Preview

Shelby Foote Civil War

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
935 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
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
…show more content…
“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

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Many americans redefined their beliefs after they realized how much freedom was actually worth. One of our father’s recognized the issued and tried impacting the situation before any other country was divided. Most importantly, if it was not for slavery and the Civil War, what would freedom be defined as today ? Everything happens for a reason, the point is to learn from it. So the purpose of the Civil War was to impact Americans Ideas about freedom and defeated the evils of…

    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The bloodiest war in American history, led by Abraham Lincoln for the north, and Jefferson Davis for the south, both presidents, but two different sides. Both garner for peace, yet one is willing to start a war, while the other is willing to accept it. This essay will compare and contrast the political, economical, and social outlooks on Lincoln’s and Davis’ Inaugural addresses throughout the civil war between the North and South. Slavery, laws, and state rights drove the South to start a war, and Lincoln received the war with open arms. Both sides wanted peace, but their means of achieving it and their leaders’ choices and beliefs differed greatly while still holding similarities.…

    • 1438 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Shelby Foote was an American historian and novelist who Random House Publishing Company paid to write a history of the civil war. It took him 20 years to write the 3-volume novel “The Civil War: A Narrative.” Writing 500 to 600 hundred words a day and visiting battlefields as needed to make the Novel as factual as possible with all known reliable historical writings. Treating the North and South the same writing he wrote about both the east and west battles. Using the historian’s standard of evidence for his writing. He intentionally did not include the politic or economical causes when writing this historical novel. He wanted it to tell what the North and the South Soldiers were fighting for in their own individual stories and point of view.…

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In his second inaugural address in March 1865, Abraham Lincoln looked back at the beginning of the Civil War four years earlier "all knew," he said, that slavery "was somehow the cause of the war." This essay will endeavour to discuss the role of long term divisions caused by the slavery debate in the eventual outbreak of the Civil War. In doing so this analysis will encompass the period between the birth of the nation beginning with the start of the American Revolution in 1763 and the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865. This being a period in which the newly independent nation struggled with its state system, with each of the former colonies possessing the rights to a significant level of self-governance that inevitably led to disagreements and conflicts of interest. One such conflict was the disagreement over slavery which James Ford, like Lincoln, believes was crucial in creating a clear North-South divide that would eventually lead to the Civil War. Whilst recognising slavery’s overwhelming contribution to the outbreak of the American civil war in 1861, one must acknowledge alternative factors beyond slavery, which contributed to the nations descent towards armed conflict. Revisionists such as William Gienapp and William Freehling emphasise the political contribution to the outbreak of the war and the influence of sectional ideology on ante bellum politics. It was this differing ideology that created the tensions between Southern and Northern parties creating political chaos during the 1850s, the North believing they were attempting to save democracy whilst the South campaigned for increased States’ rights, all of which provoked the outbreak of war. As well as the long-term divisions over slavery and the short term political contributions to the outbreak of war, historians such as Charles and Mary Beard placed emphasis on the…

    • 4190 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the speech given to the divided population of the United States (both North and South) at the time of taking his second term as President, Abraham Lincoln announced his vision for the future of his great country once again becoming whole. Lincoln makes mention of many items that drive his view and position on the current happenings of the Civil War. These references calm his “Fellow-Countrymen” so to speak, and allow for the future to begin when his speech ends.…

    • 545 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    All the reasons have a tendency, in the author's point of view, to point to the Republican administration of the Union on the need for drastic change in the leadership of military operations, and the general approach to military and domestic policies. This is especially true of the President Lincoln, whose authority grew, and the government during the war was almost unlimited. The political analysis of the situation of the war years provided throughout the book is not the key purpose of the author of 1861: The Civil War Awakening. The real aim of Goodheart (2011) is to present it fluently as it would be frivolous and arrogant in relation to this complex, multi-dimensional process. To understand the situation of those difficult years, to understand a complex set of problems which confronted Lincoln and his administration, is possible only if a reader grasps as much as possible, in order to break through…

    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Civil War DBQ Essay

    • 866 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” This statement that created by President Abraham Lincoln demonstrates the necessity of the Civil War. If the United States were to remain divided, the strength of these two nations would be degraded and allow the continuation of an immoral practice; slavery. “Politicians, business leaders, newspaper editors, and others desperately sought a last-ditch compromise that would keep other states from following South Carolina...no compromise on Earth could reverse the election of Abraham Lincoln and the Southern fears of a “Black Republican” administration” (Roberts 50). As various groups split within the nation, the…

    • 866 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, had a military background and experience as a secretary of war which made him the best candidate for the position (Goldberg, 408). Davis faced many problems early on in his leadership: from having create an entirely new government to figuring out how to finance the war. Although Jefferson Davis did his best, he did not possess the same leadership or communication skills that President Abraham Lincoln had. Lincoln was the President of the Union and was great at boosting the Northerner’s morale and convincing them to continue fighting in the war. Although both were great leaders with similar military backgrounds, Lincoln was able to better utilize the North’s resources in the most strategic way possible helping his side tremendously throughout the war (Goldberg,…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The civil war was only about slavery to the South. However, most people in the South had nothing to do with slavery. Slavery was an issue only for the very wealthy. The South rebelled because a few wealthy folk preyed upon the ignorant masses in order to keep their investments low and profits high. Unfortunately, the war did not change this. Ending slavery didn't fix the problems. We still had the problem of education and poor chance for a good wage, for whites or blacks. Following the civil war, the rich elite simply sought to pit poor whites against poor blacks, while exploiting both. This practice continues to this…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The American civil war was primarily a fight between two sides over numerous contradictory ideals. The civil war’s seeds started to grow when Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States of America which in turned caused tensions to rise. Unlike the peaceful ending of the Mexican Revolution, the American Civil War ended with the Battles of Palmito Ranch and Appotmax and the capture of Confederate President Davis. The end of this long, bloody conflict helped add three new amendments to the Constitution. Finally, the result of the American Civil War answered whether the United States would be an undividable country and whether it was truly…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Civil War Dbq

    • 1542 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Civil War was a time of great change for many people, especially people who had been slaves before the war. They were finally free and required the help of the American government to adjust and get started in their new lives as free men and women. Although they received their freedom, they did not receive enough help from the American government in the aftermath of the Civil War for it to be as revolutionary as it could have been…

    • 1542 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The blood of fallen soldiers laid in a pool across the land of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Thousands died in the bloodiest massacre in America’s history for the cause of unification and the of ending of slavery. Brothers, friends, cousins, caught on opposite sides of the fight were left with familiar faces being among those they killed. This was the reality for the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln was the president at the time, and he was handed one of the most difficult dilemmas to ever face this country. How does one hold together a country torn at its seams? Some historians believe that as well as being a firm and strong leader, he was an abolitionist leader. While it is undisputed that Lincoln was an excellent president, he was wrongfully given…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    North Carolina Paper

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Civil War, still called the war for southern independence by many people, was a defining moment in this great nation’s history. The “United States” did not become a common term until after the civil war. The war created a coast to coast nation that would forever be united.…

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The causes and effects of the Civil War above were a very important part in American history. If the war didn’t happen, we would still have slavery, we wouldn’t have the modern weaponry or medicine that we have today, and we would still be living the way that people did in the 1860’s. This war helped shape our country forever. Thanks to the war, you can be who you are right…

    • 670 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Fate of Their Country

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages

    "To locate the most direct causes of the American Civil War," he contends in the preface, "one must look at the actions of governmental officeholders in the decades before that horrific conflict." Professor Michael F Holt needs no introduction among historians. He is single handedly regarded as one of the scholars who is most responsible for the emergence of what some call a neo-revisionist interpretation and outlook about the origins and circumstances that resulted in the Civil War. His ideas which are reflected throughout his books especially “The Fate of their country” emphasize that the reasons which caused The Civil War could have been and should have been averted. Defending this ideology Holt criticizes historians who stand by their argument of “Sectional conflict over slavery and slavery extension caused the Civil War”. Instead he preaches throughout his works that include many influential books including “The Fate of their Country” that, contingent political factors played a very huge and predominant role is stimulations factors causing disunion among the states.…

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays