Why Did The North Win The Civil War

In order to win the war, the Union had to think smart and play it to their advantage. In the book The Civil War: A Visual History, author John E. Stanchak declared, “During the 19th century, the new era of rail and steam that marked the Industrial Revolution was centered in the Northern states, and a summary of economics and human resources shows their advantages” (Stanchak 54). The North had a lot of railroads which helped them travel faster. They also had more money and organizations than the South. These advantages boosted them further into victory.

Although they did not win, the South also had some advantages. Stanchak also states, “...the South rudimentary road and rail network made logistics a nightmare for any invading army” (Stanchak 55). Since there were undeveloped road and railroad systems, it was a challenge to travel in the South. According to the film “America: The Story of Us”, both sides advanced technologically. The Minié ball was used during the war, it was a special bullet to severely injure its target. The telegraph was used a lot by President Lincoln to send and receive messages on the war faster rather than messaging using the pony express which would take weeks.
During the war there were a lot of alteration socially.
Authors Martin P. Claussen and Eric J. Morser declared, “The president, however, defended his position in a series of open letters and continued to arrest anti war protesters, even after 3 March 1863, when federal lawmakers required the government to release or subject political prisoners to regular or judicial procedure” (Claussen and Morser 284). Lincoln changed the rules citizens lived by. He didn’t allow people to protests although that was unconstitutional. Also he defended himself for putting people in jail without trial for fighting politically. There were a lot of significant changes because of the
war.

The effect of the war changed America remarkably politically and socially. Five years after the Civil War there were new amendments to give African Americans their freedom. Section one of the fourteenth Amendment declares, “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” It was essential to make this amendment following the Civil War because it made African American citizens. Without this amendment the non abolitionists would manipulate a way back into slavery.

A new extremist terrorist group formed called the Klu Klux Klan after the war. This group was made to terrorize African Americans violently and opposed the new social change. Writer Edward L. Ayers expresses, “The Klu Klux Klan terrorized those who challenged white supremacy in any way” (Ayers 1). This group was made because the white terrorists did not like the fact that African Americans were free. To them it was either they were going to be slaves or they could “go back” to Africa. If it wasn’t wasn’t one of those it was their lives. The believed that only whites were superior and blacks were basically animals.

Even today America is still feeling the effect of the Civil War. Texas is trying to put that aside in U.S History classes . The Washington Post Editorial Board claims, “It’s alarming that 150 years after the Civil War’s end children are learning that slavery was, as one Texas board of education member put in 2010, ‘a side issue’...By distorting history, Texas tells its students a dishonest and damaging story about the United States that prevents children from understanding the country today” (1). Texas is hurting the school teens by blocking the truth from them. Over one hundred years later and Texas still has too much pride and is doing this for spite.
Ultimately, the Civil War was fought over the African American’s freedom. All the changes done socially, politically and the result of the war was all in favor. For instance, after the Civil War three new amendments were made to discontinue slavery and make sure African Americans could strive in life. To add, if it weren’t for Africans being brought to America against their will there would have been no Civil War. The whole thing started because of slavery and the North did not approve but the South was all for it. Events such as the Dred Scott Decision and the the publishing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin made abolitionists’ blood boil. The were tired of seeing African Americans being treated as animals. After many attempts to end slavery without a war the abolitionists in the North had enough. Having different views on slavery was a big issue, because of this war was inevitable. Both sides used war tactics to helped them in the war. However, the Unions strategies were more powerful than the Confederates leading them to victory and leaving slavery in the past. The results of the war benefited the African Americans such as the fourteenth amendment that made them citizens. However, not all results were good because the creation of the Klu Klux Klan made African Americans horrified and feared their lives. The legacy of the war is still felt today. It is seen in the Texas textbooks by the authors whitewashing history and Texas allowing these books in the classroom. The Civil War was all for African American freedom and ending slavery in America.