was justified and should be allowed. A large number of slaves made up Texas’s population. According to Document A, in 1860 the slave population in Texas was 182,566, which was 30% of Texas’s population. 29% of white families owned slaves, proving that slaves were indeed important to Texas’s economy. Texans were willing to fight over slavery because it was vital to the growth of their economy.
Another reason the Texans fought in the war was because of their loyalty to Texas. As stated in Document D, John Wesley Rabb, a Texan soldier fighting for the South, sends a letter to his brother to “Tell him not to inlist till just before they go to draft him and only enlist for Texas service”. He also mentions how if he ever does marry, it will be in Texas. These letters, and many other letters of his, portray John and his family’s loyalty and love for Texas. Over 65,000 Texan soldiers in their twenties and thirties served in the Confederate army, showing that many Texans were loyal and fought for Texas. This reason would cause Texans to fight because they loved the state of Texas and would risk their lives to save Texas.
Lastly, the Texans fought because of states’ rights. As stated from an editorial in the Texas State Gazette, “This is a Union of equal states, and no state can force another state either to remain in it or withdraw from it”. Texans were angry about the federal government trying to prevent them from seceding from the Union. They wanted the right to join freely and leave freely. As mentioned in Texas Joins The Confederacy, the federal government abused its power by deliberately trying to interfere with the interests of Texas. This is the most major cause Texans to fight because they believed that Texas should have the right to govern itself and make its own choices. Loyalty is a minor reason, and slavery falls under this category of states’ rights, because the states wanted the right to own slaves. Therefore states’ rights is the main reason why Texans fought in the Civil War. The Civil War was a bloody battle within a nation where Americans fought Americans. Many Texans risked their lives for the South, and each fought with a reason. Some Texans could not stand and watch their economy collapse with the lack of slavery. Some were driven to fight by the belief that the states should be able to govern themselves. Others fought simply because of their love for Texas. Hundreds of thousands of people died in the Civil War, and a large number were Texan soldiers. Every Texan soldier had a purpose to fight in this war. Every Texan life was an effort towards slavery, states’ rights, and loyalty.
The first reason the Texans fought was slavery. According to Texas Joins The Confederacy, the South’s economy
depended greatly on agriculture, which required labor. Without the slaves working and harvesting the crops on the large plantations, the South’s economy would collapse. The South believed that, as stated in Document B, “...the servitude of the African race … is mutually beneficial to both bond (slave) and free…”. Southerners thought that slavery was beneficial to the whites and the economy, as well as to the slaves themselves. Therefore, to them, slavery was justified and should be allowed. A large number of slaves made up Texas’s population. According to Document A, in 1860 the slave population in Texas was 182,566, which was 30% of Texas’s population. 29% of white families owned slaves, proving that slaves were indeed important to Texas’s economy. Texans were willing to fight over slavery because it was vital to the growth of their economy.
Another reason the Texans fought in the war was because of their loyalty to Texas. As stated in Document D, John Wesley Rabb, a Texan soldier fighting for the South, sends a letter to his brother to “Tell him not to inlist till just before they go to draft him and only enlist for Texas service”. He also mentions how if he ever does marry, it will be in Texas. These letters, and many other letters of his, portray John and his family’s loyalty and love for Texas. Over 65,000 Texan soldiers in their twenties and thirties served in the Confederate army, showing that many Texans were loyal and fought for Texas. This reason would cause Texans to fight because they loved the state of Texas and would risk their lives to save Texas.
Lastly, the Texans fought because of states’ rights. As stated from an editorial in the Texas State Gazette, “This is a Union of equal states, and no state can force another state either to remain in it or withdraw from it”. Texans were angry about the federal government trying to prevent them from seceding from the Union. They wanted the right to join freely and leave freely. As mentioned in Texas Joins The Confederacy, the federal government abused its power by deliberately trying to interfere with the interests of Texas. This is the most major cause Texans to fight because they believed that Texas should have the right to govern itself and make its own choices. Loyalty is a minor reason, and slavery falls under this category of states’ rights, because the states wanted the right to own slaves. Therefore states’ rights is the main reason why Texans fought in the Civil War. The Civil War was a bloody battle within a nation where Americans fought Americans. Many Texans risked their lives for the South, and each fought with a reason. Some Texans could not stand and watch their economy collapse with the lack of slavery. Some were driven to fight by the belief that the states should be able to govern themselves. Others fought simply because of their love for Texas. Hundreds of thousands of people died in the Civil War, and a large number were Texan soldiers. Every Texan soldier had a purpose to fight in this war. Every Texan life was an effort towards slavery, states’ rights, and loyalty.